We discussed sellouts in the last blog inspired by Mr. Steven Tyler, and let me assure you this is the last inspiration I will get from that traitor. Below I have listed the top ten rock n roll sellouts in descending order. Just keep in mind that rock n roll used to be anti-establishment, revolutionary and just downright outrageous. So many are listed because they sold their soul to corporate society and no longer live the life of a rocker.

10. Ozzy Osbourne comes in only at number ten because the reality show The Osbournes or rather his involvement with it was more to do with decisions made by his wife Sharon than himself. I don’t think Ozzy has a clue what is going on anyway. When asked his age by Jay Leno on the Tonight Show Ozzy’s answer was “Sharon?”

9. Joe Walsh, who by the way is one of my favorite musicians, appears at number 9 for joining the Eagles. Yes Joe left his anti-establishment, tear out hotel rooms, lifestyle for the more sedate middle of the road country-rock gods the Eagles. Somebody said to me once “I think Joe Walsh wrecked the Eagles.” My response, “ I think the Eagles wrecked Joe Walsh!” Whatever you think, Joe, has left his insanity behind him and adopted the business of the music industry. Sell out.

8. Aerosmith appears at number eight for allowing the Beastie Boys to do a rap cover of Walk This Way. To allow a perfect rock song to be denigrated in such a way should be illegal. And to boot Steven Tyler even sang the chorus on the recording cause no one in the Beastie Boys could sing it. How pathetic.

7. Green Day comes in at number seven for their totally commercial album, American Idiot. Yes I like the band too but you can’t tell me that American Idiot was nothing but a total sellout.

6. Sex Pistols are listed at number six for reforming. Yes just for reforming in the nineties and doing a world tour, obviously without Sid Vicious, although some reported that he made a brief appearance in Johnny Rotten’s ashtray. This was a total sellout and they admit they did it just for the bucks, which goes against everything the band stood for originally. My God they even played well.

5. Gene Simmons appears at number five for his copycat reality TV show Family Jewels. Which was an obvious copy of the The Osbournes and a more obvious sell out. Stick your tongue in that Gene.

4. Mick Jagger comes in at number four for accepting his knighthood. It is atrocious for an anti-establishment leader of the sixties to succumb to political pressure and be knighted. I have no sympathy for him now. And of course this caused a major rift between Mick and Keith Richards, who still remains true to himself, refuses to call Mick sir and stated he would never accept a knighthood himself. Good on ya Keef.

3. Steve Tyler appears at number three for his role in American Idol. You can read all about that on last week’s blog. You might be wondering after my rant last week why he only comes in at number three and not number one. Just wait till you read the next two. Tyler Traitor.

2. John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) And back to the Sex Pistols at number two or at least the front man Johnny Rotten for doing a reality TV show – “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here” This is a bigger sellout than the reformation of the Sex Pistols. To look back at Lydon’s life to listen to his music, read his quotes, watch live footage of his performances and interviews then to see him do a reality TV show. This is possibly the greatest sellout of all time. The guy has no credibility whatsoever.

1. Peter Garrett (Midnight Oil) Ok this is it the ultimate number one sellout of all time. You can’t even argue with this one. I just hope everyone knows who Midnight Oil is if you don’t Google them. Peter Garrett was the front man of this Aussie band. He is such a sellout he gave up the music business to become a politician. Yes that’s right a pollie. He is now the Australian minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth. Talk about the Power and Passion (Midnight Oil song). He might have gained some power but he has certainly lost his passion. Ultimate Sellout.

– Axel

Ok folks, it is time to dig out all your Aerosmith cds, lps, sps, DVDs and any other ees and burn them. That’s right get rid of them! Steven Tyler has sold out. The king of cool needs to go back to school. The god of rock needs a huge sock, in his mouth. He is no longer a rock ‘n roller but just a mere judge on a talent show that is destroying the industry that has provided him the extravagant lifestyle that he as afforded for decades.

I could not believe my eyes and ears when I saw an advertisement for the coming seasons American Idol sprouting off about the new judges. I can accept Judge Jenny who was really just a made artist anyway, but Steven Tyler. My god! I used to worship Aerosmith when I was growing up. I am shattered, disturbed, destroyed. Is nothing sacred?

