Then, on the morning walk, I started thinking about the question as filtered through the past glories prism. Running through the CD racks, and glancing towards the shelves of vinyl and I'm not sure it's so clear cut. Looking at acts that have large numbers of albums and live recordings on the shelves we find (based on what I know I'd be listening to):
Britain: The Beatles, Jeff Beck, The Bonzos, Eric Clapton/ Cream, Elvis Costello, Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, the Peter Green Fleetwood Mac, the Canterbury scene (as epitomised by Hatfield & The North), the Incredible String Band, the Kinks, Nick Lowe, Van Morrison, Graham Parker, Andy Partridge/XTC, Procol Harum, the Stones, Small Faces, Squeeze, Richard Thompson, The Who (21)
North America: Allman Brothers Band, The Band, Paul Butterfield, The Byrds, Leonard Cohen, Ry Cooder, Willy de Ville, Doctor John, Dylan, John Fahey, the Fugs, the Grateful Dead, John Hiatt, Dan Hicks, the Holy Modal Rounders, Sonny Landreth, Little Feat, Los Lobos, Love, early Steve Miller Band, Mother Earth, Randy Newman, Laura Nyro, Van Dyke Parks, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Todd Rundgren, Sir Douglas Quintet/ Doug Sahm/ Texas Tornados, Boz Scaggs, Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen, Steely Dan, Taj Mahal, Derek Trucks, Velvet Underground, Neil Young, Frank Zappa, Warren Zevon. (37)
Which amounts to a pretty substantial numerical advantage in favour of America, although the British list does include Messrs. Costello and Thompson who'd probably make up a substantial part of the deficit when you take personal bias into account, and if you took those lists and made it a case of artists Hughesy'd find it difficult to envisage a world without, the lists look like this:
Britain: Jeff Beck, The Bonzos, Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Andy Partridge/XTC, Richard Thompson (6)
North America: Allman Brothers Band, The Band, Leonard Cohen, Ry Cooder, John Fahey, Dan Hicks, Little Feat, Los Lobos, Randy Newman, Sir Douglas Quintet/ Doug Sahm/ Texas Tornados, Bruce Springsteen, Derek Trucks, Neil Young, Warren Zevon (14)
And that’s another vote, I guess, for America.