all time sellouts

[tinnitus photography]

Listen to Ryan Adams bitch about a review. Total diva!

I don't think Ryan Adams is a sellout, but what an asshole. His douchebaggery keeps me from enjoying his music most of the time.

what he said. i have never listened to anything of his because of this. stupid, i know. but them's the facts.

[The Black Canary]

All of you old man losers would sell out too if given the opportunity you fucking hypocrites. You all sound like idiots

hey FM don't hold back tell us how you really feel!!!!

and for the record I am not OLD nor am I a man, which can also be said for many of the hot ladies here on 3DD!!!!

[Penny Lane]

All of you old man losers would sell out too if given the opportunity you fucking hypocrites. You all sound like idiots

Really? Old man losers, hypocrites and idiots?

Go fuck your mother.

LOL..Beebs!~

[dime in the gutter]

who knew that swapping integrity for cash was so cool?

show me the money.

[Zip City]

who knew that swapping integrity for cash was so cool?

show me the money.

being a starving artist is overrated. I can tell you from experience....

[dime in the gutter]

who knew that swapping integrity for cash was so cool?

show me the money.

being a starving artist is overrated. I can tell you from experience....

examples i have cited have nothing to do w/starving artists.

[Zip City]

who knew that swapping integrity for cash was so cool?

show me the money.

being a starving artist is overrated. I can tell you from experience....

examples i have cited have nothing to do w/starving artists.

true, but the post i quoted seemed to imply that seeking money for your art is a bad thing

[The Black Canary]

Saying Elton is a sell out is like saying Queen was as well.

That is just the way they came out of the mold. Showmen, that is all. And if you don't like Freddie, kiss your own Duppa!!!!

[dime in the gutter]

Saying Elton is a sell out is like saying Queen was as well.

That is just the way they came out of the mold. Showmen, that is all. And if you don't like Freddie, kiss your own Duppa!!!!

i love queen and freddy.

[The Black Canary]

Saying Elton is a sell out is like saying Queen was as well.

That is just the way they came out of the mold. Showmen, that is all. And if you don't like Freddie, kiss your own Duppa!!!!

i love queen and freddy.

well then I love you too!!!!

[Smitty]

Listen to Ryan Adams bitch about a review. Total diva!

I don't think Ryan Adams is a sellout, but what an asshole. His douchebaggery keeps me from enjoying his music most of the time.

Truer words have never been spoken. I do agee with dime's post about him being a sell out, absolutely. He missed the memo bout not singing with a fake british accent also.

[Slipkid42]

Froggy - I am old, I'm pretty much a loser, and I would sell out like a $2 whore if I had anything that I thought anybody wanted. When I was young, dumb & full'o'cum; I still thought that this band or that had sold out. Why, because some of 'em had. That we posters take whatever pleasure we get from discussing such trivial matters should not rock your world. If you disagree w/ what is being said; either retort or ignore. I think I liked you better when you were lurkin'.

[bovine knievel]

Frog Man = Ryan Adams

[UTHeathen]

Remember when REO Speedwagon was a great rock-n-roll band? Anyone?

[LuthierJustin]

Remember when REO Speedwagon was a great rock-n-roll band? Anyone?

[Clams]

Remember when REO Speedwagon was a great rock-n-roll band? Anyone?

um.... no.

[4sooner]

Remember when REO Speedwagon was a great rock-n-roll band? Anyone?

um.... no.

Yes. These young-uns don't remember when they were Cronin-less. Nuthin fancy or slick about them back then.
When I saw Blackmore's Rainbow they opened for Cronin's REO. I left after Rainbow.

[The Black Canary]

Remember when REO Speedwagon was a great rock-n-roll band? Anyone?

Vaguely during the late 70s- early 80s, but I was just a wee bit of a thing!!!! YesaI was only 5'8" back then!!!

[Gator McKlusky]

Remember when REO Speedwagon was a great rock-n-roll band? Anyone?

Yes, Ridin' The Storm out, Roll With The Changes, and 157 Riverside Avenue were all kick ass songs.

[littlemamma]

All of you old man losers would sell out too if given the opportunity you fucking hypocrites. You all sound like idiots

Does it make you feel unidiotic, young, cool, and fucking unhypocritcal to yell at people just bullshitting in a music forum for a band we all love? You can't just throw out anger and hatred into the world for the hell of it. I'd still buy you a beer at a Truckers show and shake your hand, but man, come on. This is not really the vibe here.

But that's just coming from a young-ish woman a little rough around the seams with half a brain in her head.

[sactochris]

All of you old man losers would sell out too if given the opportunity you fucking hypocrites. You all sound like idiots

Does it make you feel unidiotic, young, cool, and fucking unhypocritcal to yell at people just bullshitting in a music forum for a band we all love? You can't just throw out anger and hatred into the world for the hell of it. I'd still buy you a beer at a Truckers show and shake your hand, but man, come on. This is not really the vibe here.

But that's just coming from a young-ish woman a little rough around the seams with half a brain in her head.

Well done.

[Hood4Pres]

I have a hard time calling Ryan Adams a sell out when he suddenly decides he wants to switch directions and do a heavy metal album.

I don't know of any band that would turn down the free press of having your song featured on a tv show.

I think the biggest problem with calling a band a sell out is that their is no universally agreed upon definition of sell out .

[Iowan]

I have a hard time calling Ryan Adams a sell out when he suddenly decides he wants to switch directions and do a heavy metal album.

I don't know of any band that would turn down the free press of having your song featured on a tv show.

I think the biggest problem with calling a band a sell out is that their is no universally agreed upon definition of sell out .

