Why don't British singers sing with a British accent?

"Why don't British singers sing with a British accent?"

1. Who cares?!

2. I like Dido.

3. Michael Bublé is Canadian.

Most British bands I know sing or used to singwith a British accent.

Coldplay. Radiohead. The Beatles. Blur. Franz Ferdinand. The Coral. And you will NEVER see Oasis, pioneers of Britpop, singing with American accents.

British singer at this years Eurovison song contest (Javine) is using the American accent in her song TOUCH MY BODY.

It seems majority of British dance, trance, soul & pop groups prefer the American accent. I don't think Dido uses British accent, she uses a Mid-atlantic accent of ancient American movies :p The only pop artist that uses RP is Sofie Alice Baxtor. She sounds cold and snobbish with this accent, I think American accent would bring some warmth in her songs.

Sugababes, Kelly Llorenna, so American :p

"3. Michael Bublé is Canadian."

Yes but his singing accent isn't Canadian. Do you think he sings in the same accent that he speaks with?

touch my fire and not


touch my body




sorry :)

but pretty close

please vote for this Beyoncé-wannabe

Well, accent of Pet shop Boys and Erasure is more American than British. I think it's Mid-Atlantic :)

Alice-"It seems majority of British dance, trance, soul & pop groups prefer the American accent"

Don't forget the famous DEPECHE MODE the masters of electronic music who influenced at least 30 bands and many styles .The synthesized-pop world leader sung an still sing with British accent !

Depeche Mode in electronic pop music is like Elvis in rock...

aside from bart simpson, the chipmunks are known for their infamous high pitch vocals mixed with aus-american accent that would cause glass to break.

Alice:

Warmth? Sofie Alice Bextor? I think you're actually missing the point of her kind of music...

Ted:

There's no doubt Michael Bublé's singing voice is entirely influenced by the types of songs in his repertoire. But it's actually difficult to say whether Canadian singers even need to consciously emulate an American accent. Unless they're from the Maritimes, their "singing accent" will generally pass for American to most people anyway. Case in point: Diane Krall (Vancouver).

(I'm Canadian)

"But it's actually difficult to say whether Canadian singers even need to consciously emulate an American accent."

That's what I think is the case for most non-American singers, let alone Canadian ones, though I take your point it's probably easier for Canadians. But Avril Lavigne consciously sings in her native Canadian accent and it is noticeable. Sorry I'm not very familiar with Diane Krall.

No way.. no way.. no way ...ever... would Franz Ferdinand use an American accent...they're guys from Scotland ffs :-) no honestly though they just don't do the American thing. Lots of Brit singers do though....simple reason...it's cool to do so..it's all commercial stuff...that's the way the market operates. No way do they SPEAK American though.

I don't know about that Damian. I find that the accent of lead singer of Franz Ferdinand is contrastive between his singing and talking. What about Garbage? I hear the Scottish traces but the American thing is there. Isn't the singer of the Stone Roses Scottish?

"No way do they SPEAK American though."
That makes me think of Sting. You might think he was American just by the way he sings, if you'd never heard him speak.

It's immensely obvious when a Brit consciously sings Brit... think of the group Streets. The guy clearly sings the way he speaks on the streets.

It really depends upon what genre of music the singer is appropriating. For example, Mick Jagger usually sings like a black American Southerner because his music is often heavily influence by the Blues. But ever hear the Rolling Stones' britpop anthem "Ruby Tuesday?" Suddenly Mick sounds very British. Same with the Beatles--"Roll Over Beethoven?" Sounds like Yanks. "Norwegian Wood?" Liverpudlian.

Certainly the British punk/new-wave bands of 70's and 80's featured singers with thick British accents, since that was a very British form of music (the one exeption to this was Joy Division's Ian Curtis, who often adopted a bizarre, American-sounding accent when he sang).

I'm wondering what American bands try to sound British?

<<I'm wondering what American bands try to sound British? >>

The Ramones, Green Day... Spinal Tap