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Sellout: The Major-Label Feeding Frenzy That Swept Punk, Emo, and Hardcore (1994–2007) Hardcover – October 26, 2021

by Dan Ozzi (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 836 ratings
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THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER, NOW FEATURING NEW INTERVIEWS WITH DASHBOAD CONFESSIONAL, CURSIVE, LESS THAN JAKE, AND MORE.

"Ozzi's reporting is strong, balanced and well told...a worthy successor to its obvious inspiration, Michael Azerrad's 2001 examination of the '80s indie underground, 'Our Band Could Be Your Life.'"--New York Times Book Review

A raucous history of punk, emo, and hardcore’s growing pains during the commercial boom of the early 90s and mid-aughts, following eleven bands as they “sell out” and find mainstream fame, or break beneath the weight of it all

Punk rock found itself at a crossroads in the mid-90’s. After indie favorite Nirvana catapulted into the mainstream with its unexpected phenomenon, Nevermind, rebellion was suddenly en vogue. Looking to replicate the band’s success, major record labels set their sights on the underground, and began courting punk’s rising stars. But the DIY punk scene, which had long prided itself on its trademark authenticity and anti-establishment ethos, wasn’t quite ready to let their homegrown acts go without a fight. The result was a schism: those who accepted the cash flow of the majors, and those who defiantly clung to their indie cred.

In Sellout, seasoned music writer Dan Ozzi chronicles this embattled era in punk. Focusing on eleven prominent bands who made the jump from indie to major, Sellout charts the twists and turns of the last “gold rush” of the music industry, where some groups “sold out” and rose to surprise super stardom, while others buckled under mounting pressures. Sellout is both a gripping history of the music industry’s evolution, and a punk rock lover’s guide to the chaotic darlings of the post-grunge era, featuring original interviews and personal stories from members of modern punk’s most (in)famous bands:

  • Green Day
  • Jawbreaker
  • Jimmy Eat World
  • Blink-182
  • At the Drive-In
  • The Donnas
  • Thursday
  • The Distillers
  • My Chemical Romance
  • Rise Against
  • Against Me!
Previous page
  1. Print length
    416 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Dey Street Books
  4. Publication date
    October 26, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.28 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0358244307
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0358244301
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

sellout by Dan Ozzi

sellout by Dan Ozzi

sellout by Dan Ozzi

sellout by Dan Ozzi

praise for Dan Ozzi's new book

sellout by Dan Ozzi

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Engrossing…a rigorously researched look at how labels targeted bands and fought to sign them.” — Jim Ruland, Los Angeles Times

“[Ozzi] looked at the major label debuts of different bands in this genre, tracing a music industry in flux, fans betrayed by their idols, and bands trying to navigate the machine.” — NPR’s All Things Considered 

“A forensic and uniquely sympathetic dive into one of the most uncouth actions for an artist—selling out, baby.” — Jeff Rosenstock

“Fascinating… When it comes to the topic of punk, or more specifically, the iteration of the genre that existed during the last era of the traditional music industry, Dan Ozzi’s Sellout is poised to serve as a definitive text.” — San Francisco Chronicle

“Based on a trove of original interviews and personal stories from band members and other crucial players, Ozzi examines how 11 groups grappled with the tension between punk’s core tenets and major label possibilities, and parses what success and failure looked like in this fraught realm.” — Rolling Stone

About the Author

Dan Ozzi is a New York-raised, Los Angeles-based writer. Along with Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace, he co-authored 2016’s TRANNY, which was listed in Billboard’s “100 Greatest Music Books of All Time.” He has contributed to The Guardian, SPIN, Billboard, The Fader, and others. For more than five years, he was a staff writer at VICE's music website, Noisey.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dey Street Books (October 26, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0358244307
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0358244301
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.28 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 836 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

