The Christmas Take-Over: How the Brits Won Christmas

Glam just never really caught on in America. 

It's a shame, really: so many great songs, so many terrific hooks, so many fantastic rhythm sections.  But we Americans were an easily-threatened lot back in the 70's. We didn't deal so well with ambiguity, so we left glam to the British, and banked on manlier acts like Three Dog Night and Grand Funk Railroad.

And that's a real shame. Because on Christmas, 1973, kids across the UK were rocking the fuck out to Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody." Meanwhile, American audiences were struggling not to slit their wrists to Jim Croce's lovely, but maudlin (even for me!), "It Doesn't Have to Be That Way."

God save the Queen.