In general, popular songs from other parts of the world do not do well in America. For one thing, since the end of World War Two, American pop culture has dominated the world scene among the young. Just look at the popularity of jeans, which until the 1960s were strictly an American wardrobe! Pop music (modern popular music like Rock and Roll), an American invention is now a standard everywhere with younger people. Every country has its own rock musicians, but only on rare occasions a popular song from another country will capture the interest of young Americans. Usually, songs from English speaking countries, Canada, UK and Australia are the ones that most often find their way into America. Even before the Beatles made a big splash here and subsequently all over the world, British pop artists would appear on our hit charts from time to time. Other European countries, most notably Germany, France, Italy, and some others periodically break into our pop charts. But Asian pop music has almost never made it in America, although interestingly enough, some songs do catch the fancy of American artists and are recorded on our shores.
In one of the earlier blogs I mentioned that Shirley Yamaguchi had recorded China Nights (shina no yoru) which became mildly popular in America back in 1940s. However, the domination of American popular culture and music made it very difficult for Asian pop music to break into American scene. Even in Asia, Americans tend to listen to American music and more or less ignore the local pop music. Such was and is the case for Americans living in Japan and Korea where FEN provides a steady diet of pop music from the states. On Okinawa, back in the day, there was even KSBK, a private commercial radio station that played American hit songs constantly. It is very doubtful if any of the American teenagers and G.I.s stationed in Japan and on Okinawa paid any attention or listened to local pop songs. However, as early as back in 1955, there were both Japanese and Chinese songs recorded in the states with English lyrics that made the hit charts.
In 1940s a popular Chinese song caught the ear of English and American listeners. The song called Meigui, Meigui, Wo Ai Ni (in Mandarin, "Rose, Rose, I Love You") became very popular at first with expats, but came across the ocean to gain some popularity in America and Europe. It was recorded in America by Frankie Laine and was called Rose, Rose, I Love You in 1955 and made our hit charts. In England and Europe it was recorded by different artists and called either Shanghai Rose or China Rose in different years. It was last recorded by Petula Clark in the 1960s. Also in 1955, Eartha Kitt recorded Sho-jo-ji, the "always hungry raccoon," a Japanese child's nursery rhyme that dates back to the 19th Century! Eartha Kitt's Sho-jo-ji made the charts at the same time as Disney's Mickey Mouse Club, the "Mouseketeers" sang this Japanese song with English lyrics.
It was almost a decade later, in 1963 that a Japanese pop hit became a number one hit in America. The song, Ue O Muite Aruku (literally translated "I Walk Looking Up") by the popular Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto, a love song, became a hit as Sukiyaki! It is amazing that in America the title of the song was changed to a name of a "beef stew," hardly a romantic name and demonstrating incredible cultural ignorance. Yet, the young people who listened to it, ignored the improbable name, and liked the song despite its title. It was a huge hit and stayed on top of the pop charts for several weeks. Both the original song writers and Kyu Sakamoto were quite surprised by its reception in America and overall popularity around the world.
Even before Kyu Sakamoto's big hit, periodically, some Asian pop tune would appear briefly, disguised under a different (English) name, but none seem to catch on. Sometimes an adventurous disk jockey would try to promote a particular song. Usually the song was heard on a vacation in Asia or was brought over by a friend who had heard it in Asia. But, like I said earlier, they don't seem to be able to gain any sort of foothold. The latest Asian import was, of course, the Gangnam Style by the South Korean Psy. Gangnam Style caught the fancy of American youth as much for its frenetic dance movements as for its music. But, some Korean pop songs did get through, re-made in America! Korean popular music today, known as K-pop is probably the most popular of all Asian pop music in America, and in Asia itself it is extremely popular. But as long as American pop culture dominates the world youth scene as it has for more than half a century, songs from other countries will have a hard time breaking in.
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