The Republic of Ghana is located in western Africa, almost at the very bottom of where the continent juts into the Atlantic. It has a population of 32-million people (here’s a gratuitous fun fact: Tokyo has a population of 37-million people, which just goes to show that China isn’t number-one across the board demographically). The official language in Ghana is English.

So why is this relevant to anything you might otherwise find on GloNo?

It’s this:

Morning Consult did a survey of the popularity of U.S. cultural products around the world. The categories include Movies & TV, U.S.-made Goods; Food and Beverages; and, yes, Music.

And it turns out that in Ghana, U.S. Music is rated as “Excellent or Good” by 78% of the people surveyed.

Actually, when it comes to liking American music Ghana is second internationally to South Africa by a single percentage point. However, 13% of those in Ghana rate U.S. music as “Fair” and that number is 12% in South Africa, so it could be a wash.

What’s interesting is that in places where it might be thought that American music would be popular due to cultural similarities, that is not at all the case.

In terms of rating it “Excellent or Good”:

• Canada: 67%
• Australia: 61%
• U.K.: 46%

Clearly, a common language does not make for common interest.

Continue reading Who Likes American Music & the State of Radio in America →