Rock and roll and the puzzling stigma of ‘sellout’ success

by

As a lifelong rock enthusiast who grew up with the iconic sounds of bands like Metallica and Nickelback, I can’t help but feel disheartened by the narrow-mindedness that often plagues our beloved genre. It seems that some fans are quick to label success as “selling out,” forgetting that the very essence of music is to reach people and touch their hearts.

The music genre of rock and roll faces an issue: Most bands aren’t widely recognized beyond the genre, and even fewer manage to get played on radio stations outside of dedicated rock stations.

As a music enthusiast, especially when it comes to hard rock, I can’t help but feel that the genre is often misunderstood. While some might think that rock and roll has faded into oblivion, they couldn’t be more wrong. Bands like Bad Omens, Memphis Mayfire, and Black Top Mojo are truly exceptional, with lyrics and sounds that resonate deeply. However, it seems like not many people are aware of these bands or have had the pleasure of listening to them yet.

Over the years, I’ve noticed a pattern where bands who adjust their original sound towards a more mainstream, pop-influenced direction often face a backlash, as if they’re committing some sort of musical sin by focusing on sales. It feels like there’s a perception that selling records is a transgression against the human race.

Metalica and Nickelback are two bands that received backlash for selling records

In the 1980s, Metallica gained fame for their heavy metal music style, creating hard rock anthems like “Master of Puppets” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” They stood out by playing their songs more aggressively and quickly than the well-known heavy metal bands of the era, including Motley Crue, Ratt, Cinderella, Dokken, Poison, and others. Unlike those bands, they did not produce ballads.

It wasn’t until 1989 that Metallica produced their first music video for “One,” and it was nothing short of extraordinary – a testament to their unparalleled excellence within the heavy metal genre.

In 1991, Metallica unveiled their self-titled album, famously referred to as the “black album” because of its entirely black cover. This record has achieved immense success and holds the fourth longest run on the Billboard 200 with a total of 760 weeks, one of the most extended durations in music history.

The song ‘Enter Sandman’ was initially released as a single from the album known as ‘the black one’. It marked Metallica’s first entry into the top 10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. Subsequently, two more major hits emerged – ‘Unforgiven’ and ‘Nothing Else Matters’. Remarkably, these last two songs can be classified as slow, emotional tunes, or ballads.

die-hard classic fans were displeased, believing the band compromised their integrity for commercial success. However, this strategy proved effective as that album has surpassed sales of 17 million copies. I have acquaintances who refuse to listen to any Metallica music if it wasn’t produced during the eighties.

2021 saw me reflect on the familiar story that Phil Trapp eloquently put in his article for Loudwire: “It’s like history repeating itself. Many rock and metal bands, including Metallica, have faced the ‘selling out’ label as they scaled new heights of fame. It seems as though entire fanbases evolve at an astonishing pace, with the older, die-hard fans gradually fading away to make room for the newcomers.

The query revolves around the perception that a band is “selling out” if they increase their audience by releasing more popular music and selling more records. To elaborate, since 1991, Metallica has made an impressive impact on the rock charts, with 43 songs, 28 top ten hits on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, and a staggering 14 number one singles.

In the early 2000s, Nickelback gained significant popularity for their rock music that people enjoyed listening to. Their song “How You Remind Me” reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and they went on to have six more top 10 hits and a total of 19 songs that made it onto this chart. On the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, they achieved eight number-one positions, 20 top 10 hits, and had a total of 31 songs featured.

During the late 2000s and early 2010s, the group faced intense criticism because they transitioned from being a well-known rock band to venturing into pop music. Despite their impressive sales of over 50 million albums and six Grammy nominations, the band has been disliked for almost two decades now.

Apart from Creed and Coldplay, there are other groups who’ve faced this prejudice. One might wonder where this perspective originated.

From my perspective, these popular bands from the eighties, such as Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Poison, Quiet Riot, Warrant, among others, were originally categorized as heavy metal music back then. However, as time passed, they were reclassified as “hair bands” rather than heavy metal.

Fans of heavy metal and hard rock often strive to differentiate themselves from those who appreciate commercially successful bands, viewing their tastes as superior. However, this perspective can be narrow-minded and challenging to grasp.

Music exists primarily to evoke emotions in people. If upbeat melodies and poignant ballads help achieve that goal, then what’s the issue? The fact that these bands are known for playing rock music doesn’t mean they can’t appeal to a broader audience. Unfortunately, rock ‘n’ roll has limited its reach by alienating mainstream listeners, which seems illogical.

Read More

2024-09-29 16:00