Hardcore and the Music Industry

So why is it, compared to much of the rest of the music of the past 30 or so years, that hardcore has had so little involvement with major record labels? And the few that actually do, for example Bad Religion or more recently Nails, are slated among the community for ‘selling out?’

Partly, I believe it’s because of the incredible do-it-yourself work ethic of hardcore kids around the world. The two somewhat prolific hardcore labels, SST and Dischord, were both started up from the basement of a few people in their late teens who needed a medium to be able to distribute their music and have their message spread and do the same for their peers- at the time, bands like Minor Threat and Black Flag were at the cutting edge of fast, angry, aggressive music- derided by the general public who did not understand it- they were operating outside of social norms and they liked it.

This, I believe, is why the aforementioned bands, or any other band emerging from hardcore culture into a major record deal are seen as ‘selling out’ and eschewing the culture that got them to that point- joining a major label is their way of assimilating into the same mainstream culture which had previously derided and ignored the music that they make. Labels like Sony and EMI have a tendency to sanitise band’s sounds, making them suitable for the masses- again, going against one of the central philosophies of hardcore- doing what one wants, when one wants to.

Summed up neatly, corporate record labels could arguably be considered the antithesis of hardcore, do-it-yourself ethics. But are those who sign to these labels so wrong to choose financial security and the ability to make music for a stable living, over some loosely defined moral code? I personally believe it’s for the individual to decide.