These bands or artists traded their integrity for a quick buck. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most brazen examples of musical acts that changed their sound and public brand to capitalize on a broader market.
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the most brazen examples of musical acts
00:09that changed their sound and public brand to capitalize on a broader market.
00:1720.
00:20Weezer Weezer changed the image of rock stars in
00:24the 90s.
00:25The nerdy punks were outcasts among outcasts, acclaimed for their clever lyrics and ironically
00:31edged tone.
00:39But after mixed reactions to the Buccini-inspired album Pinkerton, they went on hiatus.
00:45The subsequent comeback was marked by cornier pop sensibilities, especially after the teeny
00:50bopper hit Beverly Hills.
00:58Weezer continued to enjoy great success with a straight-faced take on pop rock, much to
01:03classic fans' lack of enjoyment.
01:10Newer listeners and critics have generally appreciated the experimentation, including
01:15the more classic styles going into the 2020s.
01:18Of course, with those styles entailing a cover album and hair metal homages, Weezer
01:24aren't as subversive as they used to be.
01:3219.
01:35Thirty Seconds to Mars Movie star frontman Jared Leto initially gave
01:40Thirty Seconds to Mars more commercial appeal than most experimental rock bands.
01:52With guitarist Tomo Milisevic, they began exploring an alternative aesthetic that truly
01:57matched critical acclaim with mainstream success.
02:01They even exposed persisting music industry injustices with a high-profile lawsuit against
02:06EMI Records.
02:07That's why it's so frustrating that the band went full pop after the personnel was
02:12reduced to Jared and Shannon Leto.
02:14Even for a group known for genre-bending, this was a drastic shift.
02:25Many critics and fans were disappointed, but Thirty Seconds has never been more popular.
02:31Who needs EMI when you have lucrative pop labels like Interscope and Concord?
02:35Well, they don't offer much for rock loyalists.
02:4218.
02:44Bring Me the Horizon It was hard to accuse Bring Me the Horizon
02:47of selling out when they first abandoned Deathcore.
02:58Following their debut album's lukewarm reception, the band won a dedicated following with Elevated
03:03Melodic Metalcore.
03:11They even developed a unique level of mainstream appeal for that genre.
03:15This naturally continued when Ali Sykes stopped screaming altogether for 2015's That's
03:21the Spirit.
03:26Still, extreme metalheads were shocked by the shift to pop and electronic rock.
03:34BMTH were finally chart-toppers, but they divided fans.
03:39Some appreciated their experimentation within a lighter sound, while others were frustrated
03:44with the sound itself.
03:45Luckily, BMTH has been gradually returning to metalcore, with continued commercial success.
03:56For better or worse, it still took dulling their edge to get there.
04:0117.
04:02Nickelback Some believe the love-em-or-hate-em lore
04:06of Nickelback goes back to the beginning.
04:13In fact, they were a hit early on for bringing rugged 90s grunge into the 2000s.
04:18Many even consider their breakout single, How You Remind Me, to be a genuine classic.
04:27However, suspicions of trend-leeching arose as Nickelback drifted from grunge to generic,
04:35pop-oriented hard rock.
04:37The sentimental power ballads and sleazy party anthems particularly polarized listeners.
04:51Before long, backlash online and from the rock community became a cliché in its own
04:57Nickelback remains one of the best-selling rock bands of our time with a quietly ample
05:01fanbase.
05:02But they continue to openly embrace the mainstream brand, even as a group people love to hate.
05:1116.
05:14Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy were a fixture of 2000s pop-punk,
05:18emphasis on pop.
05:25Their infectious and subversive energy hooked a cult fanbase before the album from Under
05:30the Cork Tree broke them out.
05:37They continued to balance dynamic musicianship and stardom until they disbanded in 2009.
05:43By then though, Fall Out Boy had started to fall off into pop tropes with their music
05:48and industry brand.
05:55This trend continued after they regrouped in 2013.
05:59They even collaborated with the likes of DJ Steve Aoki, rappers Jay-Z and Lil Wayne and
06:05Taylor Swift.
06:06Many fans have fallen out with Fall Out Boy over this loss of irony.
06:11But they can't argue with the band's growing success or their return to form with 2023's
06:16So Much for Stardust.
06:2315.
06:26Kings of Leon Kings of Leon have always been a proper family
06:30affair for the Followills.
06:38Their nitty-gritty mix of garage rock and bluesy southern rock moved critics but saw
06:43uneven sales.
06:45With Only by Night, Focus moved more toward anthemic hooks and other commercial elements.
06:58The album was a worldwide sensation, spawning the signature songs Sex on Fire and You Somebody.
07:05New fans didn't realize these hits were a departure from Kings of Leon's edgier
07:09early work.
07:14The band itself seemed to lose sight of that as they drifted into alternative and indie.
07:19The Followills may still be truly independent artists, but their prosperity has come at
07:24the expense of a truly original style.
07:3114.
