Ok, what rock star HASN'T sold out?

[Archae]

Heard the ELO tune on that JC Penney Christmas ad, "...it's a giving thing..." and was wondering which rock stars haven't sold out like this.

I can think of a couple, ZZ Top I'm pretty sure of.
Michael Jackson maybe.

[Trigger Hippie]

1. Neil Young, I think.

He was always very anti-sell out. Remember that video he did in the late 80s, "This Note's for You"?

:shrug:

[Archae]

2. Yup, he's one of the best non-sellouts.

I rememeber his "This Note's For You" video.

[Horus45]

15. There it is!

Neil has NEVER been a sell-out!

[graywarrior]

17. GET THE FUCK OUT! Neil voted for REAGAN.

He didn't exactly sell out, but came pretty damn close. Thank gawd he self corrected.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

44. didn't realize canadians could vote in u.s. elections

you learn something new every day

[Taverner]

3. Hawkwind

The inspiration for Spinal Tap, the band that never learned how to quit....never sold out.

[RetroLounge]

22. Actually, I thought Spinal Tap was based on Iron Maiden

:shrug:

RL

[MN ChimpH8R]

54. Tap was based on the Status Quo

who began with "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (the analogue to Tap's "Listen to the Flower People") and eventually devolved into mindless boogie in a sub Foghat vein (i.e., Tap's "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight). The Nigel Tufnel character was based nearly 100% on Jeff Beck.

This posting goes to 11!

[eyesroll]

4. Um....any one remember the pantyhose commercial with "Legs" in it?

(I believe it was for L'eggs Sheer Energy or some such.)

ZZ Top has shown up in a lot of commercials...

[immoderate]

5. Jackson Browne?

Haven't heard him on commercials.

--IMM

[WritingIsMyReligion]

6. Yeah, I haven't heard Browne, either.

[catmandu57]

19. Chevy used Browne's "Information Wars" to sell cars

I'm sure he didn't have control over it, chevey even tried to use Steve Earle's "The Revolution Starts Now". GM can go cheney themselves.
I've never heard Fleetwood Mac used.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

7. Mellencamp, I know, refuses to sell-out

after that whole fiasco with his name when he first came into the business. I think there are a few others, too, but I can't think of 'em off the top of my head.

[Left Is Write]

21. And I have loved him since the late 70s.

[ChoralScholar]

62. I'm trying to remember

but I'm pretty sure I've heard either "Jack and Diane" or "Small Town" on some commercial. I may be wrong though.

[JVS]

8. G.G. "fuckin" Allin!

Never sell out! Die on stage!

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

45. hard to sell out when you have no integrity to begin with

if your act consists mainly of pooing onstage for shock, you have nothing to lose

[JVS]

70. GG was pure integrity!

It was more than music, it was life as art

[JVS]

9. Those fucking pantyhose shilling freaks!

:grr:

[hfojvt]

35. nobody has mentioned

that they played for JR's inauguration.

[nytemare]

10. Don't forget Michael Jackson's hair burning Pepsi commercial incident.

That was big news back in the day.

[Archae]

11. Oh yeah.

Forgot about that.

[peekaloo]

12. ZZ Top

Billy Gibbons pimps motor oil.

'Sharp Dressed Man'(the song) is used to sell men's clothing.

:shrug:

[Orsino]

13. Springsteen?

I don't recall any of his songs' becoming commercial jingles.

[Archae]

14. I can see why...

Nobody would buy the product...:D

[speedoo]

48. You're not serious, are you?

Springsteen is one of the greatest.

[tyedyeto]

86. Kudos!

(Can you tell I am not a Boss lover?)

Another rant: Sirius radio catering to him hourly and giving him his own station. Arrrrggghhhhh!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. They have no control over those things

The vast majority of popular musicians are forced to transfer the copyright of their songs to the label/publisher or there's no deal. Yeah, it sucks, but everybody gotta pay their bills.

