# 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:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/41 "2019-11-24T03:58:21Z")
I wouldn’t consider Cheap Trick’s “The Flame” as much of a sellout as their remake of “Don’t Be Cruel.” Early Fleetwood Mac is nothing like the music they made a few years later. ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/42 "2019-11-24T04:13:06Z")
Jewel. She started out as an indie folk-rock singer, then took a sharp left turn with a pop album. I heard her on a talk radio show at the time (“Loveline”, IIRC) and all she talked about was money, how many units of this or that she sold, and how to craft an image to cater to the maximum number of people. I understand that she took another turn to country, though I stopped paying attention to her by that point. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/43 "2019-11-24T04:48:49Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I wouldn’t consider Cheap Trick’s “The Flame” as much of a sellout as their remake of “Don’t Be Cruel.” > > Early Fleetwood Mac is nothing like the music they made a few years later. But was that a conscious decision to be more commercial or just the influence of Nicks/Buckingham arriving and they and McVie writing more what they wanted to write, what sounded good to them. But I am not good with Fleetwood Mac history, so I may be off on that. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/44 "2019-11-24T07:12:18Z")
> [@BrickBat](#): > > I’d nominate ‘Iron Maiden’. Other than just the slightest of hiccups here and there, they remained true from 1980 through today. For the life of me I can’t think of any Iron Maiden song I’ve heard in either a movie, TV show, or commercial (though I haven’t seen many ads since cutting the plug in the mid-10’s). I can’t say the same for almost any other big metal band of the era. Now they did have their songs appear in a few games in the mid-00’s but those were in video games with exclusively 80’s soundtracks like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City or Guitar Hero: Rock’s The 80’s where they were just one song of about 80 or so total. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/45 "2019-11-24T08:13:18Z")
I never exactly liked them in either incarnation, but Imagine Dragons went from indie rock darlings to… well…[this](https://youtu.be/fKopy74weus?t=22). Extra points of sellingout-iness for the self-aggrandizing “nobody believed in me but I became a big star” lyrics. I guess it could also be argued Maroon 5 weren’t that universally reviled once. ---
**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, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/46 "2019-11-24T13:22:09Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > 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. Oh, I only quoted you because your line about ‘the money is in pop’ was so enormously on target. ---
**Author:** ![Snake\_Plissken\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Snake\_Plissken\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snake_Plissken_1)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/47 "2019-11-25T17:13:31Z")
Meat Loaf: From ‘Bat out of Hell’ to ‘bitch tits’. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/48 "2019-11-25T18:41:45Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > I guess it could also be argued Maroon 5 weren’t that universally reviled once. “Songs About Jane” was filled with pop or at least adult contemporary type stuff (it’s not like “She Will Be loved” was a rocker), but it was generally well received and had songs that weren’t out of place on rock and alternative radio, too. I don’t think they really became reviled until after The Voice and their output became Adam Levine and contributors trying to manufacture a #1 pop hit every time out. Other bands like Train and Goo Goo Dolls (all acts who hit pop success in the early '00s while still remaining on alt/rock playlists) seemed to do the same, yet for the most part they sold out without actually selling (which has to be the worst, when you intend to “sell out” and don’t even get a hit or any $$$). ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/49 "2019-11-25T19:16:03Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Not even Metallica can top the journey made by Jefferson Airplane in order to become Starship. Was going to post that myself. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/50 "2019-11-25T20:50:30Z")
I love the fact that when Jefferson Airplane started doing more pop drivel, they changed to Jefferson Starship, then just Starship. It’s like a product label (“Same great band, but now with 20% more suckitude!”) I think other bands should have to adjust their names, too. Maroon 5.95, REO BuickWagon, U Two and a Half, Cheap Tripe… and Jewel could start recording as Zircon. ---
**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 25, 2019, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/51 "2019-11-25T23:01:28Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I love the fact that when Jefferson Airplane started doing more pop drivel, they changed to Jefferson Starship, then just Starship. It’s like a product label (“Same great band, but now with 20% more suckitude!”) The thing is, by the time they became “Starship,” there was only one original Airplane member (Grace) in the band. So it’s not like the Airplane sold out. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/52 "2019-11-25T23:21:14Z")
A reporter once asked David Bowie about accusations that he had sold out. He replied, “I’ve never been convinced that poverty is purity.” ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/53 "2019-11-26T23:56:43Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > A reporter once asked David Bowie about accusations that he had sold out. He replied, “I’ve never been convinced that poverty is purity.” Well said, Mr. Bowie. What most fans don’t get is how hard it can be to even scratch out a living as a musician. If someone has the chance to make a very comfortable living or even get stinking rich because their talents happen to align with popular demand, they’re crazy if they don’t go for it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/54 "2019-11-27T00:09:23Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > The thing is, by the time they became “Starship,” there was only one original Airplane member (Grace) in the band. So it’s not like the Airplane sold out. And Grace did that last album under pressure (“We have your family. Do the album and you’ll get them back.”) Starship played my town a month ago. About 5 blocks from my house, to be exact. On the outdoor stage of the Performing Arts Center during a beerfest/art show. Nobody paid any attention. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/55 "2019-11-27T00:57:38Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > When Metallica became Hard Rockica. Bam. Done in one. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/56 "2019-11-27T01:02:16Z")
> [@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. Tool. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/57 "2019-11-27T02:03:14Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > That would be true, if Gabriel’s solo work in the 80s and 90s weren’t so radio-friendly (or more accurately, MTV-friendly) too. Tony Banks had a lot of input both before and after Gabriel into the sound of Genesis. But Phil Collins was on record as not being a prog rock fan, preferring acts such as Sam & Dave, and he seemed to get more songs onto albums post-Gabriel. Banks and Rutherford’s side projects were also much less prog than early Genesis. Personally I think the band, including Gabriel, simply grew out of the prog phase. And as much as I like Gabriel-era Genesis, I think\* A Trick of the Tail\* and _And Then There Were Three_ were criminally under-rated albums. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/58 "2019-11-27T02:12:42Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is KISS the wrong answer here? I guess they were designed to sell out in the first place, or where they ever pretending to be a real band that has artistic value? This was my first thought. They would literally license their name and image to \*anyone \*for _anything_. They were on freakin’ Scooby-Doo! They were like real-life Krusty the Clowns. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859/59 "2019-11-27T02:13:08Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Tool. For a second there I wondered if I should report you for name-calling. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-act-ended-up-being-the-biggest-sellout/843859.md?page=2)