This sudden US fame of british boy bands 1D & TW makes...
... me wonder:
If the current digital age (one of the foremost reasons for their successful crossover) had been, as it is right now, back on 2000-2001, would Westlife had been big in the USA???
I remember they had incredibly catchy songs like Fool Again, When You're Looking Like That, and another one whose name escapes me now.
I LOVE Westlife, but I think 2001 is when music started going away from bubblegum pop to R&B/hip hop music, so I would say no. That's why you get acts like BSB getting left behind in the dust while Britney, Justin and J.Lo had to transition to urban pop in order to stay relevant.