The Second British Invasion was a period in the 80s when Duran Duran and Culture Club "invaded" the United States by soaring in popularity on US shores.

Was there a third invasion? Will there ever be one? Thoughts?

And does anyone, US, UK or otherwise, have any views on either of the first two invasions?

I was surprised Culture Club took off in the US. I didn't imagine they would. There was even a THE A-TEAM episode where Boy George was set to play at a venue in Arizona - and the club owner claimed he wouldn't even be able to draw flies to the venue! 

And, like you, I can't think of anything that would resemble a third wave. Maybe you'll be getting it soon! ;-)

If you look at who hit number 1 in the US singles charts in 1985, British acts have a huge impact. George Michael with Careless Whisper and Everything She Wants, Phil Collins with One More Night, Sussudio and Separate Lives, Tears for Fears with Shout and Everybody Wants to Run the World, Simple Minds , Duran Duran, Paul Young, John Parr and Dire Straits all hit number one as well with massive songs (and I would argue American band Mister Mister and Norwegian band A-Ha, who also had number ones that year, had sounds that were very influenced by the British Invasion).

As for a third invasion, it does start to get a bit tenuous trying to link the bands, but there was large British success earlier this decade with Adele, One Direction, Calvin Harris, Ed Sheeran, Muse and Mumford and Sons all cracking the US market around the same time, to the extent that four of the five best-selling albums in the US in 2012 were by British acts.

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If you consider those artists, then you'd also have to consider the mid-90s with the Spice Girls, Radiohead, and the Britpop bands like Oasis. But mostly the Spice Girls. There was a period from the late 90s to the early 2000s where they kept trying to push manufactured pop bands with a similar sound.

Another mini-invasion would be the wave of mid-2000s British soul singers like Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone.

Peter has summarised the second invasion very well, specifically the need for MTV to acquire music videos.

Anything else may not be in the same league.

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I think you absolutely can make a case for that.

I can only think of pro wrestling! ;-)

In the 50s, the original American Rock'n'Roll acts busted into the UK first, and this prompted the responding British Invasion in the 60s.

Acts with #1 UK hits: Everly Brothers, Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Platters, Elvis Presley, etc...

Acts with top ten UK hits: Chuck Berry, The Coasters, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, The Platters, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, etc...

Make of that what you will. (Honestly, if there was ever a "King of Rock & Roll," Jimi was it.)

In regard to a US invasion of the UK, I'm guessing Robbie's smiley indicated he knows how pervasive US culture has been in the UK in the post-war period. Rock and Roll, Hollywood, Coca-Cola, Maccy-Ds.... To name but a few.