I very much doubt most of those artists are too happy about the nauseating uses of their songs by the big corps.

You don't see that happen to REALLY independent artists, i.e., those not signed with major labels, and who retain the copyright to their songs.

[RoyGBiv]

50. But, but ...

I thought copyrights protected the "little guy."

:evilgrin:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

71. I have...

...a bridge that I'd like to sell license to you. :evilgrin:

[ChoralScholar]

63. Yeah I suppose so.

I've heard Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba" hackneyed in so many different ways it makes me want to vomit.

"You could be drivin' a Honda, oh yes you could...
Drivin a Russell Honda......"

</puke>

[norml]

18. I think even Patty Smith has had some songs used in some commercials

however I wouldn't call her a sell out.

[Left Is Write]

20. Here's a question.

Why does the JC Penney ad using ELO bother me so much, but the Monster.com ad using ELO didn't bother me at all?

[Skittles]

23. NEIL YOUNG

he has turned down every commerical offer he has ever received and has even sang a song making fun of commercial endorsements

[hobo_baggins]

24. David Bowie seems to sell out every once in a while...

then totally redeem himself...he released lets dance and admitted he was broke and just needed the money...But most of his stuff stays pretty cutting edge, even now.

[cedahlia]

25. John Lydon, Pearl Jam...

Neil Young (I think.) He wrote a song that mocked musicians who sell their music to market crap like beer and soft drinks, so I'm assuming he also hasn't sold his music.

Some others:

Fugazi
Sonic Youth
Nine Inch Nails

[ghostsofgiants]

47. Since you mention Fugazi, you might mention Minor Threat as well...

Remember the debacle with nike a few months back?

[tuckessee]

56. Ah, Johnny Rotten.......

Now there's a name with sales appeal!

Seriously though, I love the Pistols and am glad to hear he's not a sell out.

[AntiCoup2K4]

66. Actually, the Sex Pistols did a Mountain Dew ad in 1996

Right about the time they did their first reunion tour. You didn't see them anywhere in the ad, but the music was unmistakably them (playing a cover of "Route 66" of all things - which was never otherwise released, or played live to my knowledge)

[lildreamer316]

26. THAT ISN'T A SELLOUT!!!

Sorry to yell but this is a myth that needs to be corrected. ALL of the classic rock songs you are hearing used for commercials are not being SOLD by the artists; THE COPYRIGHT HAS EXPiRED!! It is only either 20 or 25 years. The artists have nothing to do with their songs being used. I don't know how many times I've had to correct people on this. Not yelling; just shaking my finger. This is how Caddy got to use the Led Zep tune (notice that it is off their first album?It's the OLDEST).now; if you hear a song that is NEWER than that; THEN you can yell sellout.

[Twillig]

32. "Rock and Roll"

by Led Zep was off their fourth album.

Nonsense.

See the nation article by John Densmore of The Doors.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20020708/densmore

I thought Zep was self-published (Swan Song) so, if anyone puts it to a commercial, they have the say about it.

I'm open to corrections. :-)

[lildreamer316]

41. I thought they used

You Shook Me first (I actually think on one commercial they used a medly; but I could be wrong).
I'm sure they have some say about it; but I think that is mostly just a courtesy; the song is open domain after a certain number of years; so it would probably take an injunciton of some sort to stop it.I do think they get royalties; so it is probably lesser of evils all around to just say "go ahead and use it."
Lots of early 80s tunes popping up too....

[Book Lover]

60. Copyright does not expire for about 70 years after an artist's death (nm)

[Hypatia82]

88. That's only under new copyright law....

which frankly I find absolutely revolting. No excuse for keeping a copyright for X years after an author's death. A few years while they're alive is enuogh. Patents only last 17 years. Why should copyrights last more than 25?

[bliss_eternal]

65. Thank you for pointing this out, lildreamer---

I certainly wasn't aware of this. I've been cursing under my breath everytime I see/hear some of these commercials. Some of the ads have really pissed me off!

