What do you call selling out?
 

Well there are tons of people for almost any band that wil say "o ya hey suck cus they sold out"...blahblahblah I think some people just say bands sell out cus they think its cool to do so, or just dont like the bands music anymore.

So please, tell me (and everyone else here) what is your definition of selling out? and what are a few examples of bands that have?

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I think its when a band changes there music style to fit a company like MTV.
I DONT think its when they change it to sell more records, cus pretty much every band does that.

ex: Blink 182, Greenday

It is when a band changes to sell records, because then they're going with a more commercial, easier to digest sound, basically forsaking artistic achievement for money. Doesn't have to be to fit a corporation, although it usually is.

Yeah, pretty much nailed it.

But how about if they change there style some so they can sell records, because otherwise they wouldnt be able to stay a band. Its kind of neccisery a lot of times, because for some bands the audience is so small for there particular nitch of music its hard for them to stay together.

idk maybe im wrong, iv never quite understood it fully

If you change to sell more records you've sold out. No matter what the motive.

i guess the question then is, how do you determine when a band has changed because of there own personal tastes changing, or for the industry (selling out)

i think that is the reason for most people disagreeing. i know there are many bands i feel "sold out" that other people think that it was 100% a change in the bands music style. o well we shall never know!

Why would a band need money to stay together?

If they're changing to a more commercial sound then it doesn't matter. They're still selling out.

The definition of selling out...Mick Hucknell.

From the forefront of punk...to mainstream soul/pop.

I hope you kidding. I don't mean this in a cruel way its just i have been in a few bands before, and without money its EXTREMELY hard to stay together. Equipment is really expensive, and if your doing it full time with no other source of money its pretty hard to live on nothing. I wish this wasnt the case, but unfortanitly it is.

It sure would be nice tho if equipment wasn't so expensive, especially for drummers :(

But a lot of people prefer that mainstream (creed like) sound. Its not my favorite, but i def like it. And all it really means is how the song is put together. And im sure theres a lot of bands that feel the same way. In my opinion i dont feel thats selling out.

And im not saying you think this, but lota people think that all mainstream is garbage and uncreative all because its popular. Thats absolutely ridiculous. All the indy unpopular non mainstream bands is in the end to make money, and because mainstream music one day.

Any band that could possibly sell out wouldn't have a problem with money for equipment etc.

That is not true. One band we played with a while ago in pittsburgh (called The Sugarbaracks) was gaining a lot of popularity, and had the opportunity to change there sound when there record company asked them to, but chose not to, and shortly broke up because they could fund touring and living anymore.

Also youd be surprised how little most bands make, even the somewhat popular ones. It all goes to the record company and paying for touring.

Congratulations, you found one local exception.

Use your head. The entire point of what i said, was that it happens ALL THE TIME. I have seen it happen to many bands. Some have chosen the sellout root, other have not, and they usually dont make it very long as a band. And i respect your opinion but you obviously dont have much experience with it first hand, because if you did, youd realize its a common occurance. Money is actually the #2 reason (behind band members disagreeing) of why bands break up.

I"ve been in several abnds, and I'm into several local bands, and no record companies have ever really been turned down on a change of sound demand, followed by a break up because of money. I guess I live in a wealtheir area than Pittsburgh. This is sort of an impossible arguement.

Where do you live, because that just might be the case.

edit: i did not think of that, because what im talking about usually happens in big inner cities like this where its sell records or go outa buisness.

Berkeley. Yah, I think that's it.

RezZ just stop there's no point to continuing, ProggyMan is being an idiot who's argued this before and lost. He's just wrong.

i call selling out "rilo kiley"

Yeah, but luckily they failed on the selling part.

I didn't lose just because you think you're(Doesn't everybody). You can only win if you convert soemone else to your view point. Aren't you a mod? This is a different arguement actually.

I dont think he was being an idiot at all. I actually (o no im agreeing with him !) think that were he is this might not happen, so i cant blame him for thinking that.

I like you more every day. :)

You claimed every band would jump at the chance to sign onto a major label and wants to be rich and famous. I listed several bands that proved you wrong to which you repeated earlier points as I continued making more. You were wrong and when you're wrong you act just like a "spanked child" and refuse to admit it.

You only proved Elliott Smith. And like I said, I was just making a general statement, there are obviously going to be exceptions.

Oh? What about City of Caterpillar? Well actually the entire emo scene, they can't be looking for money because their is no way that music will sell and having conversed with bands who have given me their albums for free it's pretty easy to say thats not what they're in it for. There are a good deal of bands who play because they like music, not money.

Doesn't mean they would turn down a multi million dollar record deal.

Yeah actually most of them would seeing as most of them despise that sort of thing.

They may say that for cred, but if they actually got offered a deal like that...Whatever this is pointless.

That i highly dought. Crow, we would all like to think thats the case (i def would) but in reality they would not turn it down. 99% of artists , yes love the music, but are also in it for fame and money. And thats not necessarily a bad thing.

...But if you're in a band, you already have the equipment.

Well you see, alot of musicians have these things called morals and alot of these musicians hate the music industry, the RIAA and all that crap. Once again, not all bands are in it for the money to say that is one of the most ignorant and stupid generalizations ever.

My cousin whos 15 has all the euqiptment, but it suxs and isnt good for gigs or big shows. Even extemely popular bands have to get new or replacment equiptment all the time. For example if your amp breaks, theres a few thousand down the drain.

If you're paying a few thousand dollars for an amp, it better not break. Actually playing in a band I know that equipment isn't breaking all the time and in need of fixing/replacing. We've had the same equipment for the past year and a half and the only time we've had to replace anything is to upgrade it.

If your cousin really loves playing music that much, playing at big venues or whatever shouldn't even matter. Should be content playing in a garage. That's kinda the point I was trying to make in the first place. Any musician who wouldn't be content just playing in a garage, not being paid, is a sell out to me.

O come on dude, think about what your saying. Noone who is good would be content playing in a garage or continually at tiny shows.
If your serious about it and love it so much, you wna get it out there, show people what your all about, and grow as a musician. And how are you gona grow in a garage? ... the answer is you wont

and my cousin was to disprove the comment of "and serious band will have all equipment" or however the quote was put.

So basically, anyone who starts to play any instrument
and doesn't have aspirations of huge stardom should just quit
because its a waste of time?

Were talking about people who are very good at there instruments and are serious about it as a career.... not some kid who just started...and ya dont have to be sarcastic about it, because you know i didnt mean that

Most people who are good at their instruments earn the money to buy equipment and since they're good quickly get picked up at to play at a venue.