Menoc
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book. Would read again
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
Anthony Jeselnik recommended it on his podcast. Each chapter follows a different band describing how they were recruited by the record company, their signing and how much success they had , if any. I remember a lot of these bands and have been enjoying listening to them again after reading this.
One person found this helpful
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rossofinertia
5.0 out of 5 stars insightful, thoughtful look at punk at a crossroads
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2022
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I expected to moderately enjoy this book. But it was great. It seems like a different lifetime ago but the accusation of selling out in the punk rock scene— especially in the 1990’s post-grunge, mid-pop punk transformation— was real. Yes, it seems like an anachronism now to decry a band for wishing to accept the resources of a corporate machine in order to earn a living and having a career. But, when there was a true middle-class of musicians in America, when finding a new band was like discovering gold in a river, and when one had to spend $14 a Cd or tape that was on constant rotation— the music felt like it was yours. And it was—
I saw Against Me and Thursday VFW Halls, and I remember sitting with Joe from Rise Against right after they formed and hearing the excitement in his voice. I also remember sitting with Jeff from ThursdG midway through their Victory debacle. This book does a fabulous job of explaining why a group of 20-something drop outs would risk alienation— yes, literally— from the crowds that nurtured them to make the leap. And this book does a spectacular job of describing why that was not at all a trivial event for the band or the fans.

Highly reccomended.
6 people found this helpful
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Justin
5.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoyed
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2023
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Really enjoyed the book and different perspectives from the bands and navigating the landscape. Worth reading for sure
2 people found this helpful
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Michael Walsh
4.0 out of 5 stars Should've included Cave In instead of Against Me
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2022
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It's OK. It gets a little repetitive. It also claims that Keith Morris sang "Revenge" and that Bill Stevenson played in Black Flag during the 70s. I don't think either of those things are true.
One person found this helpful
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Redwood
5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating! a must read for anyone who loves music
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2022
Verified Purchase
the age old question of punk rock. what makes a sellout?

this book gives an in-depth look into the theory, through interviews with bands & those who saw their rise to the top, the trappings of success & the anger directed their way by the scene that birthed them.

as a punk myself, if i'm honest, the elitism the scene has is stupid & harmful. it's hypocritical at best. to assume when a band signs to a major label, their willingly signing away their artistic merits for money. hey, it's cool to be a rebel when you're young and on your own, but when you grow up, you got bills to pay & mouths to feed. if playing music is what you love & what you want to make your career, certain concessions must be made. never ditch your artistic vision, but simply signing to a major does NOT make one a sellout.

to the bands that made it, keep flying the flag for those of us who didn't. most of us still love you!
9 people found this helpful
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Zack K.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2023
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If you like any of the bands that are in this book you will enjoy it. Even the chapters where I thought I knew the whole story of the band it was still interesting. For the bands I did not know much about those chapters were great to read as well.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars This book will make you want to sell out!
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2021
Verified Purchase
Such a fun read. I missed the boat on a couple of these bands back in the day, but still found their chapters extremely interesting. Dan is an excellent writer and paints a very robust picture of each band’s path to the big leagues.

The cover is also black and moody looking so people will know you are scary when you take it on public transportation.
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spyridon milas
5.0 out of 5 stars I can hardly read and I couldn't put this book down.
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
Seriously I'm a horrible reader. Reading is generally not fun for me but I couldn't put this book down. I didn't even care about most of the bands but every story and every passage captured my attention. I read faster than I ever thought I could. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes music in general. This book captures a moment in time and causes us to think about how we interact with our favorite bands.

Read it and recommend it to a friend.
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Daniel Danehy
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book
Reviewed in Canada on February 13, 2024
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Great read! I was really into the scene in high school and college (1999-2006) and loved every chapter. Looking forward to reading more by Dan Ozzi. Highly recommend
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RSC
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 1, 2023
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Excellent book, well thought out and in depth. A great addition to my pink rock book club library
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Hritvika Lakhera
4.0 out of 5 stars Would recommend to all punks and emos
Reviewed in India on December 19, 2021
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Provides such great insights into the tensions between punk purists and artists from a time when punk was finally gaining mainstream ground.
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Hritvika Lakhera
4.0 out of 5 stars Would recommend to all punks and emos
Reviewed in India on December 19, 2021
Provides such great insights into the tensions between punk purists and artists from a time when punk was finally gaining mainstream ground.
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Mathieu
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect
Reviewed in Canada on August 11, 2023
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Really good
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J watson
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening look at the top (and the bottom) of the punk rock pig pile!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 1, 2022
Verified Purchase
I’ve been following Dan’s writing for the past 6/7 years and always felt like we would’ve been at the same gigs if we live in the same country!

This was such a great read covering the rise, fall and sometimes meteoric rise of some of the bands I loved in the 90’s/00’s.
It gave some real human perspective on the difficulties some of these bands went through while we were all berating them for selling their souls… guess what? It came at a big cost to some.

Really hoping for a second part. Would love a chapter on Cave In!!!
3 people found this helpful
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