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Did Green Day sell out?


Fuzz

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Alrighty, well i know this convo is never ending, but it is fun occasionally. And since I hold the 'Jesus' title I'm able to start threads like this.

So I posted a blog a couple days ago as a reply to my friends blog (which i posted here a couple weeks ago).

Here's what I wrote:

"Whats that...you're angry because Green Day is popular? Wait what...you hate them for making an album that people bought? You think they're sellouts because they are rich mother fuckers?

Well first of all, I'm sure they care what you think. Second, I'd like to know in what position you are in to criticize a band for writing their music.

It's not like Green Day just popped up out of no where after 9/11 and started making money by writing music about an unpopular war. Green Day has been making music together since most of us were small wittle babies. The past 17 years they have written music about whatever they're feeling and they put their own emotions into their own music.

They don't write to be like anyone, they don't write to sell music, they don't write to please anyone. They don’t write off anyone’s emotions except their own. They write for themselves. They always have. They write for what they believe in. Whether it be the war or jacking off, it's what they feel like writing, not what people want to hear. They used to write about being disenfranchised youth and sitting at home smoking weed all day. Everyone has to mature at some point, and the past three albums from them have reflected that stage in their lives. This last album just had a better combination of lyrics and style that most people could relate too, hence the over 11 million copies that were sold of American Idiot. It’s not just an “anti-war, anti-bush” album. It actually has a story about growing up. It’s the story that a lot of teenagers were able to relate to that helped them sell so many copies. American Idiot topped the US charts not once, but twice. Even a band like Thursday that has “been writing about this stuff for years” only got to number 7 with their last album. So apparently Green Day is doing something better.

People have been calling them sellouts for over a decade, and it hasn't changed anything yet. Selling out would be writing without reason just for money. If half of you who hate Green Day for that reason knew a damn thing about them, you’d understand why they write. Until then, you’ll continue just pulling shit out of your ass to prove a point with the wrong logic. "

And most the comments were "yeah. omg. green day rules." and most were stupid.

Anyways, so this guy replies today with:

"I hate them because they helped turn punk corperate, they didn't sell out because they were assholes to begin with, they were looking to get famous and sell that shit out. Same thing goes with anti-flag and rage against the machine. They do write to sell music and please people, if they didnt, they wouldnt sell any records. That's the way music works, trust me. Also, Green Day has flat out stolen other bands guitar riffs. All this shit you're talking about could just as easily apply to any other shitty band like simple plan or and of that rediculous shit. Selling out is buying into a corperation, and following their rules, which Green Day does, or they wouldnt be on a label. Selling out is signing a contract with a major record label. Most of their music isn't that bad really, except their new shit is horrible, but the classic stuff still sounds good... it doesn't mean they aren't sell outs.

Think. "

So i guess I just wanted you all to have fun with that. Post your thoughts.

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Well, it seems to me that people who call Green day sellouts don't really grasp the meaning of the term. Selling out doesn't mean making a lot of money, it means throwing out your values and beliefs. If you stay to true to your artistic integrity and ethical values, you haven't sold out. It doesn't matter how much money you've made.

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Green Day...It's hard to say. No, I don't believe they stole other bands riffs. You can only have so many songs written before you get some similar tunes.

Punk hates fame. I've said it before, I'll say it again. Punks want to remain underground because that's more "punk" to them. It's kind of selfish, and just plain stupid when a genre rejects a band just because they get somewhere other than garage practices and 10 people gigs.

Green Day's been doing the same things since day one. They just happened to get more famous. They still make their music based on their own experiences and opinions. They just gained fans with every album they made.

So if Green Day are sell outs, they were always meant to be sell outs. Because they're making the same genre of music they have been since Gilman days.

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*Pulls hair out* Well, here ya go:

Ok, In my opinion Green Day did NOT sell out. If you were lving in a shack with brely any money barely making it in the world and all you had was your music...you with me? and all of the sudden a record company comes to you saying 'We'll let be stylistic in your own way, we won't critisize you, and we'll let you make a living off of it' What would you say. Call me a dumb ass, but it's exactly everyone's goal in life to be poor their whole life. I wou;d've taken it too. All their records untill now have all about fun and doing what you want, which just makes American Idiot so much greater. They are finally doing what they had been writing songs about for 12 years. They are doing what they want. They are telling Bush he is a retarded ass hole who sucks monkey ass. I Think that is awesome and one of the most punk things I have ever seen.

