“Sell Out” was released by Ska Punk band Reel Big Fish in 1996 off their second album
Turn the Radio Off.
The song performed very well for the band receiving significant airplay from radio stations, reaching #69 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart and #10 on the Modern Rock tracks chart.
“Sell Out” is seen as a satire of how the pop industry conducts business. It may also have to do with the payola scandals of FM radio, where bands would pay for play on radio stations so the bands with the most money would get the most airtime. Payola is illegal and any station found to be accepting money for airtime would lose their broadcast license. In the early days of radio, however, this was commonplace.
Reel Big Fish “Sell Out” 1996
