What Does 'selling Out' Mean To You?

[pearanoid]

it's entirely subjective, but when a musician (term used loosely) such as.. oh, i don't know.. uhhh... mark mcgrath starts to.. actually, i don't even need to finish this post.

Hahahahaha.

 

SNAP!

[sedated19]

selling out: when you sell your songs for use in mcdonald commercials

 

basically doing something that the mass of fans would probly not like...

[Beautiful Midnight]

When the motive for the music changes. Music is a beautiful thing for expression and it's just an art, people all have their individual reasons for being musicians but some are just insane.

[saturnine]

I've learned something, too: selling out is sweet because when you sell out, you get to make a lot of money, and when you have money, you don't have to hang out with a bunch of poor asses like you guys. Screw you guys, I'm going home.

Edited January 15, 2005 by saturnine

[Katastrophina]

Like others have said, I think it's when your career is based on money and how to sell, sell, sell. Artists like Britney Spears, who put out perfumes, or Nelly who invent this "Pimp Juice" crap, and Justin Timberlake who helped McDonalds create a logo with his music.

 

Signing to a major label isn't selling out though. I think it's just a good way to get more people to become fans. Hell, Green Day used to be signed to an indie label, but then they signed to Reprise, and now they have tons more fans then ever, and they're not selling perfume or advertising glow-in-the-dark condoms.

[bryce]

Selling out is a retarded term that is so overused that I have a hard time taking anyone seriously again after using it.

 

Basically if someone calls a band a sellout, it means:

 

1. The band has gotten popular*

2. Person accusing them of selling out doesn't like their new album.

 

 

The whole thing is stupid.

 

*'popular' should not have an immediate negative connotation tied to it. while a lot of popular music sucks, a band's popularity does not preclude them from being a decent band.

[Katastrophina]

Yeah, sometimes people just say it because it makes them feel like they're using a big, intelligent music industry term.

[Drizzt]

The problem is that these days’ people accuse every artist of selling out. People tend to think that selling out is letting your music be in commercials and stuff. But I believe that selling out is sticking one type of successful musical style just to sell albums. I mean Simple Plan is a prime example of a band selling out in my mind. They had a cd everyone liked with really corny lyrics and the same message of loneliness and angst in every song. So they rush and release another cd that is exactly like the first and of course the masses eat it up.

[myekl]

look at the rolling stones

 

they might as well be the microsoft of music

 

it is a business after all...and its hard to not want a piece when you see the labels getting rich off of YOUR work

[OWJeeves]

Selling out is driving around in your new Jaguar while they feature your song in a Jaguar commercial.

 

*cough* Sting.

 

I haven't read the whole thread so you'll have to excuse me if what I say has already been covered by someone else.

 

But the above is not an example of selling out (and selling out is not subjective, it's just too often a term tossed around by those who don't know what it means and as a result has become not much more than a bullshit term).

 

Selling your music to be used in a commercial (whether you get paid in cash or jaguars) is not selling out. U2? Flaming Lips? Have they sold out? No, certainly not. It's no different than letting your song be used in a film. Selling out is when you change your style of music for the sole purpose of appealing to a wider audience (see: Serial Joe) or to write a song meant to be used as a jingle for an advertising campaign. For example if U2 had written a song for Apple with lyrics about how great Apple is and then actually put it on their album, it would be a good example of selling out (see: Nelly/Air Force Ones).

[caboose37]

"Remember, I didnt sell out...I bought in"

-SLC Punk

[pearanoid]

People keep using Simple Plan as a refernce for selling out. Don't you have to be "cool" at first to sell out? Was Simple Plan ever "cool"? If not, I don't call that selling out, just crap.

[jhark]

I agree with whats been said about selling out only being when a band changes their original music in order to make more money off of it. At this point the artists are valuing the money over music, and they become nothing but businessmen. Selling out is the point where a band or artist starts to look at their music as a product to sell, not a form of art. With this said i really get angry when a small indie band starts to get a bigger fanbase and the original fans get annoyed because they arent in a little exclusive group anymore. So they make themselves feel better and say the band sold out because they became more successful... i think thats ridiculous. If you liked the band why shouldnt others like it too? And an artist changing their style isnt selling out either. Its the same as us developing a personality and opinons and sense of self as we grow, its an ongoing process and we cant be upset with a band or artist for doing the same ... even if their new style isnt ours.