Previous Post - Metallica! Do you think they sold out? Our prior thread makes me think we'll answer no. There's a definite difference in their music as the years went by. Some may say they became more commercial. Personally, I say their music got better. They evolved and in my opinion their trajectory was positive. Their earliest songs could be described as "head-banger" whereas their later songs were more melodic. I don't like their earliest songs. I like their later stuff. How about you?

I really don’t know much about Metallica beyond the few songs that get played on the radio, which I like.
When people say bands “sell out”, I sometimes wonder if it’s more out of resentment or jealousy. When you’re in on the early days of a band before they break through, you tend to resent the new fans when the band does break through. Just look at YouTube comments when some kid posts that he likes a song that came out before he was born. Instead of accepting a young fan who has embraced the music they love, some old fans will ridicule them. It doesn’t make sense to me.
Also, I think some bands get jealous when another band breaks through. I admit there is some luck involved when one band gets discovered over another but sometimes that band is just better.
While I love Green Day’s early stuff, I think they’ve shown their merit and talent over the past 25 years. Yet lots of people think they sold out. But look at the classic punk bands:

The Sex Pistols only released one album. While I don’t think Johnny Rotten ever sold out, Malcolm McLaren was selling rebellion from the start.
The Ramones, a band I love, played virtually the same concert every night for 20 years.
The Clash quickly moved into pop and raggae sounds, even hip hop, with success but no one ever says they sold out.
The Pretenders haven’t been regarded as a punk band in 30 years or so, but their early stuff was very punk.

As long as the music is good, I’m ok with a band trying to move to that next level.