The Art Of Selling Out?

Question

Is selling out Changing after you get popular or Getting signed to a good lable and then getting popular even if you still do what you want? I think it's the first one. Anti-Flag, Changed there sound and look after people really started to listen. The Ramones were and ARE a Cult band they never had true popularity. Sure people think Hey, Ho! Lets Go! is a good song but are too stupid to know it's actually called Blitzkreig Bop. I think people lost what it actually means. Answers please?

Yes, for 3 albums the Ramones had more of a pop sound but thats what Joey Ramone wanted to try for a bit. They were still doing what they liked just in a differnt direction. NOT SELLING OUT!

Answer 1

I feel like selling out is when you compromise yourself and your art for the sake of money. For instance, the band Of Montreal, they were a well liked, well known indie-pop band and had a great following. Recently, they just changed one of their popular songs to fit an Outback resturant commercial. Instead of singing, "Let's pretend we don't exisist" in the song, they say, "Let's Outback tonight..." I find this to be completely selling out.

Now, as far as bands signing to labels I think it is a fine line. Just because a band gets popular and makes money, that does not mean they are a sell out. If, however, they sign to a label, totally change their sound and start doing McDonalds commercials, then that is selling out. Basically, if they are going against being true to their fans and themselves, I think that is where the problem is.

I find it annoying when I hear a song that I love in a commercial or a show (like Tear Drop by Massive Attack in the beginning of the show House), but at least they are making money tastefully and not just totally hoaring/selling themselves out.

It is all about honesty and taste, not so much about success and money. Now a days with the internet it is much easier for a cult/indie/unknown band to be popular. Just because they are popular and/or rich does not make them a self out. The bad choices they choose make them a sell out.

Answer 2

I think that, for a musician/band, "selling out" is changing their music specifically to gain popularity or get signed. If their sound changes because they're evolving/growing as artists, or the tastes of a large part of the population shifts, and that happens to open their work to a larger audience or help get them signed with a major label, then great for them!

Answer 3

the ramones sold out. they changed their sound and put out a lot of crap. That doesn't mean they weren't important. I think the ramones should be required listening for everyone but the did the whole dance for their record label. to me selling out is when you are doing fine and making good music and then you get on some record label and they send a producer in that tells you how to play your songs what they, as a representative of the record label, thinks it should sound like. That's basically the heart of selling out. OR OR OR making good music for years with great anarchist ideals and then signing to record labels and complaining about how much they suck *Against Me!*

Answer 4

Selling out means writing songs only because they follow the current trend and will sell and make money, and not being true to yourself and your music. Sometimes, being true to yourself and writing songs that follow the current trend coincide, but as long as you are true to yourself and your music, you are not Selling Out. And, if you change your music after you get popular, and the change comes from inside you and you are still true to the music, then you are not Selling Out.