Looking at the top 6 selling artists, it was equally split between USA and UK

USA: Elvis - 600 million to 1 billion
Michael Jackson - 350 million - 750 million
Madonna - 275 - 300 million

UK: The Beatles - 600 million to 1 billion
Elton John - 250 million - 300 million
Led Zeppelin - 200 million - 300 million

Which got me thinking, overall which country has produced the 'best' music? In your opinion, of course.

population size 260million compared to 60 million

UK

UK has made a pretty good showing for itself and would be a pretty massive loss if their contributions to music over the last 50 or so years somehow vanished, but I'd still have to take the US. I don't think album sales are really the best measuring stick either, it's not like Britney Spears and the Spice Girls didn't sell tons of records.

Also it has a lot to do with what kind of music you listen to. I'm pretty sure the Mrs would say UK because she's always listening to the Smiths or Coldplay and so on (toss Ireland in with the UK as well I'm positive she would). Or if you're into the British invasion or later stuff with the Stones, Led Zep, Cream, Beatles I think that heavily favors the UK.

Currently UK music destroys US music too

by that i mean the past 1-2 years previous to that the US was beating us hands down

ain't the question. uk by far best music country in the world for the last 50 years. last 10-20 years are irrelevant because most music has been crap everywhere.

UK - The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Def Leppard, Deep Purple, just to name a few.

Wait there's music outside the US?

By population, UK easily beats the US.

and the worst part is bieber is canadien, if we had him wed be winning

I'm from the US and I voted UK.

Of the bands/singers mentioned I prefer the ones from the UK, but I don't have any songs of the 6 mentioned on my playlist.

from that selection its obviouslt the UK, but our rap ****s on yours so USA

Wherever Nickelback is from is the answer

UK bands are unique and idiosyncratic.

US bands, with a few exceptions, sound very similar to eachother, like angsty teenagers upset with their parents. The UK sounds more mature, sophsictated and much more unique. Like, comparing Coldplay vs Linkin Park, it's not even close.

BTW, the Pixies are my joint favourite band of all time.

1. Beatles/Pixies
2. Everything else.

i listen to mostly hip hop / rap .so U.S.

Overall and before, back in the Beatles and stuff days I think UK wins hands down.

Nowdays, well, both countries are producing crap so hard to say but I'd pick US.

1960s - The UK (standout artist of the decade Beatles)
1970s - The UK (Standout Artist of the decade David Bowie)
1980s - The USA (Standout Artist of the decade Michael Jackson). <-- America produced a **** load of good artists during this period.
1990s - The UK (Most important artist of the decade was Nirvana. But Britain produced huge volumes of great music during this decade, like Radiohead, Oasis, Pulp, Belle and Sebastian, Talk Talk, Blur, etc etc )
2000s - Draw, both produced an amost equal amount of ****.

lol ducy?

also, on a totally unrelated note, I am voting UK. although I am a US citizen.

Are you saying best as in most popular, or best as in most appealing to my ears?

Popularity wise it can't be close...my agency in the US listens to a UK radio station over the web and like 70% of the music is US.

best as in most appealing to your ears

us sorry but overall its us. uk does have some great music.

Why is everyone relegating their answers to post-Beatles rock music? WAKE UP WHITE PEOPLE! Jazz, blues, Tin Pan Alley, country, rockabilly and early rock are some of the pre-60's contributions of the US. Punk (yes it started in the US) and Rap are a couple of later contributions. While the UK may win in a pound for pound fight, the US is clearly the overall winner in my eyes.