The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

by **Strict31** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:10 pm

You know what I just don't understand about musicians? How they can feel as if they've lost some sense of self-respect by gaining commercial success.

Okay, like, they'll release an album with a single that got picked up by some commercial, like an ipod commercial. And the entire album blows up as a result. It basically kicks the door open for their success. Now, people who never would have heard that music are picking up the album in droves.

And it is a critical success as well; it's a GOOD album, not just some attempt to suck some commercial dick.

If you put out a good album that just happens to have also been a commercial success, how have you compromised your self-respect? I just don't get that.

by **S.F. Jude Terror** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:12 pm

1. Because some artists have an anti-corporate belief system, which is fairly legitimate because corporations are pretty evil. Then again, if they've licensed their song to an ipod commercial, you have to assume that's not the case.

2. Because then all sorts of posers will know about it, diluting the "specialness" of your music.

by **Anonymous62** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:27 pm

S.F. Jude Terror wrote:... 2. Because then all sorts of posers will know about it, diluting the "specialness" of your music.

I remember when I was in college in 1980. We'd listen to college radio, because anything different could not get played on the mainstream radio. My friend Jim would love a group and then as soon as they became popular he thought they sucked. I still listen to The Cramps, Husker Du, and XTC, and I still think they're good.

by **DMM** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:29 pm

I don't know if the artists feel that way--it's usually the fans that do. They're mad because now everybody--even people with terrible taste in music that have never liked the band before--likes the music and says they're a fan of the band. The band is probably happy to be getting paid. The reason a band might blame themselves/feel guilty for selling out is that now the pressure on them to create another album as good as the one that made them stars is immense, and they aren't "hungry" anymore, because they've got tons of money now, and therefore, they go downhill creatively from then on out until they fade back into has-been status.

by **S.F. Jude Terror** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:37 pm

DMM wrote:I don't know if the artists feel that way--it's usually the fans that do. They're mad because now everybody--even people with terrible taste in music that have never liked the band before--likes the music and says they're a fan of the band. The band is probably happy to be getting paid. The reason a band might blame themselves/feel guilty for selling out is that now the pressure on them to create another album as good as the one that made them stars is immense, and they aren't "hungry" anymore, because they've got tons of money now, and therefore, they go downhill creatively from then on out until they fade back into has-been status.

Yup, posers. They don't deserve to listen to good music.

by **Apache Chef** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:39 pm

I'm not a musician, but I do work professionally in a creative capacity, so I might be able to speak to this.

The problem is artistic integrity. Artists strive to create something new and original. When people realize they can sell the artists' creations, it becomes less about art and more about money. Money attracts all kinds of scumbags, idiots, and corporate assholes. These people end up having a say in the creative product. The art is compromised. Some artists can't deal with this kind of thing. I struggle with it on a daily basis.

by **Anonymous62** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:40 pm

DMM wrote:I don't know if the artists feel that way--it's usually the fans that do. They're mad because now everybody--even people with terrible taste in music that have never liked the band before--likes the music and says they're a fan of the band. The band is probably happy to be getting paid. The reason a band might blame themselves/feel guilty for selling out is that now the pressure on them to create another album as good as the one that made them stars is immense, and they aren't "hungry" anymore, because they've got tons of money now, and therefore, they go downhill creatively from then on out until they fade back into has-been status.

I remember when Boston waited years over producing, to release their 3rd album. Everyone expected some masterpiece, it wasn't very good, and they were done.

by **Herald** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:01 pm

It's Popular, Now It Sucks

by **eltopo** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:08 pm

S.F. Jude Terror wrote:1. Because some artists have an anti-corporate belief system, which is fairly legitimate because corporations are pretty evil. Then again, if they've licensed their song to an ipod commercial, you have to assume that's not the case.

2. Because then all sorts of posers will know about it, diluting the "specialness" of your music.

this

by **Anonymous62** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:13 pm

Wow! This will be my last post like this, but Strict31's avatar takes me back to the old Talk@ days just like Psivage's.

by **PDH** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 3:03 pm

It's because they're full of themselves.

by **48THRiLLS** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 4:46 pm

As someone who is in a band and have been self releasing albums with minor success I would say that 15 years ago I would never "sell out" my music but now that I am older, have a kid, and the idea of having my shitty hobby actually be my career sounds like something I would sign up for in a second. When I was younger I hated when all my favorite bands would get commercial success (I remember seeing Rancid on Headbangers Ball and I was so mad haha) Now I think it is pretty cool that bands like Against Me, Frank Turner, The Gaslight Anthem blah blah blah, bands I saw in small shitty clubs playing to nobody are now really big names.

by **Strict31** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 6:25 pm

DMM wrote:I don't know if the artists feel that way--it's usually the fans that do. They're mad because now everybody--even people with terrible taste in music that have never liked the band before--likes the music and says they're a fan of the band. The band is probably happy to be getting paid. The reason a band might blame themselves/feel guilty for selling out is that now the pressure on them to create another album as good as the one that made them stars is immense, and they aren't "hungry" anymore, because they've got tons of money now, and therefore, they go downhill creatively from then on out until they fade back into has-been status.

I was actually just reading an interview with an artist who said her new album was all about regaining her self-respect after the commercial success of her previous album.

by **Strict31** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 6:26 pm

Johnny O wrote:Wow! This will be my last post like this, but Strict31's avatar takes me back to the old Talk@ days just like Psivage's.

Cat-Scratch made it for me

by **S.F. Jude Terror** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 6:53 pm

Strict31 wrote:
I was actually just reading an interview with an artist who said her new album was all about regaining her self-respect after the commercial success of her previous album.

Good for her.