This a music forum. There isn't a universally agreed upon definition of ANYTHING in music.

[Tequila Cowboy]

To me a sellout is an artist that turns their back on their own artistic vision for commercial success/financial gain. Honestly when that works it's hard to fault those artists because how can you really fault someone for improving their lot in life? When it doesn't it makes the artists look foolish and that they "sold out" for nothing. To me an example of the first is John Mellencamp. Years ago he was interviewed and said that when he finally decided to cater to his fans and the songs that they wanted to hear in his live shows, instead of playing the songs he wanted to play, he became successful. At the time I wrote him an angry letter because I enjoyed his live shows where he played covers, obscure album tracks and generally rocked out for 3 hours. Saw a few of those. To me that's what music is about, playing for yourself and if the fans make it to your wave length, well then you're golden. Once he made the switch he started playing nothing but the hits and the crowd roared. I'm not angry about that anymore, but neither is he my cup of tea. He's made a good living and, again, how can you fault someone for that really?

An example of not working is the saga of the Spin Doctors. These guys had a good sound and were on the same path as some of their H.O.R.D.E tour mates until they had a couple of hits in Two Princes and Little Miss Can't be Wrong which really didn't represent their total sound, but sold a lot of records. The record company suits told them to write more of those. They did and failed miserably. So while contemporaries like the Black Crowes, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler and others went on to varying levels of success, the Spin Doctors became a footnote to the musical scene of the early nineties. They "sold out" and it failed. I'm certain they regret it.

So the moral of this story? I believe that in some ways we all make decisions every day that include "selling out" in ways small and large. We make compromises. The thing is that it doesn't always work so we all try to find that balance that works for us. What other people think, including those of us that have strong opinions on music, really doesn't matter. In the end, with the examples I gave here, Mellencamp has had an extremely successful career, while it wouldn't surprise me if some of the Spin Doctors aren't asking people if they want fries with that. that shows that selling out can be a good choice and a bad choice, as can sticking to your musical instincts and doing it your way. We all know those stories too, for instance our favorite DBT is doing well while members of other great bands are tending bar. We all have our choices to make.

[Zip City]

you also have bands like the Goo Goo Dolls, Sugar Ray, etc. that changed their sound and became vastly more successful. Is that selling out? If you were a restaurant owner who started out a connoisseur of, say, Indian food, but didn't start getting regular customers until you put burgers on the menu, would you be considered a sell out in the food world?

I've never understood this idea of "musicians making money is bad". Some bands change their sound many times without ever gaining more fans, but the second they do, everyone cries SELL OUT!!!

[Tequila Cowboy]

I've never understood this idea of "musicians making money is bad". Some bands change their sound many times without ever gaining more fans, but the second they do, everyone cries SELL OUT!!!

Well I understand it, even if I don't feel as passionately about it as I once did. Sometimes slick production, poppier songs and the like are clear signs that the band is trying to make money, as opposed as sticking to their own vision and possibly making it by sticking to their guns. To a lot of people trying to make money, especially by appealing to the masses or the lowest common denominator, is distasteful. It used to be to me. I can't say I feel that way anymore but I certainly understand the emotion. I'm surprised you can't.

[Zip City]

I've never understood this idea of "musicians making money is bad". Some bands change their sound many times without ever gaining more fans, but the second they do, everyone cries SELL OUT!!!

Well I understand it, even if I don't feel as passionately about it as I once did. Sometimes slick production, poppier songs and the like are clear signs that the band is trying to make money, as opposed as sticking to their own vision and possibly making it by sticking to their guns. To a lot of people trying to make money, especially by appealing to the masses or the lowest common denominator, is distasteful. It used to be to me. I can't say I feel that way anymore but I certainly understand the emotion. I'm surprised you can't.

I think there is often a disparity between what the band's goals are and what the fans want the band to do. Who is right? Who gets the final say? If the Goo Goo Dolls pissed off a bunch of their early, hard rock fans but gained 10x more middle aged women by recording songs like Iris, maybe that makes the band happy? If so, who are we to judge?

On the other hand, when a band was already huge and successful but decides to hire pop songwriters to artificially extend their career (looking at you, Aerosmith), then I don't think there's much argument about the "sell out" status.

[Tequila Cowboy]

I think there is often a disparity between what the band's goals are and what the fans want the band to do. Who is right? Who gets the final say? If the Goo Goo Dolls pissed off a bunch of their early, hard rock fans but gained 10x more middle aged women by recording songs like Iris, maybe that makes the band happy? If so, who are we to judge?

Right, I agree with you now. I didn't when I was 25 and busting my ass in rock bands and trying to make rock & roll that moved people, I resented folks like that. It's a perfectly understandable, albeit a bit childish, emotion IMHO.

[beantownbubba]

Music is different.

It may be similar to the other arts, but it's a lot different than restaurants or computer software or cars.

The audience cares. The audience is emotionally involved. The audience sees itself in the artists it adopts and supports. The audience often believes that the artists it cares about speak for it and represent it. Musicians DEPEND on that emotional connection, seek it out, make their reputations on it and sometimes live off it. Both audience and musician find value in the artist's search for and presentation of "artistic truth." Of course, not every band is founded on an artistic vision, some are commercial ventures from the get go, but except in pretty rare cases that's not the reason we care or are interested.

So when bands change their sound, there's a lot more involved than radio airplay and sales figures. It doesn't mean that every band that succeeds or changes its sound is a sell-out. But it's as ridiculous for artists to pretend that the emotional connection doesn't matter as it is for audiences to pretend that artists don't deserve to make a living.

[Zip City]

but if a band shapes its sound based on what the audience wants, isn't that another form of "selling out" one's vision?