[conservativeharleyguy]

He sold a million records in 1958, but that was a single. He did cut several “albums” that were not simply compilations of singles and had distinct themes (like many others then and later). But record companies wouldn't release them here specifically (and publicly stated) because they considered him “a bad influence on American youth”. That was one reason he was so big - and so influential - in England. Some of that material is even now just being released.

Not a lot of radio play, but he sold albums like crazy over there because he was an “American bad boy”, in spite of the fact that he was really pretty clean-cut for the times, and because of that sound.

The American music business people just thought his guitar was “too raunchy”.

[Mr. Blonde]

I believe similar problems are there for The Kinks in America. They are severely underrated here.