It's not really that Dylan did anything exceptional to sell out (a helluva lot of musicians have eventually caved to the dollar signs being thrown at them by advertising agencies), it's just that he had the furthest to fall. Because Dylan was anti-establishment before that was even a phrase that existed. He was given the title "voice of a generation," even though Dylan spent a whole lot of effort trying to distance himself from that sort of salvation speak. In fact, he once famously said "I never wanted to be a prophet or savior. Elvis maybe. I could easily see myself becoming him. But when he appeared in a Chrysler ad during the 2014 Super Bowl, it was inevitable that lifelong Dylan fans would start convulsing with rage at the sight of music's most sacred man being used to sell cars. And then, in the same night, his music was used in a commercial for yogurt. Suddenly, Dylan went from being a savior to being the anti-Christ. And, keep in mind, this is after he'd already licensed several of his songs to be used for commercial endeavours years earlier (with songs like "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin" used in the background of ads). But it seems that most people forgot Dylan had already "sold out" a decade earlier. Just as people ten years from now will probably forget he "sold out" for the Super Bowl. Which other sell outs belong on this list? Share your own picks below in the comments thread.
