The only music created by "black" americans at this point was soul. Ragtime, Jazz, Rock N Roll were all a product of racial cooperation. Ragtime and Jazz gave way through music cultures from Africa mixing with the classical style of symphonic music in New Orleans. Whites, blacks, creoles all joined together beyond racial barriers to usher in a new era of music. You can't refute me on this, as my degree was in Jazz and Blues music. Soul/Motown on the otherhand was a dominant feature of black american culture.

In other things, Hip Hop/Rap has kind of had its run here in the US, and no longer dominates like it once had. There are more and more solid rock bands coming out every year, and a lot alone from here in NJ.

@ the guy who said that Americans only travel state to state and don't have culture. We don't NEED to go other countries to experience other cultures, because we have a wide diversity of the cultures here in the US. We already are cultured just by interacting with people from all over the world. Also, its much cheaper for you to travel to other countries than us, as you can drive or take a short flight. It costs several thousand dollars for us to travel over the ocean, so that leaves us with Canada and Mexico. Canada has a very similar culture to our own, and we have Mexican culture well integrated into the US as is. Besides, I myself have done a two week tour of Ireland (and learned some Gaelic in the process), lived in Australia, and visited countries in the Carribean as well as visited Canada. Next trip is Italy or Germany (or maybe Ireland again, as it simply is an AWESOME country)

 ozzy wasnt the worst of them before the drugs lol.

@bradicverse:
What should I refute? Did we have a discussion before you posted your long expertise?

Black music to me is Soul, Blues, R&B, Jazz, Funk, Hip-Hop (NA) Afro-Brazilian, Reggae (SA, Jamaica) and many more.

I know that "whites, blacks, creoles all joined", but I will aways and ever label all these musical art forms overall as black music because all of them wouldn't have been developed without black people. That's all.

Sly Stone loved white drummers, but Sylvester wrote the songs and gave them his soul.

IsNeil young not canadian and bryan adams or does any canadian remember april wine. my brothers band way back in the 70s the square penny supported them. now im really telling my age mind you he is a lot older than me but still plays music.

how about the allman bros santana lynyrd skynyrd all good usa bands imo.

The Guess Who was a great Canadian band.  Lighthouse--a lesser known yet equally rocking group--also comes to mind.

Yes, of course.

And The Ramones, Interpol, Iggy & the Stones, Bright Eyes, The Roots, R.E.M., Wilco, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, The White Stripes, Outkast, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis (and his various bands)...to name just a few more. There were and are so many brilliant bands in USA & Canada (ahh, Neil Young & Crazy Horse).

And we have merely talked about solo artists.

Don't take my "UK & Ireland. No contest" statement too seriously. I love music from all over the world, from all decades, from all centuries.

EDIT: Sorry, I meant Iggy Pop & the Stooges.

I love that everyone is forgetting bands from America like:
Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Guns and Roses, Metallica, Modest Mouse, and fricking Elvis Presley.

Britpop Rules!

Oasis, Blur, Pulp and Supergrass are all amazing, i only like one band from outside the UK and thats R.E.M. Other amazing UK bands include: The Lightning Seeds, Feeder, Embrace, The Beatles and Queen.

If you'd replace Guns N' Roses with, say...Built to Spill, this would be a great list.