The "Most American song" of all time... that the world didn't care about

[JaccoW]

I just came across a fun video by Bandsplaining where he sat down together with some other Music Youtubers from around the world and made a list of songs that charted really high and long in the US but were not a (big) hit anywhere else. Using a crude calculation of songs charting the US charts each week minus how popular they were around the world he made a list and had people make predictions.

Want to take a guess which songs were huge in the US but practically unheard of anywhere else?

Dataset is available here. And while there is definitely some valid criticism to be had, it's a lot of work so let's just look at it for the fun of it.

Me, I come from the Netherlands and I've never heard of the top 3. XD

Here is the top 10 each decade:
1960's

1. The Contours - Do you love me
2. Jerry Wallace and the Jewels - Primrose lane
3. Cream - Sunshine of your love
4. Ben E. King - Stand by me
5. The Shirelles - Dedicated to the one I love
6. Hank Ballards and the Midnighters - Finger Poppin' Time
7. Roger Williams - Born Free
8. Ferrante & Teicher - Exodus
9. The Jive Five - My True Story
10. Strawberry Alarm Clock - Incense and the Peppermints

Personally, I've never heard of the #2 here.

1970's

1. Paul Davis - I go crazy
2. Kris Kristofferson - Why me
3. Gary Wright - Love is Alive
4. Daryl Hall, John Oates - Sara Smile
5. Nick Gilder - Hot child in the city
6. Andy Gibb - (Love is) thicker than water
7. Hot - Angel in your arms
8. The 4 Seasons - December; 1963 (Oh what a night)
9. Mac Davis - One Hell of a woman
10. Paul Nicholas - Heaven on the 7th Floor

Yeah absolute blanks for me for the entire top 5.

1980's

1. Young M.C. - Bust a move
2. Eddie Rabbit with Crystal Gayle - You and I
3. Rick Springfield - Jessie's girl
4. Moving Pictures - What about me
5. The Pointer Sisters - I'm so excited
6. Benny Mardones - Into the night
7. Juice Newton - The sweetest thing
8. John Cougar - Hurts so good
9. Michel'le - No more lies
10. Luther Vandross - Here and now

Never heard of the top 2. #3 turns out to be Australian.

1990's

1. LeAnn Rimes - How do I live
2. Creed - Higher
3. Next - Too close
4. Faith Hill - Breathe
5. Duncan Sheik - Barely breathing
6. Tag Team - Whoomp (there it is)
7. Paula Cole - I don't want to wait
8. Third Eye Blind - How's it going to be
9. Duice - Dazzey Dukes
10. 702 - Where my girls at?

Yeah, Christian tinged post-grunge is... ugh. The #1 was huge in the Netherlands though. But still an annoying song.

2000's

1. Carrie Underwood - Before he cheats
2. Lifehouse - You and me
3. Faith Hill - The way you love me
4. Matchbox Twenty - Unwell
5. Lady Antebellum - Need you now
6. Staind - It's been a while
7. Weezer - Beverly Hills
8. Lifehouse - Hanging by a moment
9. 3 Doors Down - Kryptonite
10. Matchbox Twenty - If you're gone

Who the hell is Matchbox Twenty? Never heard any of the top 3 here.

2010's

1. Florida, Georgia Line feat. Nelly - Cruise
2. Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
3. AWOLNATION - Sail
4. The Band Perry - If I die young
5. Fetty Wap - Trap queen
6. Ellie Goulding - Lights
7. Maren Morris - The bones
8. Bruno Mars - That's what I like
9. Lady Antebellum - Just a kiss
10. Phillip Phillips - Home

My main decade. The #2 was fairly popular here but I've never heard of #1 and #3 is just an annoying song... but also an earworm. XD
Bro Country rap is just not a thing outside the US.

2020's

1. Morgan Wallen - You proof
2. SZA - Snooze
3. Gabby Barret feat. Charlie Puth - I hope
4. Morgan Wallen - Wasted on you
5. Morgan Wallen - Last night
6. Zach Bryan - Something in the orange
7. Bailey Zimmerman - Rock and a hard place
8. Doja Cat - Need to know
9. Walker Hayes - Fancy like
10. Morgan Wallen - Thinkin' about me

Just a partial decade so far of course but... who the hell is Morgan Wallen?

Looks like the biggest way to win is to either be huge in the US and nowhere else or, chart for a really long time and be a minor hit elsewhere.