“They deserve to have their fridge full of beer”: Eddie Vedder on the one band that should sell out
Nothing strikes fear into the heart of any self-respecting rock musician like the accusation of ‘selling out’. Particularly since the emergence of punk, DIY, and alternative music, rock has had a staunch set of ethical principles that few dare to defy. Depending on your definition, selling out could include anything from signing a deal with a major record label to producing your own merchandise. Back in the days of grunge, Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam were accused of selling out by none other than Kurt Cobain.
The exact reasons for Cobain’s claim were never revealed in great detail, but it is certainly true that Pearl Jam adopted a sound much closer to mainstream, commercial rock, as opposed to the punk-led grunge sound embraced by groups like Nirvana and Mudhoney. Simultaneously, though, Nirvana was also accused of selling out after signing a deal with DGC Records in 1991, abandoning their independent, DIY origins.
Vedder never seemed particularly hurt by Cobain’s assessment of Pearl Jam. Indeed, it is difficult to dispute that the band were far more successful, in a commercial sense than most of the other bands that came from the grunge movement. Nevertheless, the apparent issue of ‘selling out’ remains an interesting debate within the world of alternative rock music and a debate that Vedder himself has weighed in on multiple times over the years.
When quizzed by the Irish Independent, the Pearl Jam songwriter pondered the issue, declaring, “You have this ethical barometer that changes depending on who you talk about.” That statement certainly rings true. For instance, nobody would ever accuse somebody like Taylor Swift or Cliff Richard of selling out because they are clearly artists designed to achieve mainstream commercial success and earn a lot of money in the process.
The issue becomes distinctly more murky when incorporating punk bands, given that punk was established with a DIY, anti-capitalist ethos. If a political punk group like Dead Kennedys or Bikini Kill suddenly started using their songs to sell consumer products, it would completely invalidate their inherent message. For Vedder, though, selling out is a little less black-and-white when it comes to the punk scene.
“The Buzzcocks sold a song for a car commercial,” he remembered.
“I was taken aback when I heard that,” Vedder added before reconsidering, “But, goddamn it, Steve Diggle and Pete Shelley, they deserve to have their fridge full of beer or whatever. So it changes, depending on the situation.” That advert, which used the band’s iconic track ‘What Do I Get’ – which, more recently, featured in an advertisement for McDonald’s – was certainly not the only time Buzzcocks were accused of selling out.
In fact, the Manchester group were one of the only bands from that first wave of punk to appear on Top of the Pops, something which seemed completely at odds with the counterculture ethos of the genre. On the other hand, that appearance introduced an entirely new audience to their hit single ‘Ever Fallen In Love’ and gave punk a more lasting, mainstream appeal.
The band’s licensing of material to companies like Volkswagen and McDonald’s is certainly harder to defend than an appearance on the BBC, but, as Vedder said, being a principled punk does not necessarily pay the bills, and Buzzcocks should certainly have a right to earn a few quid from their celebrated discography. Plus, the band were never quite as politically charged as some of their compatriots in Manchester, meaning their appeal to the masses was much less of a betrayal than, for instance, if The Clash sold their music to advertisers.