We must ask the question does anyone create art for art’s sake anymore? Or is it only about the almighty dollar? I know a person has to live but how much is enough. These days most rock ‘n roll stars are little more than prostitutes selling themselves to the highest bidder and losing their dignity in the process. Allowing record executives to dictate terms re-arrange and even rewrite their songs, all for a little money.

A good friend of mine, JJ Harris, used to drum with Australian band The Divinyls in the 80s. When the band went off to New York to record their Temperamental album, producer Mike Chapman (of Suzie Quattro fame) sacked Jeff (JJ Harris) because he had no recording experience. Upon his return to Australia Jeff said to me, “What really gets me is that Mike Chapman is not even in the band and no one in the band said anything.” So not only do these record execs and producers rewrite the band’s songs they even take the liberty of hiring and firing the band’s members and what is even worse than that is that these great rock ‘n rollers let them do it.

I have so much admiration for musicians like Buddy Holly, who punched out his record producer because he wanted to change one of Holly’s songs. And Stevie Ray Vaughan who used to play at music festivals, like Bumbershoot in Seattle on small stages in the street, for next to nothing. And Jim Morrison for being unwilling to change one word of Light My Fire when he performed live on the Ed Sullivan Show, knowing his actions would cost the band any potential of a repeat performance.

But gone are those days, now it’s all about the dollar. Greed is ubiquitous in modern society. We have seen it all but destroy the world’s financial systems as it continues to tear apart the music industry.

So Mr. Tyler thanks for shattering my illusions and destroying my faith in rock gods from the seventies. You should be ashamed of yourself. I hope fellow Aerosmith members are ashamed of you too.

- Axel

The history of rock music is a rich and complex thing. Even the origins of the rock genre are not entirely clear-cut, and the number of sub-genres (and sub-genres of sub-genres) that have developed since the 1950s “Rock and Roll” era deserve a whole series of encyclopedias.

One uncontested fact is that rock and roll evolved in the late 1940s in America, and that it has roots in blues, gospel music, country music, and African American culture. The genre seems to have developed as a result of white and black communities living in closer proximity to each other, which meant they were hearing each others music. This sparked the fermentation period of rock and roll, as it drew influences from older American genres of music to form a new, original, and immediate musical expression for the America of the 1950s.

Some of the first rock and roll records include Bill Haley’s “Rock Around The Clock” in 1954, and Elvis’ “That’s All Right (Mama)” the same year. And while the piano was the central and most important instrument in early rock songs, with the invention of the electric guitar and amplifier, the guitar soon became the most essential instrument for rock bands. Guitarists such as Chuck Berry, Link Wray, and Scotty Moore were especially important early rock and roll guitarists who developed the rock guitar style.

The rock and roll genre hit Britain hard in the late 50s and early 60s, which resulted in the formation of important British bands such as The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, who both broke into the American mainstream soon afterwards.

The arrival of Beatlemania in turn influenced what is often called the “Golden Age of Rock Music”, as important pop, folk, psychedelic, and glam rock bands emerged during the mid-60s to mid-70s.  Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, and David Bowie all changed the face of rock music forever. During this period, rock music was becoming more and more varied, and rock genres continued to develop into more complex and intense forms of music. Most importantly, there was a continued focus on playing the electric guitar in innovative and exciting ways.

During the 1970s, bands like Aerosmith, AC/DC, and Led Zeppelin continued to create increasingly aggressive and guitar-focused music with the development of hard rock and heavy metal. These types of rock bands started to sell out the largest venues, which lead to the coining of the term “Arena Rock”.

Punk rock hit in the mid- to late-70s with bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash, while the 80s brought us more heavy metal bands (such as Iron Maiden and Motorhead), glam metal acts (Motley Crue, Queen), and alternative rock (REM, The Smiths, The Cure).

Grunge was perhaps the most significant development of 90s rock, with bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden topping the charts. Later in the decade genre-mixing bands such as Green Day and The Offspring (pop-punk), Silverchair and Bush (post-grunge), and Rage Against the Machine and Korn (nu-metal/rap-rock) developed the rock genre in their own unique ways.

The 2000s have seen the revival of rock genres such as garage rock (The White Stripes, The Vines), post-punk (The Killers, Franz Ferdinand), and the development of metal genres with bands such as Trivium and Wolfmother.

The future of rock music will likely see many more genre revivals and genre-mixing, but we can only hope that rock bands of the future can equal the creative genius of earlier rock acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and other original groups which changed the course of rock music forever.

- Axel