The Test Of Time #2

Progression vs Selling Out

If you haven't read the first part of this, or want a refresher, I highly suggest you check out part one. With that said, there's nothing else impending you need to bring into this essay-style post, so sit back and read on. *Clears throat*. In many ways we have as a society come a long way since the birth of what is considered modern music in the 1950s, with each subsequent decade seeing the rise of an ever increasing roster of artists gaining some level of attention from enough people to be considered by some degree popular. Outside of the dominating superstars, it's hard to predict what will stand the test of time...

Judging an artist's longevity is one side of the coin, and last time I looked at the differences between success and influence within that face. Whilst it can definitely cause its fair share of trip ups and points for debate, the question of longevity can usually be surmised with the aid of facts, figures and knowledge, something that can't quite be said of an artist's overall quality. This is definitely the more contested side of the coin, the tricksy tails as it were, and for as subjective as it is in all cases, things can get ugly when people start talking opinions and questions of integrity are often integral to discussions such as these.

If an artist's integrity is brought into question, it's very nearly a question of that artist's change over time and which areas of their career are the "best" or most "acceptable". Of course, I've already stated than any discussion along these lines is entirely subjective, but that doesn't mean they aren't discussions to be avoided. What they should be is handled with caution and, more importantly, with precision. Tossing about the "sellout" tag is a dangerous move, and I think it's the fundamental obsession of music fans to label acts and artists as "sellouts" that often spawns toxicity that needs clearing up. So, what's meant by the term "sellout", and what place does it play in terms of an artist's career progression?

First things first, an artist's career is their own, and what they choose to do with it is their decision. Nobody has to like or respect that, but so long as it's their decision, and not some label or external pressure causing them to do something, then you should at least acknowledge that they have the freedom and ability to dictate their own direction. Not liking or respecting that direction is a freedom that we as consumers have, and it's more than okay to voice your views on art in a critical or positive way. Alternately, you don't have to like, respect or agree with someone else's opinions so long as you acknowledge that it is their own opinion and that they have the freedom to possess that. This does obviously beg the question of independence, and if someone is reliant or dependent on the opinion of others then I believe that in itself is worth criticising. Before we fall into the deep rabbit hole of dependence of opinion, an excellent subject of debate for another day, let's move on.

The way I look at it, the term "sellout" at base level is a label that can be given in an entirely objective and factual way to an artist who decide to take their art in a more accessible, conventional or mainstream direction. As well as being helpfully alphabetically ordered, accessibility, conventionality and mainstream are three sublevels that quite accurately reflect the order of which selling out occurs. The art becoming more easily accessible for a wider audience on its own rarely signifies selling out, but when paired with an increase in how typical something is portrayed or, in more blatant occasions, a change towards whatever is most popular at the time, the more likely an artist is likely to be labelled as having "sold out". Of course, I very purposefully said that this label used in this way is an objective and factual one, and that's for a very good reason: there is nothing wrong with selling out.

Now, as soon as you start utilising this term in an opinionated context, you're likely using it to critique an artist for choosing to take their art in a certain direction (towards the mainstream) and this is where things get contentious. Many people will argue this is a ridiculous and unfounded criticism, as it's well within any artist's right to take their music in any direction they want; many people will argue this is a valid and well founded criticism, as an an artist's motivation has prioritised the money over the art. I land somewhere in the middle, but I'll admit I've been guilty in the past of having leaned towards the latter side as a crutch when critiquing music. The reason I land in the middle is that, simply put, money has to be a motivation in a world where it's necessary to earn money to live, and doing something for money shouldn't be frowned upon. However, I do support using the term "sellout" as a valid form of critique so long as you're using it to point out how a part of the art has consequently got worse. If you believe that an artist has sacrificed their artistic integrity by selling out, you need more of a point than that in order to validate your own point as anything more than the unfounded comment. You'll be much more likely to be listened to by those with opposing or differing views if you pair this comment with a specific detail as to how its been detrimental to the art.

After all, there are many cases where it could be argued that an artist's career progressed positively due to selling out, just as there are examples of artist who've regressed for the same reason. It's up to you to decide what you think of the art, and whether or not it stands the test of time for you personally is your decision entirely. With that in mind, my taste in music is OBVIOUSLY unquestionable and TOTALLY objective 100 percent of the time, and it's my pleasure if you value it and read my blog so I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who takes the time to do so. It really does mean a lot, especially if you got through a hefty post like this. Thanks especially to those who stick around, it's amazing to me that this passion project of mine gets any views at all and I really do appreciate it.

If you wish to follow me on Rate Your Music, you're more than welcome to here, and my twitter is here.