10 Biggest 'Sellout' Albums In Rock
5. Americana - The Offspring (1998)
The Offspring are another band who deserve to have their achievements acknowledged. The group's third studio album, Smash, is the best selling album ever to be realised on an independent label. Released by Epitaph Records, it was filled with plenty of thrashing guitars, punchy drums, and lyrics that touched on political and social issues; as well as themes of mental health.
Rather than continuing to push the indie label hype, the group jumped ship and capitalised on their success by signing with Columbia Records. The Offspring had been seen as the pioneers of alternative punk rock, but this move was a slap in the face to the punk scene. After a lukewarm reception to their follow up record, Ixnay on The Hombre - which saw the band move further away from their roots - they released Americana.
It had all the appeal of a bunch of guys in the mid 30s attempting to relive their salad days. It was filled with teen-bop, pop-rock tracks, which bore little resemblance to the group's punk origins. Pretty Fly (for a White Guy), The Kids Aren't Alright, and Why Don't You Get A Job, all sounded juvenile. Sure, these numbers kindle a degree of nostalgia, but compared to the groups earlier work, they were nothing short of commercial money grabs.