Now I can take back all the evil things I've been saying about some of the groups. :hi:

[Deja Q]

27. Didn't ZZ Top music appear in a car commercial?

i know guitarist Billy Gibbons appeared in a Quaker State commercial...

[cmkramer]

28. It's not always their fault

I think it really depends on who owns the rights to the songs.

For instance, I believe Michael Jackson owned much of THE BEATLES catalog.

[politicat]

29. Chumbawamba let Dodge use their anti-Microsoft song and gave the $ to

CorpWatch.

Sometimes selling out gets the best amount of money into the right hands.

(Besides, it was a funny commercial... the lyrics are "Where do you want to go today? Nowhere you can ever take me!" Someone in marketing had a Bad Thought when they pitched that commercial.)

[rug]

30. Arlo Guthrie.

But then he's never been a rock star.

[Guava Jelly]

31. bruce springstien , Greenday,John lennon even if he was still alive

peace

[catbert836]

57. Green Day

iTunes and Pepsi add a couple of years ago.

[LynneSin]

93. You can't blame John Lennon - doesn't Michael Jackson...

...own the Beatles Library?

[WeRQ4U]

95. Yes he does.

And Paul McCartney is waiting in the wings for when he sells it. The two of them used to be fairly decent friends (remember "Say Say Say") before Michael took some advice from Paul McCartney about buying music rights as an investment. Paul didn't realize that Michael would use his money to buy the Beatles' music.

He was even more pissed off when he heard some Beatles' tunes playing during a Nike commercial.

[adriennui]

33. pink floyd

plus...david gilmour quietly gives large amounts of money to charity.

[Taverner]

91. But It's not Pink Floyd without Waters....

[LSdemocrat]

34. Why does it matter?

[Twillig]

36. The reason?

The reason? Prepare to get a lump in your throat — or to roll your eyes.

"People lost their virginity to this music, got high for the first time to this music," Densmore said. "I've had people say kids died in Vietnam listening to this music, other people say they know someone who didn't commit suicide because of this music…. On stage, when we played these songs, they felt mysterious and magic. That's not for rent."

http://www.latimes.com/business/custom/cotown/la-et-doors5oct05,0,4065911.story?coll=la-tot-promo

[LSdemocrat]

38. Put me in the rolling my eyes crowd

[Twillig]

39. who cares what you think?

[LeftyMom]

40. I can respect that nt

[Book Lover]

58. Thank you!

I was looking for that article to add to your reply above. Count me in the lump-in-the-throat crowd.

on edit: I was disgusted when I head "Back in Black" used for a cell phone commercial. I always thought AC/DC wouldn't get on that train. Guess who was wrong.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

37. Tom Waits.

[mitchum]

42. Tom Waits, Fugazi, REM

[fishwax]

69. tom waits and testamints

gotta agree on tom waits, though my favorite tom waits factoid involves a commercial product ... turns out his father is a christian inventor, and came up with the idea of "testamints," little lifesaver type mints that have bible verses printed on them ... tom gives his father-in-law money for such ventures, according to a Rolling Stone interview I read years ago, and so he is actually the financial muscle behind the "testamints" empire :)

[mitchum]

72. That's incredible! I didn't know that.

I've actually bought some of those for their kitsch factor.

[CatholicEdHead]

43. Megadeth

Their last albums were just as radical as their first ones.

[Doctor_J]

46. Steve Earle

One of the most amazing s/s of the last 50 years.

[RoyGBiv]

49. Selling out ...

Artists essentially "sell out" the moment they sign with a record label and transfer their copyright to the company that controls that label. I do not believe blaming the artist for this is justified, however, unless we're talking about an already established individual who has enough clout to maintain a larger stake in his or her own rights, but that's really their problem. With the way the music industry is these days (most creative industries actually), artists have an extremely hard time even making a living if they do not do this. Indeed, for many, the point of all the hard work they go through is just to get the contract that sells their souls. Unfortunately, they too are often quite ignorant of the way all this works.

