Have any non Americans not heard of the music group Boney M?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the recognition and popularity of the music group Boney M among non-Americans and Americans. Participants explore whether differences in music taste or marketing strategies contribute to Boney M's varying levels of fame across different countries, particularly in the US compared to Europe and other regions.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express surprise that many Americans have not heard of Boney M, suggesting it may be due to differences in music taste or marketing.
  • Others note that Boney M was more popular in Europe, with some attributing this to the unique tastes of German pop music.
  • A few participants from Canada indicate familiarity with Boney M, mentioning specific songs like "Rasputin" and "On The Rivers of Babylon." However, they also acknowledge that not everyone in North America knows them.
  • One participant mentions that Men at Work had a tough time entering the US market despite their global success, drawing a parallel to Boney M's experience.
  • Some participants share personal anecdotes about their exposure to Boney M and express mixed feelings about their music, with a few indicating they are tired of certain songs like "Rasputin."
  • There is a mention of Boney M's continued popularity in various countries, including recent performances in places like India and the UK, contrasting with their lack of success in the US.
  • One participant humorously remarks about the persistence of "Rasputin" in their memory, indicating its cultural impact despite personal preferences.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally do not reach a consensus on Boney M's recognition in North America, with multiple competing views on their popularity and the reasons behind it. Some agree on their limited recognition in the US, while others highlight varying experiences in Canada and Europe.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the influence of radio programming and regional music preferences, which may affect exposure to certain artists. There is also a discussion about the availability of Boney M's music in different formats over the years, which could impact their recognition.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in music history, cultural differences in music reception, or the impact of marketing on artist recognition may find this discussion relevant.

jobyts
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Have any non Americans not heard of the music group Boney M? Or any American heard of Boney M?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boney_M

I was quite surprised that none of my American friends ever heard of them. Boney M was a world hit in 70s and 80s. At the bottom of the above wiki link, they give the chart positions in various countries.

I was wondering it is a difference in the music taste or poor marketing?

Another one, "Men at work" from Australia. They were a huge success in Australia, but also had a tough time entering into US market. But their masterpiece "Land down Under"
() was a huge hit all over the world. Amazing song...
 
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My folks listened to them a little bit in the 90s. I probably wouldn't remember them if they didn't have such a cool name.
 
ps I'm from Canada :0
 
I like some of their stuff. As catchy as it is, though, I'm a little sick of 'Rasputin'.
I'm also in Canada.
 
jobyts said:
Have any non Americans not heard of the music group Boney M? Or any American heard of Boney M?
I think they were more of a european hit.
Germans have a very weird taste in pop music.
 
I'm in the US and never heard of Boney M.
 
I never heard of them either, and I'm pretty heavily into music. Of course, I'm not into Pop, so that might be a factor. When I was traveling a lot, Men at Work got a lot of air-play - always that same hit single, it seems. In some parts of the country, radio is a wasteland. Maine is really bad, with the exception of WKIT - Steven King's radio station that plays rock and blues. The other big stations in the state are all owned by conglomerates and are programmed remotely.
 
This is my favorite Boney M.
"Never never change lovers in the middle of the night"



Don't look at the video, that's quite funny (especially the guy) compared to today's standards. But I would be surprised if you are into pop/disco music and do not like this beat.
 
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Men at Work had a good sound to them. Always wish I could have seen them live. They have quite a few other songs which were good other than Down Under, like; Be Good Johnny, Underground, It's a Mistake, I Like To, ect.
 
  • #10
Few people might remember the group, but I'll bet a lot more remember Rasputin. It was quite popular.

I too am Canadian. Is that a coincidence?
 
  • #12
http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/09-07/daddy-cool.html

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Their popularity continues to this day with recent concerts in India, Israel, Russia, the United Kingdom, South Ossetia (yes Boney M performs in breakaway states), Lithuania (a New Year’s Eve performance for Vladimir Putin and 16,000 of his closest friends!), Bulgaria, and Poland. A musical based on the music of Boney M entitled Daddy Cool opened in London in October 2006. What I find most amazing is that Boney M is the only artist to have two of the top ten all-time best selling singles in the United Kingdom. Not even the mighty Beatles or Rolling Stones managed that accomplishment, only Boney M.

The contrasting lack of success Boney M attained in the United States is equally startling. Boney M’s highest charting album in the US reached 134th and their highest charting song reached only 30th. Some of Boney M’s most popular albums were not even available on compact disc in the United States until 2007. It seems that North Americans can add Boney M along with soccer on the list of international phenomenons they just don’t appreciate.

I see ...so it's not just US who don't appreciate Boney M, it's all north americans :)
 
  • #13
jobyts said:
Have any non Americans not heard of the music group Boney M? Or any American heard of Boney M?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boney_M

I was quite surprised that none of my American friends ever heard of them. Boney M was a world hit in 70s and 80s. At the bottom of the above wiki link, they give the chart positions in various countries.

I was wondering it is a difference in the music taste or poor marketing?

Another one, "Men at work" from Australia. They were a huge success in Australia, but also had a tough time entering into US market. But their masterpiece "Land down Under"
() was a huge hit all over the world. Amazing song...


Danger said:
I like some of their stuff. As catchy as it is, though, I'm a little sick of 'Rasputin'.
I'm also in Canada.

Damn y'all! I'd just gotten Rasputin out of my head. There go the next 7 years...
 
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  • #14
Another Canadian here and, yes, I've heard of Boney M. And not just their mega-hit Rasputin, (that was not the 90s) but On The Rivers of Babylon too.

Also, recently, my mother complained that their newly purchased vehicle didn't come with a cassette tape player, only a CD player. Further, she owns all of her favourite music cassette tapes and not CDs. I told her to send me a list and I'd download (legally) the albums (outdated word, yes?) and burn them to CDs for her. In her list was the Happy Christmas CD by Boney M.

Maybe it's a Canadian thing.

(She also wanted a Zamphir CD but I couldn't find that anywhere online. Thank heavens.)
 
  • #15
I haven't heard of Boney M, and I'm certainly not going to listen to them after you refer to Land Down Under as an "amazing song." Thanks for the warning.
 
  • #16
GeorginaS said:
Another Canadian here and, yes, I've heard of Boney M. And not just their mega-hit Rasputin, (that was not the 90s) but On The Rivers of Babylon too.

Also, recently, my mother complained that their newly purchased vehicle didn't come with a cassette tape player, only a CD player. Further, she owns all of her favourite music cassette tapes and not CDs. I told her to send me a list and I'd download (legally) the albums (outdated word, yes?) and burn them to CDs for her. In her list was the Happy Christmas CD by Boney M.

Maybe it's a Canadian thing.

(She also wanted a Zamphir CD but I couldn't find that anywhere online. Thank heavens.)


Cassette to MP3!
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6450_7-5020866-1.html

And if you have some vinyl lying around:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FB44VA/?tag=pfamazon01-20

(Okay, so the last one is kinda redundant, especially if you have a stereo-out on your record player, an adapter from Radioshack, and a line-in on your audio card).
 
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  • #17
I've always liked Boney M, and I'm from Norway.
 
  • #18
MATLABdude said:
Damn y'all! I'd just gotten Rasputin out of my head. There go the next 7 years...

:-p
 

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