I think growing up my friends were mainly into American bands, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden etc grunge and fringe grunge bands mainly. I think I used to react against that and listen to English music more, not that I didn't like those bands I was just more into music as a whole rather than one scene.
I've been buying vinyl recently so to help me browse I listed my top 100 albums and because I'm sad I put them in order. So below is my top 50 (it does change quite a lot!). Obviously there are British bands like Led Zeplin or Pink Floyd that aren't in my list but you have to acknowledge their success overseas. Quite interesting (to me) to see the count then that 28 of them are British, I'm probably biased because I live here but I'm still quite proud as a Brit of our contribution to popular music, we have our share of great film makers writers and artists etc but I think its Music where we really punch above our weight.
Another thing I'd say is quite a few American bands make it big over here before they make it big back in the States, the Strokes and Jimi Hendrix for instance. We have our finger on the pulse you see.
The breakdown is:
British: 28
American: 19
Other: 3
The Stone Roses.......The Stone Roses.......British
The Beatles.......The White Album.......British
The Velvet Underground.......The Velvet Underground and Nico.......American
The Smiths.......The Queen Is Dead.......British
The Pixies.......Doolittle.......American
The Clash.......The Clash.......British
Miles Davis.......Kind of Blue.......American
Rolling Stones.......Exile on Mainstreet.......British
The Sundays.......Reading Writing and Arythmetic.......British
Public Enemy.......It takes a nation of Millions.......American
De La Soul.......3 Feet High and Rising.......American
Primal Scream.......Screamadelica.......British
Elliot Smith.......Either Or.......American
Elbow.......Seldom Seen Kid.......British
The Orb.......UF ORB.......British
The La's.......The La's.......British
Payement.......Slanted and Enchanted.......American
REM.......Murmur.......American
The Beatles.......Seargeant Pepper.......British
Bon Iver.......For Emma, Forever ago.......American
Laura Marling.......Alas I can not Swim .......British
Air.......Moon Safari.......French
The Beatles.......Abbey Road.......British
Joy Division.......Closer.......British
Lefifield.......Leftism.......British
New Order.......Power Corruption and Lies.......British
Dusty Springfield.......Dusty in Memphis.......British
The Pixies.......Surfa Rosa.......American
The Clash.......London's Calling.......British
The Strokes.......Is this it.......American
Jesus and Mary Chain.......Psychocandy.......British
Bob Dylan.......Blood on the Tracks.......American
Mercury Rev.......Deserters Songs.......American
Fleet Foxes.......Fleet Foxes.......American
Massive Attack.......Protection.......British
Spiritualized.......Lazer Guided Melodies.......British
The Smiths.......The Smiths.......British
Arcade Fire.......Funeral.......Canadian
Sex Pistols.......Never Mind the Bollocks.......British
The Doves.......The Last Broadcast.......British
Badly Drawn Boy.......Hour of Bewilderbeast.......British
DJ Shadow.......Endtroducing.......American
The Libertines.......Up the Bracket.......British
Chemical Brothers Exit Planet Dust.......British
Rage Against the Machine.......Rage Against the Machine.......American
Simon and Garfunkle.......Old Friends.......American
Beastie Boys.......Ill Communication.......American
Beastie Boys.......Paul's Boutique.......American
Rolling Stones.......Beggars Banquet.......British
My Bloody Valentine.......Loveless.......Irish