12 Hard Rock Bands Who Succeeded By Never Selling Out

Pearl Jam have always been the best and worst nightmare for the record industry. The group had truly conquered the music mainstream with their debut Ten, which helped bring alternative music to the mainstream. However, frontman Eddie Vedder's disdain for corporate ingenuity led to the band challenging their superiors with each release.

After their first record, the band deliberately decided not to film any music videos for their newer material, and Vedder himself even limited the amount of press the band would do while on tour. Even as the band got bigger and bigger, their new artsy directions on albums like Vitalogy and No Code seemed like deliberate attempts to separate themselves from the mainstream audience they were born into.

Over time though, the band have built up a healthy relationship with the mainstream. Though never taking the easy way out, the band have always followed their muse instead of letting the changing times dictate the type of music they make. In many ways, they resemble their idol Neil Young, whose career trajectory has fallen in and out of style over the years. The band may fluctuate between highs and lows in the record industry, but all along the way, you can bet your ass that they're doing whatever they want to do.