Sell Out??

[mynameisjonas]

you know...i hear people all the time say bands sell out..and i really dont see what they mean for some bands sometimes. For me...a band to sell out means they have to change their music to make more money...but some bands do this anyway after a couple of years....i mean some bands just like to experiment with new types of music all the time..they cant play the same stuff for 10 years straight..it gets old...i just wanna know what you people think "selling out" means and some bands that did (if you give blink 182 or metallica..i wanna know why you think so cuz everyone sez that)

[The Fury]

Ive never understood the selling out thing. So what if a band makes loads of money, good luck to them. I've heard people moan when songs appear on adverts, or even when a band becomes popular. I really don't understand what it means to 'sell out'. I've heard all the arguments for selling out and I can't agree with any of them.

[mllebois]

I guess some people think that a band should stay true to its vision, but I think the fans project that onto the artists. Maybe the bands vision is just to put out records, make the money, and party! Nothing wrong with that. I remember a few years back people moaning about Michael Jackson selling some Beatle tunes to Nike. The only thing wrong with that picture is that the Beatles don't own their own music. Who cares if the band makes a ton of cash? They are certainly being gouged by their record companies and management, why not get a piece of the pie? After all, the musicians are the ones doing all the work.

[Highlander]

Usually a band will have a set of ethics it applies to, and bases its songs around.

For example, a band might sing about individuality, integrity, accepting people for what they are etc.

But when this same band suddenly puts down its guitars, kicks out its ugly drummer, incorporates dance routines into their acts instead of playing their instruments, mimes to a backing track written by someone completely unrelated to the band (possibly containing lyrics such as "Ooh baby, oo baby, baby i want you baby, yeah."), and start appearing in adverts for trivial things like bubblegum and cola, they are then selling out.

Im not saying any band ever has or ever will do this, im just pointing out the extremes to help you guys understand what it means to sell out, and why its such a bad thing.

Unfortunately many bands will be accused unfairly of selling out, its often quite hard to tell if a band has "sold out" or not.

For example, a band might release a couple of records that are individual and groundbreaking, but will get few record sales. They may then change their sound slightly to be a abit more upbeat and poppy,and hit number one and sell loads.

Its hard to tell if this is selling out or not, because the band ay not have been consciously making their sound more popular and "hip to the kidz", but just experimenting with a new sound.

[mynameisjonas]

thats what i think this means highlander....bands may change their music just to mess around and its a big hit..this happens to a lot of bands..but i dont like it when they stop experimenting...and do what makes them the most money rather than what they enjoy...which is music period