Anti-Climacus

A QUICK NOTE ON 'SELLING OUT': Since they just played my all-time favorite song by The Jam on a Cadillac commercial.*

It used to be the case that there were all sorts of things you could do to sell out, by writing more easily accessible music (The Brian Jonestown Massacre accuses the Dandy Warhols of this in Dig!), by changing image or sound, or, in particular, by licensing your music for a commercial. I recall, if somewhat vaguely, that R.E.M. turned down a large amount of money to have "It's the End of the World As We Know It" used by Microsoft to promote Windows 95 (they used the Stones instead, who, having been closer to the Tin Pan Alley/Brill Building ethic, never really considered selling out to be much of an issue).**

But obviously, that's not really the case anymore. You can accuse bands of selling out, but it doesn't mean all that much these days. It does apply retroactively, in some cases (as much as everyone loved the Pixies, it's hard to see what their reunion tour was about except making a pile of cash for all involved), but in general, that set of interpretive attitudes doesn't apply.

*That'd be "Start"

**and in part, that's a function of necessity because the Stones don't control the rights to a significant part of their back catalogue (everything before 1971 or so)