Famous Rock Legend Sell-Outs

When questioned about The Who's music appearing in television commercials and as themes for the various CSI series, Pete Townshend said, "These songs are my property. They came out of my head. I have every right to do whatever I want with them."

The Who

Forty years earlier, The Who released their third album, "The Who Sell Out." On the cover was Townshend applying a giant-sized roll-on deodorant to his bare armpit, and Roger Daltrey bathing in a tub filled with Heinz Baked Beans. At the time, of course, this was meant to be a jab at advertisers and the crass commercialization of rock music.

To Townshend's credit, it did take forty years for him to cash out. As for Keith Moon, he's probably still rolling in his grave.

Other Rock Legends

To their credit, other rock legends have remained steadfast in refusing to license their music; those include Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, and John Fogerty. "This Note's for You", a Neil Young song, needles those musicians who have sold out. John Densmore has even blocked the efforts of the other two surviving members of The Doors from licensing the group's music.

In an article in "The Nation", Densmore mentioned turning down a $1.5 million offer from Apple Computers to used "When the Music's Over" in an ad. He said, "Apple is a pretty hip company. We use computers. ... Dammit! Why did Jim (Morrison) have to have such integrity?"

Other Sell-Outs

It's been said that the first blatant rock legend sell-out to Madison Avenue occurred in 1987 when the original Beatles recording of "Revolution" was used in a Nike ad.

In 1995, the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" was used for the launch of Microsoft's Windows95.

In 2002, the Beatles' song "Tax Man" was used in an H&R Block commercial. And worst of all, "All You Need is Love" advertised Luvs Baby Diapers.

In Defense of Selling Out

Surviving members of Led Zeppelin have claimed that the reason they allowed "Rock and Roll" to be used for a Cadillac commercial was to keep their music in front of the public only because the radio conglomerates refuse to include Zeppelin music on station playlists. Sir Paul McCartney agrees.

Indie Sell-Outs

Not letting current young bands off the hook, in 2007, American Airlines and Citibank co-sponsored a Mary J. Blige concert for Citibank members only at the House of Blues. Mitsubishi has used songs from fiercely indie bands like the Buzzcocks, the Fall, and Clone Defects. And then don't forget all those massive corporate-sponsored multi-cities mega-concerts like Vans Warped Tour, Rockstar Energy Drink's Taste of Chaos Tour, and the Honda Civic Tour.

SOURCES:

"Paul McCartney, is that you?", Seth Stevenson, Slate, URL: (http://www.slate.com/id/2126568)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/gpzf/

"Atlas Shrugged", George Varga, San Diego Union Tribune, URL: (http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070301/news_lz1w01who.html)

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/07/23/worst-rock-sell-outs-ever/

"Selling records or selling out", Bill Flanagan, CBS, URL: (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/26/sunday/main1346174.shtml)

"Selling out sans guilt", Eric Kelsey, Utne Reader, URL: (http://www.utne.com/webwatch/2007_306/news/12646-1.html)

"The day the music died", Jake Dudas, Common Dreams, URL: (http://www.commondreams.org/scriptfiles/views03/1031-07.htm)

"Pop artists go commercial", Donna DeMarco, Insight on the News, URL: (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_23_18/ai_87917223)

"Riders on the Storm", John Densmore, The Nation, URL: (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20020708/densmore)