A band changes its music style, what's the fuss?

[DustyDrB]

Even if I don't like the change in style, I can respect an artist's desire to expand. Sufjan Stevens is a perfect example. His new album, The Age of Adz is a complete departure from Illinois. I'm not crazy about the new album, but I keep giving it tries hoping it will grow on me. And if it never does, I'll still respect the guy.
Here's a track from Illinois that you've probably heard.

and from The Age of Adz (only part ONE of the song)

 

[DJDarque]

I'm a Metallica fan and they get accused of selling out all the time.

You want to see a sell out band? Look at KISS. They sell KISS toothbrushes for gods sake. THAT'S a sell out! Cutting their hair and changing style ain't selling out, especially since their biggest selling album was the black album, changing their style after that album was not needed to get more money, so they obviously didn't do it just for money.

KISS was a sellout band from the start. They were the original corporate rock band.

There is a diffrence beetween selling out and changing musical styles.

King Crimson,Ulver change styles Metallica and In Flames sell out.

Thats my opinion, i dont particularly hate In Flames or Metallica for it, but for me what they do feels commercial.

How have In Flames sold out? Yes, they changed to a broader audience, but they are people who have to make money as well. They still make good music. I also believe part of the change was that they were feeling the disconnection to Jesper's soon-to-be departure. And wouldn't doing something just because the fans want it count as selling out as well?

I agree that they didn't sell out, but even though The first song of theirs I heard was from Come Clarity their older stuff is much better.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

I suppose it's just feeling disappointed... it's the same with everything.

A good example is the recent DmC reboot that a lot of people are up in arms about.

If people take something you like, and you are really excited for the next installment and more of what you love, then they change it all around into something you don't like as much... well that's going to damn piss you off.

Bands changing is acceptable in my eyes, it just always disappoints someone.

 

[Alloflifedecays]

If it's a logical step for a band's musical direction, then change is fine, but the fact is you don't listen to a band for their smiles. You listen to them for their music, because something about their sound resonates with you. If they change their sound, and what you loved is lost, it's understandable that you'd stop liking that band's newer material to me.

 

[TeeBs]

Even if I don't like the change in style, I can respect an artist's desire to expand. Sufjan Stevens is a perfect example. His new album, The Age of Adz is a complete departure from Illinois. I'm not crazy about the new album, but I keep giving it tries hoping it will grow on me. And if it never does, I'll still respect the guy.
Here's a track from Illinois that you've probably heard.

and from The Age of Adz (only part ONE of the song)

At least its better then BQE and All Delighted People, but your right.

 

[Just_A_Glitch]

You can't hate a band for making a change. Its human nature. However, you can hate the change.

Usually, if a band/artists changes their sound, I grow to enjoy it. Notable exceptions include Evanescence (The Open Door is the most dissaoppointed I've ever been with an album. Absolutely horrible), My Chemical Romance, and Tom Waits.

My favorite band is HIM, and they change pretty drastically with every album, and I absolutely love it.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

I'm a Metallica fan and they get accused of selling out all the time.

You want to see a sell out band? Look at KISS. They sell KISS toothbrushes for gods sake. THAT'S a sell out! Cutting their hair and changing style ain't selling out, especially since their biggest selling album was the black album, changing their style after that album was not needed to get more money, so they obviously didn't do it just for money.

KISS was a sellout band from the start. They were the original corporate rock band.

There is a diffrence beetween selling out and changing musical styles.

King Crimson,Ulver change styles Metallica and In Flames sell out.

Thats my opinion, i dont particularly hate In Flames or Metallica for it, but for me what they do feels commercial.

How have In Flames sold out? Yes, they changed to a broader audience, but they are people who have to make money as well. They still make good music. I also believe part of the change was that they were feeling the disconnection to Jesper's soon-to-be departure. And wouldn't doing something just because the fans want it count as selling out as well?

I agree that they didn't sell out, but even though The first song of theirs I heard was from Come Clarity their older stuff is much better.

I too started at Come Clarity, and I too agree that the older are the better. My favorite albums are Whoracle, Colony, and Reroute To Remain. But A Sense of Purpose is still an album I enjoy immensely.

