I can now say with some certainty that I have officially lived outside of the US for a really long time. What makes me willing to apply some level of certainty to such a vague and random statement?

iTunes.

I have a US account on iTunes, because often my lovely friends and family give me iTunes giftcards. Yay lovely friends and family! Plus, at 99 cents, US iTunes is cheaper than the British version, even with the recent reduction in price from 99 to 79 pence.

So, US iTunes. Yay all around. Until today.

I decided I wanted to buy an album, so I went on iTunes and it isn't there. A few tunes from the artist exist, but obviously the album hasn't been released in the US. (Little Boots, if you're interested.)

This got me looking at US iTunes a little more closely and realizing just how massively different American music tastes are to British tastes. I mean, let's look at a few examples from the top 10 songs lists today, shall we?

American:

~ Has the Kings of Leon song Use Somebody just come out over there, or do you guys just really like it? Because it's been out forever here, so number 3 seems a bit generous.

~ Who in the hell is Cobra Starship?

~ Does anyone else find Taylor Swift a little too wholesome for her own good? Or find it amusing that no one here in Britain seems to realize that she's a country act?

~ Who exactly is to blame for Pitbull? Because he's in our top 10 too and he's rubbish.

British:

~ Ok, I've never heard of Cobra Starship. Have any of you heard of Tinchy Stryder?

~ Or Mr. Hudson?

~ Or La Roux?

~ How about JLS?

~ Any songs in your top 10 contain the line "I'm infected by the sound?"

~ I know you've heard of Lady GaGa, but is Paparazzi as big a hit there as it is here? Because I don't think it's her best work.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still sticking with US iTunes, but I think I may need to set up a British account as well, just for some random purchases not available in the US.