Define Sellout

[guitartabguy]

"There is no such thing as a sellout. Only starving artists and artists' that eat!"

[FennRx]

I think the term sellout is used by the people who are still waiting tables to ridicule those that have done what they had to in order to make money.

 

a big +1000000 and i like how 2 people neg repped you for it; i added a +1

 

take metallica as a great example. how much crap did they get for doing Load and Reload? Now look at the other 2 big thrash bands of the 80s: Megadeth and Slayer. While I like both of them, they are completely irrelevant today.

 

Slayer can't even sell out small clubs. The last time I saw them on the God Hates Us All tour the crowd was so sparse it was embarrassing. Seasons in the Abyss was a long time ago. But EVERYONE knows Fuel and King Nothing.

[EVOL!]

BS right there.... I saw Dokken before they had a management deal, and their attire was straight from Judy's clothing store.

 

Hmmm, maybe it wasn't Dokken. I know it was one of the earlier and more successful hair and makeup bands.

[Notes_Norton]

My answer is closer to Milod than anyone else so far.

 

But I'll add this......

 

I play commercial music for a living therefore by definition, I'm a sellout (and happy with that).

 

On the other hand, even if it isn't my favorite, I like the music I'm playing so is that wrong?

 

There are days I'd like to play cool school jazz, other days I'd like to play salsa music, other days I'd like to play 'down and dirty' blues, other days classic rock, other days light rock, some days what we used to call soul, some days fusion, and some days exactly what I'm playing, commercial music. I have many different musical tastes, I enjoy them all, and play the ones that make money for a living. And I must admit, a bad day of playing music for a living beats a good day at any day gig I've ever tried!!!

 

Chet Atkins would have rather played jazz than country, so was he a sell out? He obviously enjoyed playing country.

 

Kenny Rogers started his career as a jazz bass player.

 

Beethoven was commissioned to write many of his works, so was he a sell out?

 

Shastakovitch, Prokofiev, and the other USSR masters had to cater to the tastes of the dictator of the day. For example Shastakovitch didn't release his 4th symphony until after Stalin died (he feared death if Stalin heard it).

 

Michelangelo wanted to be a sculptor, not a painter, but I saw the Sistine Chapel, and I'm glad he painted it, even though he was practically forced to do it.

 

George Benson is a fine jazz guitarist, but made most of his money singing pop tunes (which he was also good at).

 

Nat "King" Cole was a fine jazz pianist, but made his money singing pop tunes of the day (which he was good at).

 

Music is and should be a dialog with the audience. The musician plays, and when the audience responds to it, the musician naturally plays more of the same. If the audience are not responding the musician tries something else.

 

If the something else is very commercial, many other people call it selling out.

 

But since most of us are having that dialog with the audience, and adjusting what we play to please that audience, I would say that most of us are sell outs. There is very little pure black or white, just different shades of gray.

 

In summary: I cannot dis anyone who caters to the audience to make more money. I would guess that most of the pros play for both audience approval and money. And I don't see anything wrong with that.

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