 

[Jesus Phish]

There is a diffrence beetween selling out and changing musical styles.

King Crimson,Ulver change styles Metallica and In Flames sell out.

Thats my opinion, i dont particularly hate In Flames or Metallica for it, but for me what they do feels commercial.

For all the quoting of these bands selling out, I still dont hear them on national radio or see them on non-metal based video music channels.

You realise Metallica is heavily featured on MTV, and other music channels, is one of the best selling metal bands ever, has a whole motherfucking guitar hero dedicated to them, ive heard Nothing Else Matters played a few times on the radio.

This is all mostly the Black Album.

I do realise they are one of the best selling metal bands ever. I never see them on MTV or hear them on commerical radio stations that ARE NOT dedicated to metal or rock. (MTV 2/MTV metal/MTV alt/rock/whatever doesnt really count).

They were selling out stadiums before the black album. They're just succesful.

 

[Bruin]

People listen to a specific band for a specific sound.

Change what they know about you and you risk losing them entirely.

Some artists who have done it successfully though? The ones whose fan bases listen to them because they like them as musicians. The music comes second. These are the devoted, "I've-been-to-every-concert-and-listened-to-everything-you've-done" fans, however. But they're a good lot.

Anyway, examples:

Les Claypool.
Tom Waits.
Buckethead.

To name a few. There's dozens more.

 

[EatPieYes]

There's a difference between evolving musically and simply changing style to appeal to a different, maybe even wider audience.

 

[zombiesinc]

Most people I know are like that actually, and it's frustrating.

I think you've got two types of people who complain about a band's overall style changing; those who dislike it because the band isn't sticking to their 'roots' or have 'sold out' and those who dislike it because it isn't to their preference. It's the former that I can hardly tolerate. I will not dispute with someone if they claim to dislike something because it simply isn't what they enjoy, but when people start complaining simply because a band or artist has 'changed' or 'sold out' I'll argue. As the OP mentioned, the artist's music is their career, and it's not fair to expect them to regurgitate their first album because we love it. Their career is a huge part of their lives. We all change over time, so why can't they?

I don't even want to get started on the whole 'if they're mainstream they suck and have zero talent' bandwagon.

 

[ethaninja]

Don't hate the player, hate the game.
In this case, don't hate the band, hate the target audience for making them appeal to said audience.

Usually sellouts change their style from good to bad in order to suit the mainstream fandom for greed purposes.

 

[Throwitawaynow]

Well they lost me after Justice For All, because they lost their own original sound.

You're wrong sir!

 

[Therumancer]

I was perusing my facebook homepage, and I came across a discussion. Two friends were bashing Linkin Park as they thought they were being abhorrently stupid because of their definite change in music style over the years.
It made me think of how many other bands have slowly metamorphasised into something different over the course of their careers, and the usually negative reaction from the root of their fandom.
What's your opinion - and I'm not after a discussion specifically on Linkin Park! Mine is that bands are composed of human beings, and their tastes and lives are obviously in flux - why shouldn't they change? We may not always like it, but there's no need to egg something over it. But there's gotta be a counter to that - personal taste or maybe even a personal connection to the band's music that can cause a change to offend you. Your thoughts?

I don't mind bands that experiment, but the bottom line is that if your a fan of a band you got that way because of the music they were producing. The music changes to something you don't like and of course your going to be miffed since you want the kind of stuff that made you a fan to begin with.

A point to consider is that bands are a business, all talk of selling out aside, to stay in business and popular they have to produce what their customers/fans want. It's sort of like if say Alice Cooper decided he really wanted to do Polka. It might be cool for a single or whatever, but I don't think many people who are (or in this case were) fans would appreciate it if he stayed there and that was all he decided he wanted to do anymore.

Face it, love them or hate them, Linkin Park is pretty much an emo band. They change style and that means all the emos who worshipped them are no longer going to be as interested.

In cases like this one cannot blame the fans, as the consumers they are arguably always right since they are the ones who are going to be paying the money for the concert tickets, CDs, and band memorabilia.

 

[sms_117b]

Powerman 5000 seem to change their style album to album, I still like them regardless, they're still my favourite band around....if they're still around, not herd anything new for some time now, I really can't be arsed keeping up with the music scene.