Biggest Sellouts Of The 70s

[Rocky4]

All these bands rocked in the 70s, then cashed in with sappy ballads in the 80s and 90s. Who sucks the most?

 

Here's proof!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgA_Zu-8Mb4

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVc3tjkgUXo

[RB72]

Aerosmith has to have been the biggest. From pure Rock n Roll to poppy crap ballads. And now we have Tyer on American Idol. Bah!!

[Artie Owl]

The fact that KISS is not on that list makes this thread done for me.

[Jeff-7]

Even Aerosmith's "poppy" albums had some good tunes on them. I always dug Falling in Love (Is Hard On the Knees) from the Nine Lives album, in fact a lot of the songs on that album I really like.

 

Edit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hQhxXtfYiM For those who may have not heard it before.

[milod]

I'm not sure I get the idea that going to sappy ballads makes a band a "sellout."

 

Most of the hardest of the rockers in the 60s did ballad stuff too. If not on albums, then certainly on their way up. You want sappy, how about the Stones' Ruby Tuesday or As Tears Go By?

 

You make teens and 20s happy if you rock, yeah, but often you make them happier if they can grind a bit in an hot ballad. Hey, I may be old, but I haven't lost all my memory and I ain't daid yet. In fact, I've seen dance floor brawls by 50-somethings over a hot ballad dance.

 

I'd add that rock, as blues, (country and swing too) has two basic "types" that have been used forever in saloon/dance venues. The "fast" and the "sloooooow." Both have their place. Styles change, but the concept ain't. Bands that do one and not the other don't often last long.

 

Oh - and there's also kinda a cycle of popularity. Back in the late 50s there were a bunch of rock songs that were about either a boyfriend or a girlfriend getting dead for one reason or another - although usually with a vehicle wreck of some sort, or occasionally suicide.

 

Syrupy ballads come and go. I hated 'em when I was a kid, and got into some "fights" with my li'l sis over them, but sometimes in my advancing age I find them decent vehicles for a solo jazz type of thing that's kinda fun.

 

m

[FirstMeasure]

If they didn't change their sound they would have been labeled a One Trick Pony that's Stuck in the 70's. Pretty much a loose-loose situation for any band that last longer than a decade. Should we Stagnate and loose sales or experiment and loose a few fans.

 

If you think about it, most Fans are pretty cold hearted and selfish. They'd rather see their favorite band die than make a record they don't want to listen to or appeals to an audience other than themselves.

 

"Entertain me or Die", I think I'd sell out, too.

[duane v]

KISS

Rod Stewart

 

For going disco on a few of their songs during the disco era

[Jeff-7]

Ugh you just had to bring up disco, Duane.

[duane v]

Ugh you just had to bring up disco, Duane.

 

Don't have an issue with the music, but KISS and Rod Stewart did some terrible disco songs.... The Rolling Clones did some pretty bad disco tunes too

 

But I always thought Andy Gibb was a good player... Saw him live a couple of times, and thought he was a great guitar player.

[Artie Owl]

KISS is by far the biggest sell out of them all, but then again that's what they were aiming for, so they were really successful at what they wanted to do.

[Big Bill]

You forgot this band. They ROCKED in the 70s and sold out in the 80s.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQcQnDFhjxo

[NeoConMan]

I vote Aerosmith for the most appalling waste of good rockin' chops.

Blame Tyler.

 

REO Speedwagon was the one that became the "sweetest" of the bubble gum Pop.

Disgusting, considering what Gary Richrath was capable of.

 

Heart isn't even the same band.

Two chicks - everything else changed with the departure of Roger Fisher.

Same as Aerosmith, they started hiring hit-makers like Desmond Child, Holly Knight, et al.

[ocdman]

I voted for Van Halen. They used to rock until Eddie started playing keyboards on the albums.

[WahKeen]

REO Speedwagon was the one that became the "sweetest" of the bubble gum Pop.

Disgusting, considering what Gary Richrath was capable of.

 

Ya ain't lyin'. Kevin Croaknin took the band into the syrup pond.

 

Roll With The Changes, Golden Country (Live), Dream Weaver...

 

Gary Richrath, owner of original '59s and '60s Sunbursts

[dem00n]

Led zep

What they did sellout.

[NeoConMan]

Huh?

[WahKeen]

Stai in scool.... Or, quit doing someone else's homework and do your own!

[Rocky4]

I forgot about Heart. They make the list to. Firstmeasure brings up a good point. From the bands point of view, you either make hits or go away, but it's hard to watch as they shoot for another audience. It's more about surviving than selling out. I was going to add Def Leppard, but they weren't a 70s band.

[Shnate McDuanus]

Yeah, I think Aerosmith were the worst of the sellouts--they gave up on what they were capable of in the pursuit of completely accessible, bland-beyond-blandness, pure molasses bullscat.

 

Styx kept it real, I don't care what anyone else says. I would barely say that Styx sold out.

 

Journey was much better in their earlier, jam-band days, but I have to admit I think their sellout era was pretty decent as far as that kind of stuff goes. I mean, I'll say it proudly, 1975's Journey is a great prog album.

 

Hey...how about Bruce Springsteen? He sold out like a mother****er.

[NeoConMan]

I was going to add Def Leppard, but they weren't a 70s band.

Yeah, but listen to High and Dry and then compare anything from Hysteria on.

 

Sickening.

[Rocky4]

Yeah, but listen to High and Dry and then compare anything from Hysteria on.

 

Sickening.

 

That's the album I was thinking of. I even liked Pyromania, but anything after that is off limits for me. Styx had that WTF? Kilroy album. I loved Heavy Metal Poisoning off that album. Someone mentioned Kiss. I don't seee them as sellouts. I think they naturally evolved. I don't like anything after Dressed To Kill, but that's just my taste.

 

I understand where Milod is coming from, but I think (as in I'm not sure) rock bands had to make hits before the late 60s to get any success at all. The Yadrbirds are a good example. All those future guitar gods and they are most known for For You Love.

[jaxson50]

Questions;

1. Does recording a ballad make you a sell out?

2. Or does it have to be a hit?

If it doesn't require having a hit then I'm guilty and would feel a lot better if I had a few royalty checks...

3. Does that mean that Johnny Cash started out as a sellout and then became a artist?

(Ballad of a Teenage Queen was one of his first hits)

[mrktwn]

Well, I didnt hate REO because they cashed in I just hated them. Didnt like them at all. Well, maybe just a little bit. Gary Richrath

sure did have a fine moment in Keep Loving You. Same with Styx. Didnt hate then cause they may have quote unquote sold out, just

didnt like them at all. Even less than REO. Yeah, pedestrian '80s rock with roots in the '70s AND from the midwest I guess

I never cared for(Cheap Trick being the exception). So much for the concept of terroir and being from a place...

[brundaddy]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't they all set out to make a million? Isn't that the very definition of "selling out?"

[NeoConMan]

Even if they didn't set out to make a million, the record company they signed a contract with did.

Lotsa pressure involved when lotsa money is at stake.

 

"If you can sell a million seats on this tour, lets extend it with 20 more shows."

 

"If your last album sold a million copies, then your next one should sell more."

 

"Here's what we recommend for your sound so it gets on the radio/MTV."

 

"Here's your producer, get to work on your next album."

 

"Here's the songwriter we want you to work with."

 

"We need your album by the end of the year so we can release it in March for your next summer stadium tour."

 

And on and on.

 

It's not as bad now as it was then, bands are working withour major labels with the internet.