-The End

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I agree with mbk. that term tends to be over used. usually poseurs say it to seem cool. at least the one's I"ve seen. you can tell if you ask them questions on wht they think it means and all their reasons just fall appart.

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Guest Quietus

It seems that this person does not have the logic to comprehend that they didn't write American Idiot and expected to make a shitload of money; they even expected it to flop at one point. It's sad how narrow-minded people can be. Green Day stuck up to their values by saying what they feel needs to be said. They didn't know if people would turn their backs on them for saying these things about America and politics, yet they didn't want to shut up and pretend writing about masturbation was okay anymore.

If Green Day had kept to the 'classical' stuff, many people would drone that they have no creativity and they keep reproducing the same songs. Even though people bitch that Green Day is boring now, I bet if they had made another Insomniac type thing, fans would begin to loose interest and think they were boring. It's a loose-loose for Green Day, they can never please the fans. The saying that you can never please anyone or something like that is so true.

Oh and Andres, I was about to go, "Please read the board rules and search before making a topic" then I realized who it was.

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No, I don't think they've necessarily sold out, but I do think they've definitely changed. I mean, what was it, the '95 VMA's when they played a different song than what they were scheduled to do? I can't imagine them doing something like that nowadays at all. I don't think they sold out when they initially signed to Reprise, but I could understand an arguement that with AI they did sell out

And am I the only one that doesn't think making AI was a very "edgy" move?

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And am I the only one that doesn't think making AI was a very "edgy" move?

it really wasn't at all. it's considerably more commercial-sounding than any of their previous releases.

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it really wasn't at all. it's considerably more commercial-sounding than any of their previous releases.

So? It's critizing things that blind patriots would get their backs up about.

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They have become extremely popular with American Idiot, but I just hope they won't over-do it in the future and fuck it all up, they might try too hard to make a better album and be quick with it and fuck it up, I've seen it before - also, rumours going around about the A.I. movie, I'd like to see that become successful but I have a feeling they might also rush that, I've seen it all before in bands - I'm not saying I don't like Green Day and they're just a bunch of fucks who now think they're the best and they're going to try to conquer the world, I love Green Day, favourite band but I just hope they don't over do it.

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there's no "so?" to it. i never even expressed a positive or negative opinion on it.

I was talking about what you said about it being more commercial sounding - that has nothing to do with edgy decision or not, in my opinion. That was what my so was about.

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I was talking about what you said about it being more commercial sounding - that has nothing to do with edgy decision or not, in my opinion. That was what my so was about.

that's ridiculous. no, i'm sure releasing an obscure album that isn't likely to go over well with the mainstream would be a much safer move...

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I think that everyone has their own opinions. Thats what makes this whole thing so arguable. You might as well not argue. Green Day has their Opinions and we have ours. If you think they've sold out then get off the fan site. If you don't, good for you. It's all a matter of opinion of what selling out is. I'm a very strong believer of opinions, especially when people think mine don't matter. It just so happened people admired Green Day for telling Bush to Fuck off. I think it was awesome. It was a very edgy move. They are trend starters. They have been from the begining. Just because they make a trend and other people follow it doesn;t mean they've sold out.

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this is as far as i got with that post.

*Gives a thumbs up* I'm happy you have a reading level high enough to read a sentence.

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^ That's interesting, really had to share didn't you?

EDIT: Meant to mclaren's post, not yours REJECT.

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i love how everyone throws around the most "no shit" random reasons for them not to have sold out. like, these are reasons that nobody who's on the "sell out" side is even arguing for. omg just because billie joe prefers orange juice in the morning doesn't mean they've sold out!!!

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omg just because billie joe prefers orange juice in the morning doesn't mean they've sold out!!!

That's kind of what I said.

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i love how everyone throws around the most "no shit" random reasons for them not to have sold out. like, these are reasons that nobody who's on the "sell out" side is even arguing for. omg just because billie joe prefers orange juice in the morning doesn't mean they've sold out!!!

*claps* There we go, that's a real post! We're improving aren't we?

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that's ridiculous. no, i'm sure releasing an obscure album that isn't likely to go over well with the mainstream would be a much safer move...

It would have been in terms of keeping their current fan base happy.

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