Timing is everything in music and the Second British Invasion of the US charts coincided with the launch of MTV in 1981. The channel’s earliest intention was to play non-stop music videos around the clock, and was in urgent need of broadcastable content.
During the first British Invasion The Beatles had the Ed Sullivan Show, now, second time around, it was MTV.
Synth-pop had exploded due to the availability, for the first time, of cheap, portable synths. The final embers of punk’s DIY spirit encouraged non-musicians to give the synthesizer a go, and a flurry of new bands emerged.
The most significant early breakthrough was The Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me’ which, despite an underwhelming promo video, topped the US charts.
Second British Invasion: 11 UK bands who conquered the US charts
1. Duran Duran
With their slick suits, lustrous haircuts and boyish good looks, Duran Duran were the biggest beneficiaries of MTV’s launch. Filmed in exotic locations with supermodels on tap, the band’s promo videos, such as ‘Girls On Film’ and ‘Rio’, were cinematic events in their own right.
The public imagination was captured and Duran Duran became a regular fixture in the US charts. They hit the top spot in 1984 with ‘The Reflex’ and again with ‘A View To A Kill’ a year later.
Biggest US hit: 'The Reflex' (1984)
2. A Flock Of Seagulls
Despite a UK top ten hit in 1982 with ‘Wishing (If I had A Photograph Of You’), the Liverpool band weren’t as big on home shores as they were on the other side of the Atlantic. ‘I Ran (So Far Away)', their biggest US hit, reached number nine on the Billboard charts.
The passage of time hasn’t been kind to the band, whose enduring legacy, rather than the music, is lead singer Mike Score’s ludicrous winged, asymmetrical haircut.
Biggest US hit: 'I Ran (So Far Away)' (1982)
3. Depeche Mode
Many of the bands that formed part of the Second British Invasion scored a number of quick hits in the US charts and then went back home to the UK never to be seen Stateside again. Depeche Mode bucked that trend, and have been a US stadium act since the late 80s.
The band’s transformation from light synth-poppers to dark synth-rockers clearly struck a chord with their deeply loyal US fanbase.
Biggest US hit: 'Enjoy The Silence' (1990)
4. Simple Minds
Written for the high school movie The Breakfast Club by Steve Schiff and Keith Forsey, ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ was offered to Simple Minds. The Scottish band were initially reluctant to record the track as they wanted to concentrate on their own material. It was then offered to Bryan Ferry, who also passed.
Simple Minds eventually u-turned and gained a US number one as a result. ‘Pretty In Pink’ from the movie of the same name helped the Psychedelic Furs towards a similar trajectory.
Biggest US hit: 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' (1985)
5. The Human League
Formed in 1977, The Human League started out creating experimental electronic music, but the high-art pretensions were put aside in favour of chart success. After a line-up change, the band’s third album, Dare, provided the band with the keys to the mainstream.
The fourth single from the album, ‘Don’t You Want Me’ went to number one on both sides of the Atlantic. It was a breakthrough 45 in the US for British synth-pop. The Human League had a second US number one with ‘Human’ in 1986.
Biggest US hit: 'Don't You Want Me' (1981)
6. Tears For Fears
Another band who invaded and stayed, Tears For Fears' US breakthrough was aligned to their second album, Songs From The Big Chair. The album spawned two number hits, ‘Shout’ and ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World.’
After an acrimonious split and subsequent recoupling, principal players Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal are still selling tickets to shows in the US. They are also one of the bands whose music appeals to a vast new generation of TikTokers.
Biggest US hit: 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' (1985)
7. Culture Club
On the face of it, Culture Club felt like a confusing prospect for a US audience, but the band challenged mainstream norms and came out smiling. Boosted by heavy MTV Rotation, debut album Kissing To Be Clever delivered three top 10 hits in the States: ‘Do You Really Want To Hear Me’, Time’ and ‘I’ll Tumble For Ya’.
They were the first band since The Beatles to perform the trick. Follow-up album Colour By Numbers kept the flow of hits coming with ‘Karma Chameleon’ reaching the number one spot. The band still tour as a nostalgia act in the US.
Biggest US hit: 'Karma Chameleon' (1984)
8. Soft Cell
Of all the Second British Invasion bands to make an impact on him, Nine Inch Nail’s frontman Trent Reznor cites, perhaps surprisingly, Soft Cell as the biggest. The band’s edgy, dark electronics weren’t everybody’s cup of tea and Soft Cell’s impact in the States narrows down to just the one track. ‘Tainted Love’ peaked at number 8 in the US charts, but hung around on the Top 100 for an unprecedented 43 weeks.
Biggest US hit: 'Tainted Love' (1981)
9. Spandau Ballet
While it’s safe to surmise that the US public never really understood the ethos behind the New Romantic movement, it’s also evident they were completely sold on the immediacy of the music. Spandau Ballet’s biggest hit was 1983’s ‘True’ which made it to number four in the US charts.
The track became a staple of US radio, surpassing four million airplays by 2011. Despite their attention to tailoring, they were unable to break out of Duran Duran’s shadow in the States.
Biggest US hit: 'True' (1983)
10. Wham!
While Wham! can’t be painted with the synth-pop brush they were at the forefront of the Second British Invasion nonetheless. The duo’s soulful pop and teen appeal along with their instant compatibility to MTV ensured chart success. ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ was their first number one.
Unlike the UK where it was a solo single, ‘Careless Whisper’ was credited as Wham! featuring George Michael, and also made it to the top.
Biggest US hit: 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go' (1984)
11. Billy Idol
Billy Idol nailed his colours to the Second British Invasion’s mast, and it paid dividends for the platinum punk. Unlike most of the acts involved in the movement, Idol had already had a career with Generation X.
He was savvy enough to embrace MTV and his early hits (‘White Wedding’ and ‘Rebel Yell’) had an awful lot to do with his promo videos. His only number one in the States was a live version of ‘Mony Mony’.
Biggest US hit: 'Mony Mony' (1987)
All photos Getty Images
Top image Wham, 1984
