Top 5 Tracks From Outsiders

Stig

"Rock music, let's be honest it's really just us (GB and Ireland) and the North Americans". So says Henry Irving and I reckon that by and large he's right. But there's always exceptions, so what's the best music from people outside those areas.

I'd go for:

Prototypes (France) - Gentleman
Plastic Bertrand (Belgium) - Ca Plan Pour Moi
Kraftwerk (Germany) - Radioactivity
Elmer Food Beat (France) - Je Vais Encore Tout Seul Ce Soir
Nick Cave (Australia) - The Mercy Seat

Callumcafc

Slightly different suggestions from myself:

Jacques Dutronc (France) - Les Cactus (1966)
The Hives (Sweden) - Hate To Say I Told You So (2000)
Jet (Australia) - Are You Gonna Be My Girl? (2003)
The Vines (Australia) - Ride (2004)
M83 - Midnight City (2011)

scidbox

ACDC - Anything - Aus
The Leather Nun - Gimme Gimme Gimme - Sweden
Boikot - No Pasaran - Spain
Kenny Arkana - La Rage - France / Algeria
tito y tarantula - cucarachas enojadas - Mexico

Recently revealed that plasique Bertrand didn't sing Ca Plan Pour Moi (classic anyway) 'twas his producer. Henry doesn't even know what proper reggae is ; )

Karim_myBagheri

to sum it up, there isn’t a lot to choose from. i would probably have the songs you two have already mentioned. which says it all really, but here’s a few anyway...
i guess you cant include Bob Marley or toots as they are reggae...

A-ha - take on me (norway)
HIM - buried alive by love (finland)
air france - collapsing at your doorstep (sweden)

and as for the aussie lot they have quite a few...

crowded house - dont dream its over (australia/new zealand)
INXS - i need you tonight (australia)
wolfmother - joker and the thief (australia)
AC-DC - back in black (australian)
midnight oil
the go-betweens
birthday party
savage garden
Easybeats - friday on my mind
the triffids

Karim_myBagheri

oh and ABBA of course.

Stig

Bob Marley's Scouse father rules him out ;-)

Bill_Stumps

Possibly my favourite video ever...
http://youtu.be/xxhET61yB1A

Bangkokaddick

I occasionally have the misfortune to hear something by a Thai rock band. They all try the Linkin Park style and they are all deafeningly dreadful.

Golden Earring and The Scorpions haven't yet been mentioned. I also quite like Split Enz (New Zealand).

The seventies was the heyday for the European electronic rock sound with bands like Tangerine Dream, Gong, Magma, PFM and Faust. Generally left me cold!

MrOneLung

Europe - The Final Countdown

Ultimate euro-rock.

SuedeAdidas

Another one from Oz - (albeit with a fair degree of insider assistance)

Python Lee Jackson - In a broken dream

Addicted

Airbourne - Runnin' Wild (Aus)
ACDC - For those about to rock

Thats some drivin music right there

man_at_milletts

Anything by AC/DC
Captain Blackbeard's new album is seriously good (Sweden)

There's a lot of good rock bands from the Scandinavian countries.

Bill_Stumps

The Dutch band Focus was a big favourite of mine in the early seventies (Hocus Pocus, Sylvia etc). More of an instrumental band, which may have helped them. Generally foreign language records just don't get the airplay they should in this country. On holiday or travelling in Europe you will often hear a great song which you know will never get released in England no matter how deserving it might appear to be. Here's another video of a song I heard in Italy in the summer of 2003 - it's called 'J'en ai marre' by the French singer Alizee (who did actually have a Top 20 hit in this country a while back with 'Moi Lolita'). 'J'en ai marre' (meaning 'I'm fed up') was successful across Europe but very few people in England have ever heard of it. It's reminiscent of 80s Madonna and no doubt would have been huge in the English speaking world had Madonna recorded it. Anyway, even if you don't like the song, I'm sure you'll agree that this performance of it is well worth watching!
http://youtu.be/PT8K3__-E-U