Oh, there were people calling Soundgarden and Nirvana sell outs (even Nirvana were calling themselves sell outs as a joke) here in Seattle, but it was those "underground" types who didn't want to see them get popular and keep them on a local level. I was rather proud when they were getting ahead and popular. They didn't pander to industry standards and also they got vinyl written into their contracts and proved you could still sell that format.
John Battles said:
....When The Ramones broke up , they were only playing mega - stadiums in Argentina. They were still playing many of the same venues in the states , and , perhaps in Britain and West Europe , that they'd played 15 years earlier , or to crowd of about the same size. They were'nt hurting , but they were not a multi - million dollar franchise , like they are today , when , barring their three drummers (Clem Burke did two gigs. He's an honorary Ramone.) , second bass player, and , if you wish , Richie Ramone I from the VERY first , undocumented , lineup (WHO MOVED TO SF and co - founded The Nuns.) , THEY'RE ALL DEAD.
They went out on a high note , you could say , playing the Lollapalooza tour , but, they were third - billed to Metallica and Soundgarden. I realize The Ramones were not selling millions of records like the other two (Maybe Soundgarden had'nt hit the million mark....YET.), BUT , I SAW NO REASON THE THREE COULD'NT RECIEVE EQUAL BILLING.
No one calls Metallica sell -outs , OK , SOME PEOPLE DO . NO ONE CALLED SOUNDGARDEN OR NIRVANA SELL - OUTS WHEN THEY WERE STILL AROUND (Soundgarden , of course , reformed recently , and , to their credit , they just played a place , here , that maybe holds 3 - 5000 people.). But , if a legendary Punk , or proto punk , band , strikes while the iron's still relatively hot - Be it The Stooges , The Dolls , The MC3 , The Pistols .....someone's going to call 'em sellouts. Rock'n'Roll does'nt have a sweetass retirement package , especially if it never made you rich in the first place.