I actually had a brief, heated argument with some poor fool the other day who accused John Lennon, who is DEAD, of selling out because they heard onoe of his songs used in a commercial.

As an aside, I am continually disturbed that people understand so little about the way copyrights are handled on intellectual property, yet do not hesitate to hold forth on the rights of artists. Copyright laws, today, are structured to protect corporations, not artists, but people defend these laws because they supposedly protect the little guy.

BTW, as others have noted, you're not correct about ZZ Top. Besides some of their songs having been used by various companies -- a pantyhose company no less -- at times, which may or may not have anything to do with them, members of the band individually shill for various companies on their own. Billy Gibbons did a commercial for a local car dealer.

And Michael Jackson!?!? HA! Guess who owns the copyright to various songs produced by others, one of whom I mentioned, that have been used in commercials, movies, etc.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

51. r.e.m., willie nelson, johnny cash, patti smith, pearl jam, steve earle...

lennon and harrison, john fogerty, springsteen, john lydon, all the members of the clash,

[Book Lover]

59. "London Calling" was used to sell Jaguars

Sorry to say...

on edit: remembered car make name.

[merh]

73. I think you are confused and definitely uninformed.

From what I have read about Joe Strummer, he did not sell out. You might want to take the time to read up on the man that was the heart and soul of The Clash. I have and I can tell you that his contribution to society far exceeds his musical contributions and we all know his musical contributions were extraordinary.

A dear friend of mine suggested that I read up on the man and I have. I have found that he was not only politically informed, he actually did more than talk about his politics, he worked to make a difference. Hell, if you read up on him, his politics and his living true to his values may encourage your political efforts and may inspire you to do more. The man was giving away money to the peasants of Chile in the early 70s when he was dirt poor himself. IMHO, he did more to advance the political causes of the people of Central and South America than any other celebrity.

He gave up his royalties on Sandinista so people could afford to buy a triple album for the price of a single. He did the Jag commercial because the Clash didn't make much money having been royally screwed over by their record company (which is not uncommon if you knew anything about the record industry - talk about corporate corruption and manipulation).

Here is a link you might want to check out http://www.salon.com/ent/music/feature/2003/01/03/strummer/index.html?x

To borrow from that article:
===========================
"Strummer: Yeah, I agreed to that. We get hundreds of requests for that and turn 'em all down. But I just thought Jaguar ... yeah. If you're in a group and you make it together, then everyone deserves something. Especially 20-odd years after the fact. It just seems churlish for a writer to refuse to have their music used on an advert and so I figured out, only advertise the things you think are cool. That's why we dissed Coors and Miller. We've turned down loads of money. Millions over the years. But sometimes you have to earn a bit, so everybody gets some.

"Q: There's no feeling of compromise, doing this? "Strummer: Well, putting your music to an advert is a compromise. But a good advert with cool music can turn on a lot of people. I know that when I'm watching TV and you get a good ad."
============================

So if trying to help your band mates is selling out, I hope that all the Joes in this world sell out. He did it for his band mates, particularly Paul and Topper, because they don't get royalty checks. I often wonder if we are not the sell outs, we allow the recording industry to rape the talent and we make them the profits which they trickle to the talents.

:hi:

[Book Lover]

74. Defensive much?

"LC" was used in a Jag commercial. EOS.

[merh]

75. No, just apparently better informed than you are.

I hope you take the time to read the link and to read about Joe Strummer. I find the man to be fascinating and I am sorry he is no longer alive to continue in his efforts to bring about change in this world.

:hi:

[bliss_eternal]

76. Merh--

I'm late to seeing you on this thread. Just wanted to say hi :hi: It's always good to see you--
especially when you are defending the good name of Joe Strummer! Just read your post to my dh,
(old skool Clash fan) he's quite pleased too!

