# What music act ended up being the biggest “sellout”? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2019, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859 "2019-11-23T05:38:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/21 "2019-11-23T20:02:10Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > Musician, yes; popular, not so much. I left a genre-busting band a few months before their huge yet brief success. Do you care to be more specific? ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/22 "2019-11-23T20:30:38Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Do you care to be more specific? Sorry. Wouldn’t be prudent. I must leave you in mystery. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/23 "2019-11-23T20:39:45Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > When Metallica became Hard Rockica. It sure didn’t help that they brushed aside comments of them selling out ( changing their sound for a more mainstream appeal ). One of them said something like “Yeah we sold out…our shows sold out xyz stadium, abc arena…” and so forth. Pretty much an admission that changing their sound in deference to commercial success was a good decision, and one they were proud of…which pretty much confirms the original concerns of the erstwhile fans. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/24 "2019-11-23T20:51:07Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > I’m not as up on their history as I should be, but didn’t their shift from progressive to pop coincide with Peter Gabriel’s departure and Phil Collins’s ascent? Was that gradual, or kind of sudden? Gabriel leaving affected the band, no doubt, but they remained a prog powerhouse. The beginning of Genesis’ descent into pop schmaltz began in earnest after the departure of guitarist Steve Hackett two albums after Gabriel left. Even then it wasn’t a sudden drop-off but it didn’t take long. Such a shame. ETA: I hadn’t seen **Shoeless’s** post when I posted mine. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/25 "2019-11-23T21:42:36Z")
Pink Floyd definitely dumbed down their act to produce _Dark Side of the Moon_. Still, it seemed to work for them. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/26 "2019-11-23T22:24:49Z")
**Boz Scaggs** when he switched to cornball lounge lizard disco and released Silk Degrees. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/27 "2019-11-23T22:29:07Z")
Going back a ways: Nat King Cole was a talented and fairly successful jazz pianist who never really engaged in vocals until doing “Sweet Loraine”. Once he crossed over into pop and began singing, his career skyrocketed. He never gave up his jazz licks, but the money was in pop. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/28 "2019-11-23T22:31:41Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Really, any anti-establishment rockers that sell their music for commercials - the Stones, the Kinks, Iggy pop, you name it. It would be easier to list acts that \*\*\*haven’t \*\*\*sold out. Tom Waits and Neil Young is about all I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/29 "2019-11-23T22:49:19Z")
The first act I thought of when I saw this thread was Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship. > [@RioRico](#): > > But per the thread, I’ll propose Bing Crosby, who went from hot jazz improviser to staid senior sellout. Yawn along with Der Bingle. Along similar lines, I’ll suggest Elvis but he never made it to the “senior” stage. Also, Colonel Tom had a lot to do with his final incarnation into an overweight Vegas act. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/30 "2019-11-23T23:29:36Z")
Robert Palmer had a wide range of early work before moving to power pop like “Addicted to Love”. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/31 "2019-11-23T23:48:05Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > It would be easier to list acts that \*\*\*haven’t \*\*\*sold out. Tom Waits and Neil Young is about all I can think of. I’d nominate ‘Iron Maiden’. Other than just the slightest of hiccups here and there, they remained true from 1980 through today. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/32 "2019-11-24T00:06:56Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > It would be easier to list acts that \*\*\*haven’t \*\*\*sold out. Tom Waits and Neil Young is about all I can think of. The Doors have never sold a song for commercial purposes. John Densmore has always refused, saying Jim wouldn’t approve. As for sell outs, REO Speedwagon comes to mind. They went from a fairly decent rock band (Riding the Storm Out, Roll with the changes) to complete pop (Heard it From a Friend, Keep on Loving You). I’m not going to google, but the same can be said for the J. Geils Band. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/33 "2019-11-24T00:13:40Z")