07:34Foo Fighters As the drummer for Nirvana, Dave Grohl represented
07:3990's grunge at its rawest.
07:41He really changed his tune as frontman for the Foo Fighters.
07:50The post-grunge trailblazers became one of the biggest bands around, mixing brighter
07:55hard rock into alternative grit.
07:57And yet, over time, they've become a parody of this persona.
08:01Grohl's relatively wholesome image and music industry networking are a far cry from the
08:06late Kurt Cobain's cynicism.
08:12By the 2010's, the Foo Fighters completely pivoted to mainstream rock and even pop.
08:25Never mind jamming with David Lee Roth, Justin Timberlake, and Deadmau5.
08:29The Foo Fighters remain highly respected as true music lovers.
08:33But however you feel about it, they may formally represent the demise of anti-establishment
08:38grunge.
08:4113.
08:44Sugar Ray Contrary to their name, Sugar Ray wasn't
08:48always so sweet.
08:54They spent most of the 90's in the new metal craze.
08:58With edgy funk and risque imagery, they also mingled many genres without scoring a proper
09:04Then the most heavy album, Floored, took a turn into reggae fusion with Fly.
09:12The unexpected summer sensation convinced Sugar Ray to clean up their act with frilly
09:17pop rock.
09:24They became one of the hottest party bands of the early 2000's, and even many critics
09:29warmed up to them.
09:30Still, it was such a radical stylistic change that metal fans had to admit that Sugar Ray
09:35were in that genre for the fat.
09:37At least the band has never really acted otherwise.
09:4412.
09:47Rage Against The Machine Selling out doesn't always mean sacrificing
09:51your sound or even your politics.
10:00Rage Against The Machine did more than set the standard for rap metal.
10:04They brought an intensely anti-capitalist, anti-establishment agenda to a wide audience.
10:10But many true believers believe they sold their soul to do it.
10:16R.A.T.M.'s star-making deal with Epic Records, a subsidiary of Sony, sparked underground
10:26controversy.
10:27In came the merch, the movie soundtracks, and more.
10:35Guitarist Tom Morello maintains that fortune was a small price to pay to promote the cause.
10:40He and his bandmates remained dedicated socialism activists and philanthropists.
10:45Alas, the consistently growing music industry presence and concert prices, with no new material
10:51over two reunions, point to the revolution being co-opted.
10:5511.
10:56Gwen Stefani It's not unusual for band members to go a
11:06more mainstream direction in their solo careers.
11:09But Gwen Stefani is a case unlike any other.
11:17The ska-punk outfit No Doubt made the singer an alternative idol throughout the 90s.
11:22Their unique style and underdog spirit superseded the pop elements.
11:26By the time No Doubt first disbanded, Stefani became one of the music industry's most
11:31quintessential pop stars.
11:38From dance to hip-hop to a Christmas album, she achieved immense commercial success on
11:43her own.
11:44Shifting that flamboyant persona to other media and fashion design has further made
11:48her iconic.
11:50It's hard to believe that this pop diva was once a punk, but Stefani herself admits
11:58that her lucrative solo brand was contrived.
12:0310.
12:07Aerosmith Throughout the 1970s, Aerosmith was one of
12:11the biggest bands in the world.
12:15However, in the 1980s, internal conflicts ruined the band and their popularity suffered
12:23as a result, making for some less than stellar years for the once great group.
12:35In order to regain their status as rock and roll kings, they collaborated with rap group
12:39Run-DMC in a rather risky but also genius career move.
12:48Their following Permanent Vacation went on to go multi-platinum restoring the band's
12:53cool factor until I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing once again earned the ire of fans in
12:581998.
13:029.
13:07One of the most influential artists of the 90s, alt-rock queen Liz Phair could seemingly
13:13do no wrong by the turn of the millennium.
13:23That was until she was offered some extra cash to do work with the masterminds behind
13:28pop stars Avril Lavigne and Hilary Duff.
13:39With the release of her 2003 self-titled pop rock album, the backlash towards the singer
13:44was endless, with one review from Pitchfork giving the album zero out of ten and accusing
13:49Phair of being reduced to cheap publicity stunts.
13:58The hate train didn't quite die down thereafter either, as her next two releases received
14:04mixed reviews.
14:05However, her 2021 album Soberish brought her back to her indie rock roots to positive reception.
14:168.
14:20Nicki Minaj Alright, alright, hear us out.
14:24Before Super Bass established Nicki as a pop star sensation, she was spitting fire as an
14:29underground rapper… and a pretty talented one at that.
14:39Originally signed to indie label Dirty Money Entertainment, Minaj quickly made a name for
14:43herself through several critically acclaimed mixtapes before becoming noticed by Lil Wayne.
14:55This was followed by her debut, Pink Friday, and being heavily featured on Kanye West's
15:00My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
15:07One brief stint as a judge on American Idol and a few highly successful, though some might
15:12say generic, mainstream pop songs later, and Nicki Minaj has longtime fans scratching
15:18their heads.
