Artists 'SELLING OUT' - can we discuss?

I put 'selling out' in quotes for a reason. For me, selling out is when an artist who has made a living purporting certain values, who has created a fan base who share those values, suddenly for nothing more than another paycheck goes against those values and betrays their fans.


There are plenty of artists who I believe will never sell-out.

1. Tom Waits

2. Neil Young

OK, that's not plenty but it's a start.

Kubla- I agree with you. Selling, is not the same as selling out. If Neil Young sells the rights to use "The damage done" in an anti-heroin commercial, more power to him; if he sells the rights to "Bluebird" to a company that had named its latest attack fighter plane "Bluebird" that would be selling out!!!!!

swampwalker, this is what started me off again thinking about the subject of this post. Chan Marshall (Cat Power) sings about isolation, the fear of reaching out for love, etc... and now she is on a commercial singing some song promoting diamonds. first of all, nobody should be lending their music to sell diamonds, imo, but least of all chan marshall. so she's really disappointed me.

I need to add this to my list:

3. John Coltrane (had he lived past 40 he would never have sold out. Never. Not for anything.)

i would humbly submit that to purport to know what is in the heart and mind of another in terms of how they choose to apply their art is a flawed premise. not trying to pick a fight. freewill + human nature + democracy = shit happens. sorry it bothers you so.

musicdoc, i agree in chan's case but in others' they make a great effort to be unmistakably clear what their music is about and then so often sell out.

"freewill + human nature = democracy = shit happens." talk about nonsensical.