Smashing Pumpkins Sells Out For VISA Commercial (VIDEO)

In a 2004 Newsweek interview, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan said he turned down "heavy, heavy money" to license his band's hit song, "Today," because, as he put it, some things are sacred:

The record company's literally begging me: go ahead and take these commercials. At this point in my life, I don't feel comfortable. Those songs are the reason I'm alive. If your music is not sacred to the point where it's a really, really, really heavy decision about whether or not you would allow somebody else to exploit it, then what's not for sale?

Times have changed. Get a load of this new Visa credit card commercial, featuring a familiar tune:

Seems an odd time, given the unpopularity of the financial industry, for the Smashing Pumpkins to finally pull what so many fans would probably consider an extreme sellout move. Check out Arianna's recent post, "The Credit Card Debt Crisis: The Next Economic Domino."

Comments

[colquittbrett]

01:42 AM on 03/10/2009

Billy Corgan isn't addicted to smack. Just money. You guys are idiots.

[harrymellon]

08:23 PM on 03/07/2009

Hey...heroin costs a lot...maybe he can charge it now.

[aliceautumn]

08:06 PM on 03/07/2009

I never liked them. He always sounded like he was doing a lame imitation of John Lennon when he sang. Besides, Junkies gross me out.

[learntofly]

08:01 PM on 03/07/2009

Why does this surprise anyone? SP made the album to sell. They make a living selling music.

[MichaelDeane]

06:44 PM on 03/07/2009

And you Arthur are how old?

Seems to me that you are just a tad too judgmental on this. I work in the commercial business AND you'd be surprised how much this kind of exposure actually introduces your work to new, untapped markets. In some countries record labels have literally handed work to agencies, looking for that extra exposure.

The music industry is not unlike your business. Have you sold out because your work appears here along with some advertisements?

[yphili184]

06:22 PM on 03/07/2009

Selling out, its commerce! Its not like the song wasn't be sold in some other way in the past, Musicians need to put money away too! Selling out is a non-subject!

[Estevan Benson]

05:55 PM on 03/07/2009

Stop dissing the pumpkins. most underrated band ever.

[htd2009]

05:53 PM on 03/07/2009

Dude's gotta eat, right? Be a Bohemian Prole when you have 4-5 billion in the bank.

[Hankskool]

05:19 PM on 03/07/2009

Oh gee, there's a shocker. Beavis and Butthead were right. That guy sings like a whining wussy.

[dausone]

02:48 PM on 03/07/2009

I thought the pumpkins sold out 15 years ago? Must be just me.

[truesteam]

02:04 PM on 03/07/2009

He does not look well.

[Taughtology]

01:35 PM on 03/07/2009

As Tom Waits famously said in the 80's:

"If Michael Jackson wants to work for Pepsi, why doesn`t he just get himself a suit and an office in their headquarters and be done with it?"

[SlappHappy]

01:07 PM on 03/07/2009

Who ever thought rock muscians had any credibility in the first place? Corgan has nothing to "sell out."

[DSF99]

12:08 PM on 03/07/2009

The author of this article about Smashing Pumpkins doesnt have a clue what "sellout" means. Very poor writing and conclusion on his part.

Music is meant to be heard. And there's a business to it too. A lot of great music these days is actually being heard in TV commercials. Radio is dead. There is absolutely nothing wrong with artists having their music played in tv commercials. Is it a sellout to have songs in a movie, or in a TV show? No it's not. It's just another avenue to have music be heard.

So perhaps the writer of this article (who has no bio) should not comment about things he obviously doesnt understand very well.

[Sardonica]

11:55 AM on 03/07/2009

I have absolutely no problem at all with the idea of rock stars (or anyone) putting out art for the explicit purpose of making money. But the minute they go on record and declare their art "sacred" and better than cheap commercialism, then I hold them at their word and judge them harshly if they have a "change of heart" years later.

I remember being deeply disappointed with the Clash when they let Jaguar use their music.