“Angry fans have accused U2 of ‘selling out’ after the veteran band signed a deal with global corporation Apple. The group teamed up with Apple Computer to pre-load their new album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb onto new iPod mp3 players bought the week after the disc’s Nov. 23 release,” World Entertainment News Network reports.
“Also pre-loaded will be a significant portion of U2’s back catalog and, unlike the standard iPods, the special edition U2 version will be black instead of trademark white,” World Entertainment News Network reports. “Carrie Alison, editor of the largest U2 fan Web site, confirms some fans are furious at the band’s decision. ‘Some pockets of U2 fans will rankle at the band aligning themselves with a major corporation such as Apple, but yet also aligning themselves with AIDS charity work,’ Alison said.”
Full article here.
This isn’t U2 selling out, this is U2 at their very best. As someone noted, Bono and his toupe have always had a fascination with consumer culture. But more than that…
U2 stands for a recording artist that cares. They care deeply about issues such as AIDS, world poverty, third world debt, and other issues that face our world. But more than that, they are true believers in technology and the advantages it holds.
Bono has long worked with Apple to promote their products as alternatives. He has appeared at Apple events via iChat AV to push their new products, but especially the iTMS. Bono rightfully views this as the future of music: A way for music fans to get their downloads cheaply and legally, a way for recording companies to still get their money and yet not rip off the customer or get ripped of by illegal downloading. U2 is right on the ball here.
U2 will still be and always will be my favorite band of all time. Thanks Bono!
Perhaps the fans might have preferred the band to join up with MSFT
I always find it funny when “fans” get upset at what their idol has done. So what- live and let live.
(AND SCREW APPLE FOR NOT HAVING THE 3GHZ G5 BY NOW! GRRRRRRRR)
LOL
-paul
No, selling out would be working with Microcrap.
It’s called cross-marketing.
*Hello!!!*
well… there is something to be said about apple. as much as i love their products… they are the epitomy of consumerism… the ikea lifestyle, if you were to coin it…
i mean… to buy from apple, is to sell out…
Malice–guess you’re neither a rolling stones fan, a madonna fan, nor a queen latifah fan..
Eh.. Jay Leno into’d Win95.. grrrrr
klouiuj: care to back that up with.. anything concrete?
U2 fans accuse them of “selling out”! Didn’t they ever hear of 1993’s Zooropa? Didn’t Bono even say the akin to, “we’re cashing in”?
I love U2, but they specifically made the point to be more commercial, years ago. The big issue was they also decided to not let commercial viability get in the way of musical integrity, which I think they’ve been marginally successful at. They’re still a band with a conscious and good music. Not all their stuff is good, but some of it is brilliant.
They’re doing things to enhance their success (which they should) while still standing up for the causing and issues they believe in. It’s ironic that years and years after the challenges to the fan-based indie creed of belong to us and don’t change, that U2�a harbinger of change, and who left its indie status years ago�would today get called a “sell-out”.
Isn’t that the equivalent of calling Mary Cheney’s a lesbian.
Part of the reason I buy Apple products is their ethical stance. They always rate highly in what might be called social areas, environmental policy, minority employment rights etc. This feeds back to their overall quality, like because Macs last longer they don’t fill landfill sites at the rates PCs do.
U2 should be applauded for promoting good, we need more companies with better ethics. Apple is far from the archetypal corporate villan indeed I firmly believe their ethics would be even better if they didn’t have to compete with some really bad companies.
U2 are just another aging rock band, the youthful experience and excitement of creating new replaced by the requirement to produce another album. Few successful rock bands avoid the corporate grip, even the so called revolutionaries like The Stones and The Beatles. The music business is one of the worst for greed, from the bottom up, no surprise that even the few that start ethically mostly end up playing the corporate money game. If that’s what selling out is U2 have been doing it for years.
I applaud U2 (esp Bono) for taking on issues, political issues, that directly and indirectly affect most of us. Hopefully they see supporting Apple as part of their ethical approach and not just a corporate transaction. I disagree with the religious content of U2’s work but nevertheless within their peer group they are more concerned about the well being of others than most.
Business always advises that personal opinions should not be expressed, it can adversely affect sales. The American business model in particular urges complete disassociation between personal ethics and business ehtics. One of the more extreme examples of this disconnect is Las Vegas which was almost completely owned and controlled by the Mormons. You know, people who abhored drinking, gambling and sex outside of marriage with a religious zest when it came to their friends and co-followers but who found it perfectly acceptable to profit from encouraging people not of the faith to do exactly those things. Try and imagine how well this goes down in cultures where spirituality is truly respected.
Ethics plays a great part in my purchasing decisions, I don’t buy anything from Exxon, Wal-Mart, Nestle, Seagram, Microsoft, Dell and others. Wherever possible I avoid purchasing goods made in countries with the poorest environmental records (and who can definitely afford to do something about it) like USA, China, Russia, Australia, Japan.
U2 fans are stupid? Who woulda thunk it?
Why don’t these fans get a life of their own?
The only thing missing in the U2 iPod commercial is Bono chuggin a Pepsi…
The fans who are complaining probably all own dell DJs.
does this deal hurt a u2 fan’s listening enjoyment? no. life is to short to worry about this stuff, if you like u2 just be happy that they are still writing music and giving you an opportunity to have a nice collectible.
oh my god, u2 is playing at a venue where they are only selling budweiser, corporations oh my, vote for nader!
please
U2 “sold out” a long time ago, if people are really counting. Some folks aren’t happy unless they’ve got something to bitch about.
YAWN
As far as U2 goes….they have made some good music, but they no longer care about their fans and people that pay a bunch of money to see them live. I wasted $85 per ticket to see them 2 years ago for crappy seats and a 1:40 minute set. They are decent musicians, pretty good songwriters, but are more of a perception than anything. Just because they have been around for 26 or however many years is meaningless. So have Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones (and they suck now too).
I applaud U2 for at least selecting the right player to endorse.
But I am getting sick of this idea that Bono and his mates are these noble do-gooders saving the world from poverty and AIDS. That is all publicity. Play some music already!
What would be far better and credible would be a Rush iPod. Now THOSE guys can play music better than most bands (Neil is the finest drummer), and have been around 30 years. And play long, killer sets in crummy weather for their fans. For $30. They are the bar to aspire to.
I wish Apple would just sell iPods in different colors besides the gay ones with the minis.
If this deal sells more iPods, then I am all for it.
Does anyone actually have the authority to proclaim what is “cool”?
Some say baseball isn’t cool, yet ratings and attendance are through the roof while other sports leagues have struggled recently. Is it cool?
U2 are probably the most recognizable band worldwide with a large and loyal fanbase. But are they “cool”?
To both questions — does it really matter? Baseball has the highest TV ratings going right now and U2 have the most devoted fans, so what does it matter if either are considered cool? You are tapping into a large audience with money to spend. Its a win-win for Apple.
Ethical companies? Hmmm. Maybe, but if you alow your art to be used to sell any product, you are lending the credibility of your work to their ‘Buy, Buy, Buy’ chant.
Love iTunes, try this on for size:
http://www.downhillbattle.org/itunes/index.html
bill hicks: “…you do a commercial, you’re off the artistic roll call….forever! You another corporate f**king shill, you’re another whore at the capatalist gang-bang, there’s a price on your head, every word you now say is suspect, and every word you say is now like a turd falling into my drink!” Like U2 don’t have enough money! You mean they have to sell MP3 players to consumer america now to get even MORE money? C’mon.