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Define Sellout

ShredAstaire

By ShredAstaire
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ShredAstaire

ShredAstaire

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I look at a "Sellout" as a musician who throws away their core beliefs and style in order to obtain fame and fortune.

 

Great start Bill....playing Devil's Advocate here....are we presuming we know what their core beliefs are and ignoring evolution of the music?

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freak show

freak show

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I've never heard anyone use the term to simply describe a band selling millions of albums.

 

Led Zeppelin for example sold millions and millions of albums, but nobody claims they ever "sold out".

 

Usually the term is used to describe a band that starts to play a different, more "accessible" type of music than that which it played in the past. This is often done at the request of the record company so that more albums can be sold, hence the phrase "sell out".

 

R.E.M. sold out...

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BigKahune

BigKahune

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I've never heard anyone use the term to simply describe a band selling millions of albums.

Led Zeppelin for example sold millions and millions of albums, but nobody claims they ever "sold out".

Usually the term is used to describe a band that starts to play a different, more "accessible" type of music than that which it played in the past. This is often done at the request of the record company so that more albums can be sold, hence the phrase "sell out". ...

 

+1

 

Freak show pretty much nailed it.

 

A kind of side issue is selling out to advertising. I thought it was terrible that after acquring the Beatles catalog, Jackson sold some of the songs to advertisers, making Jackson not only a sellout, but IMO a money whore.

 

 

For the record, i'm not arguing that there is no such thing a sellout....however, I think most of us jump to conclusions when a band changes their creative direcion.

 

I can definitely tell the difference between evolution and selling out. Give me a frickin' break.

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swleary

swleary

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Some people will say Metallica sold out. I don't think they did, they just wanted more control of what they do and release to the world. If going more from the roots of thrash to more main stream metal than that's the artist becoming more mature and developing.

 

Now with that said, I think a sell out is someone that puts money over humanity. The Rolling Stones are sell outs completely, Jaggar wanted $5 000 000 alone to do the Sars benefit concert, that was just pure greed.

 

Hey Mick, it's a benefit concert , just ask for your costs moron...AC/DC however just covered their costs and did it on their own time, they also stole the show from the Stones.

 

I'm still trying to get over that,it's a work in progress lol

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ShredAstaire

ShredAstaire

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I can definitely tell the difference between evolution and selling out. Give me a frickin' break.

 

Maybe you can...try not to take this so personal.

 

Question...if a band "changes" their style to make more money, but they still truly enjoy what they are doing and love the music they are playing, are they still sellouts?

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freak show

freak show

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Question...if a band "changes" their style to make more money, but they still truly enjoy what they are doing and love the music they are playing, are they still sellouts?

 

My question: If a prostitute "truly enjoys" what she's doing, is she still a prostitute?

 

Now I'm playing devil's advocate...

 

[biggrin]

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ShredAstaire

ShredAstaire

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Please explain.

 

I just think they ran out of ideas plus the pop song conscience of the band, Bill Berry, retired.

 

See, that's my point. If you don't know all of the aspects of the change, how can you definitively stand up and say "sellout"!? (Many times we THINK we know...but don't.)

 

There are bands who have SOLD OUT...no doubt about that...but how do we separate the fact and the fiction?

 

When I was young, I threw this term around like a baseball...but not so much anymore...

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Big Bill

Big Bill

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I was thinking about this the other say, and say I started playing more mainstream pop to get some money so I could fund a project to play the music I truly want to? Is that still selling out?

 

Playing the devil's advocate to the devil's advocate :)

 

 

I think Styx may have done that with Mr Roboto. That project went into the Rock books an one of the biggest flops.

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brundaddy

brundaddy

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Some people will say Metallica sold out. I don't think they did, they just wanted more control of what they do and release to the world. If going more from the roots of thrash to more main stream metal than that's the artist becoming more mature and developing.

 

Now with that said, I think a sell out is someone that puts money over humanity. The Rolling Stones are sell outs completely, Jaggar wanted $5 000 000 alone to do the Sars benefit concert, that was just pure greed.

 

Hey Mick, it's a benefit concert , just ask for your costs moron...AC/DC however just covered their costs and did it on their own time, they also stole the show from the Stones.

 

I'm still trying to get over that,it's a work in progress lol

 

Metallica came to Bob Rock with a copy of Dr. Feelgood, (which was THE commercial record of the day) threw it on his desk and told him, "We want THAT."

 

It's foolish to think they didn't sell out -- they told Rock, "we'll do whatever, just make us a megaselling album."

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Artie Owl

Artie Owl

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Sell Outs to me are when they give up their personal image to money. I.E if you're at a concert that's promoted by a beverage company, let's just call them Coka-Peps, and the company tells them that the fans need to know what a fan of the product the band is (even if they hate it) they'll get on stage with a smile and tell everyone to drink Coka-Peps because it's their favourite.

 

I guess then for your definition it's when a band no longer makes their own terms in order to play their music.

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Silenced Fred

Silenced Fred

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That's what I call the John Mayer method. =;

:-k

 

I don't necessarily see that, he still does a ton of pop stuff, and I think that is his main focus. I know he does some blues stuff, but even that is very pop-ish.

 

What I'm saying, is to do some work on more mainstream stuff to get a cash flow as a "job" to fund my projects, you know what I mean?

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