when has a band "sold out" ?

[sushijerk]

Technically, sellouts are when a band gets popular and deviates from their original album sound to potentially make themselves more mainstream accessible. However nowadays it is meaningless since so much buzz can be generated by a local "scene" that a band can actually sell out before even producing a popular album or getting thier songs beyond college/internet radio.

Metallica got less fans so they did not sell out, even if they were trying to.

By definition Gap would only hire artists who have already sold out. The ads with Common were a sellout of such complete proportions he might as turn in his street card and move in with Bill Cosby.

If Pinkerton got popular the first time around and not 5 years later, then yes.

Don't know about Slayer.

Definitely possible from the beginning. General consensus is Keane has achieved this to perfection.

Nothing is any good if other people like it.