15:20And various personal controversies haven't helped matters either.
15:277.
15:31David Guetta Guetta is a DJ and remix artist from France
15:36Known for a unique electro house sound that no one else can fully replicate, however,
15:47his third studio album, Pop Life, featured vocals from popular British singer Tara McDonald.
15:58His collaborations didn't end there, as he was soon working with stars like Akon,
16:03Nicki Minaj, and Snoop Dogg.
16:06Means he hasn't quite been able to shake his ties to pop music.
16:11We're not saying going pop inherently means selling out, but EDM fans in general, and
16:20Guetta in particular, has said that as he's found his mainstream groove, his music has
16:25lost its soul.
16:26Guetta's said frequently that he's not trying to be credible, he's trying to be
16:30incredible.
16:31We'll just leave that there.
16:366.
16:40Taylor Swift While T-Swift was always a popular artist,
16:44you can clearly see when she started trying to court the widest audience possible.
16:55She started as a sweet and innocent country girl, singing cute tunes about boys and receiving
17:00acclaim and popularity for doing so.
17:02It wasn't until 2012's Red that listeners began noticing a distinct change in her sound.
17:14That is, until 2014's 1989 burst into full-blown pop territory.
17:25Soon enough, she went from being one of the most famous artists around, to being arguably
17:30the most famous person in the entire world.
17:33We doubt that would happen if she had stuck with country.
17:385.
17:40Maroon 5 Don't deny it, songs like Sunday Morning
17:44and This Love were your jam back in the early 2000s.
17:52They were fun, light songs, but with meaning and care put behind them.
17:57So we imagine you were excited to see what the band had in store for you next.
18:06You may have been disappointed by what Adam Levine and the boys dished up, with some accusing
18:11them of focusing too much on the hunky and bankable looks of their frontman and not enough
18:16on actual musical artistry.
18:25Gone were the blue-eyed soul-inspired tunes of the group's debut, and in their place
18:30were admittedly catchy yet undeniably poppy productions that just didn't live up to
18:35what fans had to expect from them.
18:404.
18:43Coldplay Coldplay was one of the most important legacies
18:47of Britpop in the 2000s.
18:55Their rich alternative anthems and haunting ballads led a new generation of British rock.
19:07But after they swept the Grammys with their art-pop oriented album Viva La Vida, the art
19:12part started to slip.
19:14Coldplay began to focus on more arena-filling hits and collaborations with the least alternative
19:19artists in the industry.
19:21That includes Kylie Minogue, Beyonce, Selena Gomez, and BTS.
19:29Chris Martin has even milked his image as an eccentric artist and frontman.
19:34Coldplay's initial demographic has practically become their biggest haters.
19:38They may have never abandoned their personnel or personal artistry, but their stylistic
19:43shift is one of the most polarizing in modern rock.
19:503.
19:53Metallica Metallica was easily one of the best and most
19:57popular heavy metal bands throughout the 80s, creating masterpieces like Master of Puppets
20:02and And Justice for All.
20:03All played with rapid precision and power.
20:12Then, 1991 happened.
20:14Critics and hardcore fans alike criticized the band's eponymous album for its more
20:19radio-friendly direction, with softened guitars and lyrics.
20:28The band's image changed as well, but to the chagrin of avid listeners, these alterations
20:34were met with decent record sales and not abject failure.
20:40Ultimately, the final nail in the coffin was the Napster fiasco, when almost everyone,
20:48and not just the haters, finally accused the group of being a little too money-hungry.
20:522.
20:58The Black Eyed Peas Believe it or not, there was a time when the
21:02Black Eyed Peas weren't singing about humps and feelings and shutting up.
21:11The group was created in 1992 and released some pretty decent alternative hip-hop albums,
21:17but they couldn't quite find an audience.
21:222003's Ella Funk was the first album recorded with new band member Fergie, and the group
21:29found wild success with Where Is The Love?
21:38It was after that success the band's sound shifted sharply to a more party-style vibe,
21:43a change that was likely a drastic and frustrating one for long-time fans of B.E.P.'s early
21:49underground work.
21:581.
22:15Kiss It's not all bad for a band to sell out,
22:18at least when that's already their brand.
22:25Kiss are undoubtedly talented rockers, with scores of infectious classics, but they're
22:37equally recognized for their adaptiveness to pop and consumer trends across 50 years.
22:43They punctually latched onto disco, glam metal, grunge, and other hot genres.
22:52Meanwhile, the live shows kept getting more over-the-top, and virtually every merchandising
23:00opportunity imaginable was exploited.
23:03Some fans feel that this has diluted Kiss' artistry over time, others believe the band
23:08never hid their commercial ambitions.
23:10Either way, one of the most profitable rock acts of all time knows how to sell out right.
23:15The most important part is dedication to producing a quality product.
23:27Which musicians do you feel changed for the better for their bank accounts?
23:31Give your feedback in the comments.