A Tribute to Musicians

[Adios]

That never sold out.

I will start with the Beatles.

I know many claim Yoko was the disruptive cause that caused the band to break up, but I wonder.

I wonder how much it had to do with the industry itself. They forever shaped music, and the direction it took. I expect there was tremendous never ending pressure for them to do things differently.
They reached the pinnacle by doing things their way. How long could it have continued without them turning into something like The Rolling Stones or The Grateful Dead, touring for 30 years after their last hit.

Thank you John, Paul, George and Ringo.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Some of you may disagree, but I'll give a quick shout out to two of the fallen who have inspired me: Kurt Cobain (listening to Nirvana got me into music) and Peter Steele

[tyrannosaurus vex]

The Beatles are a good choice. They didn't sell out - it isn't their fault that the entire industry copied them for 30 years (and is beginning to again).

Some of you may disagree, but I'll give a quick shout out to two of the fallen who have inspired me: Kurt Cobain (listening to Nirvana got me into music) and Peter Steele

Disqualified. Last album or two from Type O Negative were pure "pop goth" radio candy bullshit. Peter Steele does however retain points for being one of only 3 men whose genitals have been portrayed in the background picture of my wife's computer screen.

I submit Slayer. They are the only one of the BIG 3 thrash metal bands that didn't go through a "let's cut our hair and go to therapy, and turn our music into indie-pop love ballads" phase.

[LMNO]

The Minutemen.  No compromise.  Ever.

[Placid Dingo]

Zappa.

[Adios]

I wish to add Hendrix.

[LMNO]

I contend that "Band of Gypsies" was a sellout.

LMNO
-sometimes, sellouts sound really fucking good.

[Adios]

Jim Morrison

[LMNO]

Sold out to himself; became a self-parody.

[Adios]

Sold out to himself; became a self-parody.

I'll have to think on this one.

[Adios]

So what is your opinion of Queen, during the Freddie Mercury days only, not post.

[LMNO]

I disqualify myself, only because I never really liked Queen all that much.

However, if forced, I would say that some bands actively pursue the sellout, and make it part of who they are.  There's nothing wrong with giving the people exactly what they want.  Queen seemed to excel at this.

Again, nothing really wrong with that. 

[tyrannosaurus vex]

Sold out to himself; became a self-parody.

This is the worst kind of selling out, imho.

Other kinds of selling out probably result from losing creative steam and just going with the popular trends, or try to foresee popular trends and "lead" that way, or losing the drive to break new ground musically. But becoming a self-parody is when you try to live up to your stage persona for its own sake, without actually being it anymore, and it leads to derivative, contrived music and an ever-shrinking image. Jim Morrison did that in the 70's, and Marilyn Manson is doing it now.

[President Television]

Henry Rollins.

[Adios]

Janis Joplin