Give you know who my regards--I hope to see her back on the boards--I miss her so much, particularly miss having another 80's fan around...
:grouphug:

[merh]

79. Hey bliss!

:hi: It was "you know who" that convinced me I should read up on the man. I'll be honest and tell you that I was not into his music or aware of his passion for people until "you know who" clashified me.

If she hadn't sent me downloads and gone on about his politics, I too would still be woefully uninformed and would have missed the great gift the man gave us with his music. I'll pass on your message to our friend next time I beg for more downloads ;-) .

Sharing is one of the greatest things about friendship, isn't it.

Take care - have a good week. :hi: :hug:

[bliss_eternal]

94. I love it--

'clashified' you... Brings up images of a merry group of rabble rousers, circulating the world spreading the gospel of The Clash! That's so great!

LOL! ;) Strummer was a wonderful man--with a great heart and spirit. He is missed--and so is you know who. ;)

Give her my love--and keep some for yourself! LOL! :hug:
You have a fantastic week, merh!

[merh]

98. Thanks, you have a great week too

and :loveya: & :hug:

[Hypatia82]

87. What's stopping you..

from doing as he did? And really he did more for the world penning London Calling, This is Radio Clash and Rockin the Casbah then with anythig political. To get butts to shake, fists to pump, smiles to pop up, is to make the world a better place.

[merh]

97. Doing it --

How about you?

[theboss]

81. Johnny Cash sold cars

I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man

[davmo]

52. definately REM

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

61. other than movies, they refuse to allow any commercial use of their songs

and have stuck by it

[Hypatia82]

85. Yet radio play...

is a commercial use of a song, since there are royalties involved. I've never heard of a band that didn't collect radio play royalties.

[MrSlayer]

53. Slayer.

That's just about it.

[MN ChimpH8R]

55. Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Yes,

John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen come immediately to mind among the big names, at least insofar as "selling out" is defined to mean licensing out your music for commercial use by others. Maybe Peter Gabriel? I am sure there are others, though maybe not such big names

[ChoralScholar]

64. that Mozart guy was a pretty big sellout

You hear his crap on everything!

</jest>

[6000eliot]

67. John Densmore of The Doors

If it weren't for him, you'd be hearing Doors music in every other commercial.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

68. .

<

[KitchenWitch]

77. Pearl Jam

They tried, to no avail, to bust up Ticketbastard...er Ticketmaster.

[Initech]

78. Zappa never sold out

In fact, I bet that he's probably spinning in his grave because of all of these bands who cant go ten seconds without whoring their name out to some shoddy merchandise like Krusty the Klown.

[DemNoir]

80. Paul Simon

I bet ad agencies would love to get their paws on a lot of his songs.

[theboss]

82. Music is a commodity

They are called "pop songs" for a reason.

I actually think the argument about selling out is silly. If you are a musician, you want your music to reach as wide an audience as you can. I can think of at least five albums I have sought out over the last five years because the song was in a commercials. I had completely slept on The Faces until "Ooh la la" was in a commercial.

I've always liked the Kinks but I had not listened to them in a long time until I heard "Picture Book" in a commercial.

[LynneSin]

83. Man I cringe everytime I hear that commercial because I love ELO

THey're #7 on my list of alltime favorite bands. I had to delete Livin' Thing off my MP3 player because I was so annoyed (along with Led Zeppelin's Rock & Roll)

[JVS]

84. Remember when Ray Charles sold out with those Powerball commercials?

That was classic!

[satireV]

89. Tom Petty never sold out!

A real American rocker.

[JVS]

96. The bigwig record execs tried to get him to write songs that don't sound..

the same as each other, but he never strayed from his brilliant vision!

[bif]

90. Van Morrison

[Shell Beau]

92. Depends on the definition of selling out!

Selling out can mean a variety of things.