What Defines A Sellout Band?

Question

How many bands do you think are sell outs?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sell+out

Answer 1

Im gonna half to go with( David V) I Think he hit the nail right on the head !!!

Answer 2

Sometimes there are certain bands who aren't seeking to be in the mainstream, but by some fluke they get a huge hit.  Nirvana is one of those bands that didn't expect to do as well as they did, so therefore they do not qualify as sellouts.  To me sellouts are those who jump on the band wagon to a certain sound another band popularized, and if you make it on something like American Idol then you're an instant sellout.  

Answer 3

Um, not sure...

Answer 4

a sell out is when i band changes their sound and/or image for fame/money.

Eg. sell out boy

Answer 5

A sellout band is one which significantly alters its once-unique sound to a more mainstrea, or commercial sound, in order to chase the dollars

Answer 6

personally idc if a bands a sellout or not i jus care about if im interested in there music or not cuz if i start not liking a band cuz there "sellouts" id miss out on some really good music that i like right now

bands that are sellots my answer idc and idk

Answer 7

thats stupid link you but green day was never on mtv but there music was, to me a sell out are Jonas Bro's,

The definition sellout has muti definitions so its hard to say what its is  

Answer 8

A Sell-out band is in my humble opinion, any band who ultimately only continue performing for the money and fame; instead of the music and the song.  THere's a thin line between compromise and selling out; as there is with selling out and buying in.

R.E.M. & U2 never sold out.  The majority just finally started 'buying in'.  Well, U2 is debatable at this point in their career...lol

Sometimes the record companies, especially 20 years ago, would force their artist to record hit singles ready for radio airplay.  Electric Light Orchestra fell into this trap and recorded and released 'just enough' ear candy for radio to make the record company happy and complete their contract.  But the albums tracks they did were much more inspired and when their contract ended, so did they, because Jeff Lynne refused to cater to them anymore.  

I think when a band has a good supportive following and then they change direction to a degree of unrecognizability in order to 'fit in' with the current sound, then that band is selling out.  Not just themselves; but their fans too.  But if a band changes because of natural growth and progression that's NOT selling out, even if it causes them to get more fans.  

As much as Kurt Cobain whined about success and fame; that's exactly what he wanted or he wouldn't have signed any record contract and instead just would've been happy playing locally.  He took it a step further though and that had NOTHING to do with him just wanting to make music.  That had everything to do with him wanting to be HEARD.  He wanted to be heard without the familiarity of fame and fortune; but the 2 (or 3) come hand-in-hand.  It was his catch-22.  

Then you got a band like Bon Jovi.  They don't need any more fame.  They certainly don't need the money.  What do they need?  They need to be heard!  So they never sold out.  They just kept playing and it didn't matter if the records sold or if they didn't.  Lucky for them, they did (mostly).  A band like, Motley Crue (whom I respect) seem to only make records ever-so-often to keep their egos going.  I think that may be selling out.  The music should be first and foremost.  But I'm not sure I've answered your question in the way I was attempting but hopefully I was at least interesting...lol  :)

Answer 9

KISS...the epitome of sellout!

Answer 10

I think what would define a sell-out act is an act who has obviously and deliberately changed their style in order to get airplay, or began creating album after album of music that sounds identical to what got them their "breakthrough."

As for who would be a sell-out, I think the perfect "poster child" band is Genesis.  Listen to them before Peter Gabriel left and after he did, and you won't know they're the same band.

Answer 11

A sell out band is one who have sold their music out to big corporate company's to use in ad's on TV, Radio,and any other means of audio used in ads. Even your favorite bands might be one. Even through today it is excepted that's what used to get other bands mad when they seen their fellow musicians selling their to songs to be used to sell another product as Michael Jackson in the Pepsi ads

Answer 12

I see a sellout band as one which abandons their preferred sound in favor of a format which is more radio friendly or will sell more albums.

A good example of this is Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, who after recording Born to Run, arguably one of the greatest albums of all time, with a style largely reliant on passionate playing of the piano, organ, and saxophone, went on to record their best selling album, Born in the USA, in a much more commercial sound, with a soulless electric keyboard becoming the dominant feature.

Another band that typified selling out was Chicago, whose early albums were relatively heavy jazz-rock, but later gave up that style in favor of a much more commercial and radio friendly style dominated by soft schlock-rock ballads.

Answer 13

Metallica