Selling Out - The All Mighty Dollar

'Cause you're gonna go to the record store
You're gonna give'em all your money
Radio plays what they want you to hear
They tell me it's cool but I just don't believe it...
Sell out, with me oh yea, sell out, with me tonight
Record company's gonna give me lots of money
And everything's gonna be all right
Reel Big Fish - "Sell Out"

So what is selling out? To me, a band sells out when they change their music/image in order to make more money by appealing to a wider audience. Of course, many can make the argument "well what's wrong with trying to make more money?" Of course, there's nothing wrong with making more money. I'm as capitalistic as the next guy. But you shouldn't have to sell your integrity in order to make money. If you're going into a non-pop music, you cannot be doing it for the money. The vast majority of bands are NOT going to make it big. If you're entering the music scene it should be due to your passion to make good music. A band doing it 'just for the money' will be devoid of interest and excitement and will decidedly suck ass.
Let's get to some examples of a band selling-out. The example that I will always bring up is Metallica. Going from And Justice for All in 1989, to their self-titled album in 1991, there is a huge contrast not only in musical stylings but in the overall image of the band. They went from bad-ass metal gods to clean cut hard-rockers (at best). The change is truly dramatic. Yeah, one could say they were just changing their look and music and that it may have been natural musical evolution (which I'll get to later), but I'd have to disagree. By 1991 Gun n' Roses and grunge had risen to prominence and the musical landscape was changing. Metallica chose to make an album that would have mass appeal and risk alienating their core fans (which it undoubtedly did) rather than sticking to what they know best. Though their self-titled album was a very good album, it paled in comparison to the raw aggression of Master of Puppets and the aforementioned And Justice for All. They changed their music to remain relevant and sell albums in a new musical landscape. Does it make sense from an economic perspective? Fuck yeah. But as a fan to me, that is the definition of selling out.
Another band that, to me, has sold out is Aerosmith. They went from a drugged-out, blues riff based kick ass band to a sober, soft rock piece of crap. Aerosmith are one of the most important American abnds of all time and their influence cannot be understated. I still hold them in reverence. But at first listening to "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"caused me to lose a shit-load of respect for Aerosmith. This was a band that, admittedly, had not done anything relevant in the 90s and needed something to get back into the public eye. Wat they could have used was to get back on the wagon. Instead they released one of the sappiest, crappiest songs ever made. The movie was god-awful and the song goes right up there with Celine Dion's annoying piece of shit from Titanic. Tell me they made this song for any reason other to sell records, and I shall call you a liar. It's a sad note of popula music that despite the numerous hit songs Aerosmith has had, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" was their first number one hit. Do I still hold respect for both Aerosmith and Metalica? Damn straight. Despite whatever they make now, their good music stands the test of time. But it's hard for me to respect some of the shit both of these bands are spewing forth right now. Bands DO change. That's for damn sure. And bands truly can change without disgracing their past and while still making good music. More on 'musical evolution' tomorrow.