American Rock Music Vs. British Rock Music
According to the Library of Congress, "American rock and roll music was imitated by British groups, who then refined it and, in the view of some, improved it." Since the 1950s, British and American rock groups have influenced each other, taken styles in unique directions and fought for the limelight.
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History
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Rock music is an offshoot of rock & roll, which emerged from American blues in the Deep South. Musicians like John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters introduced the blues to England, and American rock & roll records by Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly found their way overseas. The British returned the favor in the 1960s in what is called the British Invasion with groups like The Beatles, The Who, and The Rolling Stones.
Heavy Metal
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According to Allmusic.com, "Heavy metal was largely a British creation," the result of the British blues movement of the 1960s. British bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin helped define the genre of heavy metal. American bands like Kiss and Van Halen followed their blueprint, and also invented thrash metal.
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Punk
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Punk music has its roots in the protopunk of The Stooges and MC5 in the early 1970s. The late 1970s saw the rise of American punk bands like The Ramones and The Dead Boys. British bands like The Sex Pistols and The Clash helped popularize British punk as a pop movement until its death in 1978.
Geography
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Many American rock groups have made a name in England before reaching popularity in the United States. Bands like Nirvana and the Jimi Hendrix Experience were both popular with British rock fans before American rock fans embraced them.
Time Frame
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The popularity of American and British rock music has shifted back and forth over the years. The grunge movement fronted by bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden of the early 1990s put rock music's focus on America, while the Brit-pop movement of the mid to late 1990s, fronted by bands like Oasis and Blur, put British rock back into the spotlight.
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