> [@BrickBat](#): > > I’d nominate ‘Iron Maiden’. Other than just the slightest of hiccups here and there, they remained true from 1980 through today. And AC/DC never deviated from their style. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/34 "2019-11-24T00:26:42Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > The Who. > > They go from a 1960s album of fake commercials, to selling their music for actual commercials currently. > > Really, any anti-establishment rockers that sell their music for commercials - the Stones, the Kinks, Iggy pop, you name it. But that’s not what the OP is talking about. They were able to sell their music for commercials because they were already highly successful commercially. They didn’t change their style in order to become more successful commercially. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/35 "2019-11-24T01:35:15Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > I add Ozzy Osbourne to the list of biggest “sellouts” in music history. Not for a change in musical styles though for becoming a joke and a punchline for doing the reality show _The Osbournes_. Winner. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/36 "2019-11-24T01:50:29Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Going back a ways: Nat King Cole was a talented and fairly successful jazz pianist who never really engaged in vocals until doing “Sweet Loraine”. Once he crossed over into pop and began singing, his career skyrocketed. He never gave up his jazz licks, but the money was in pop. Let’s contemplate this. Mostly because I dislike the whole ‘sell out’ concept. It allows fans to place some sort of ethereal - and imagined - power over their musical heroes. But it’s fiction. Bands and musicians do what they do because they hope to achieve something. In my time in bands - early 80s to late 90s - my interests went from getting laid to just having fun. But it’s not fair to criticize bands for doing what they want. I think I recall Joe Strummer on why The Clash began integrating more complicated and non-punk stuff in their songs saying ‘Punk’s great, but if you can’t play you fade away and if you can’t you can’t play it forever because you get bored’. If bands want to do other things - even something like cash big checks - who the hell are we to tell them they can’t? Priorities change, interests change. My favorite band, Rush, went from huge side-long - when we have 'sides - epics to shorter, more driven songs. They lost interest in doing longer things and wanted to use the discipline of writing tighter songs. Hell, the hit single ‘New World Man’ started out a ‘project 3:59’ where they had some extra time on an album side, had finished recording the album and decided to attempt to write a catchy song that was less than 4 minutes long. It ended up being a sort of synth-poppy tune at 3:43. Is that somehow a sell out? ETA: Just checked. New World Man - project 3:59 - ended up being their highest charting single ever at #21 on the US chart. For comparison Tom Sawyer topped out at #44. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/37 "2019-11-24T02:17:45Z")
The Black Eyed Peas have to be up there. From avant garde rap, without the success of De La Soul, to picking up Fergie and selling 75 million records is quite a change in their sound. [Black Eyed Peas - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Eyed_Peas) Or maybe I’m just influenced by their cover of, IIRC, Rolling Stone: “Sellin’ out? We’re selling out stadiums!” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/38 "2019-11-24T02:36:30Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Let’s contemplate this. Mostly because I dislike the whole ‘sell out’ concept. It allows fans to place some sort of ethereal - and imagined - power over their musical heroes. > > But it’s fiction. Bands and musicians do what they do because they hope to achieve something. In my time in bands - early 80s to late 90s - my interests went from getting laid to just having fun. > > But it’s not fair to criticize bands for doing what they want. I think I recall Joe Strummer on why The Clash began integrating more complicated and non-punk stuff in their songs saying ‘Punk’s great, but if you can’t play you fade away and if you can’t you can’t play it forever because you get bored’. > > If bands want to do other things - even something like cash big checks - who the hell are we to tell them they can’t? Priorities change, interests change. > > My favorite band, Rush, went from huge side-long - when we have 'sides - epics to shorter, more driven songs. They lost interest in doing longer things and wanted to use the discipline of writing tighter songs. Hell, the hit single ‘New World Man’ started out a ‘project 3:59’ where they had some extra time on an album side, had finished recording the album and decided to attempt to write a catchy song that was less than 4 minutes long. It ended up being a sort of synth-poppy tune at 3:43. Is that somehow a sell out? > > ETA: Just checked. New World Man - project 3:59 - ended up being their highest charting single ever at #21 on the US chart. For comparison Tom Sawyer topped out at #44. Not sure why you quoted me. I have no problem with musicians going where they need to go, whether it’s for artistic reasons or just to pay the bills. I think this thread is supposed to be about musicians who did just that. I think calling it a sellout is inappropriate in most cases. Fans called Dylan a sellout for going electric, for cripes sake. ---
**Author:** ![Stylkng](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Stylkng](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stylkng)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/39 "2019-11-24T03:40:38Z")
bunch of sellout…u2 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/40 "2019-11-24T03:46:09Z")
Not only did Metallica radically change their style, but they also came out very heavily against piracy, after making their name initially mostly from bootlegs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859.md?page=3)