Can,or should a band still be classed as Punk Rock if they're signed to a major record label?

its all of the above. and no once a band signs on to a major label they are no longer true punk.

thumbs down? i guess someone loves hypocrites.

@josh! the whole point of punk is to be against society. once you join a major record label and start making lots of money how can you still write true punk material without being a hypocrite? that and in most cases they will be looked down upon by their original fan base (punks) for being sellouts. then they will most likely change their style for their new fan base.

also your definition of success might be drastically different than mine. punk bands dont start a band in hopes of becoming rich, they start them to get their voices heard. so to them being successful would entail having a lot of people hear what they have to say, not becoming hypocrites.

I would say punk is a genre of music - some are going to get annoyed by that but that's what it is, within that are lots of different sub-scenes all claiming to represent the true "attitude" or "lifestyle". Therefore the Pistols and the Clash were still punk after signing to major record labels (though from I Fought The Law onwards the Clash were no longer punk). The same applies to later bands such as The Ruts, Sham 69, Cockney Rejects, and the Angelic Upstarts.

When Crass arrived they refused to sign to a major (apparently EMI approached them via Jimmy Pursey), set up their own label and started encouraging and supporting other bands to do the same. This was the start of the anarcho-punk scene, which was defined more by it's politics and values than by the music, and one of the key values was rejecting the mainstream music business, so I would say an anarcho band that signed to a major label is no longer an anarcho bands even if they happen to be Chumbawamba!

I can see both ways with this. Yes in true, pure, punk music/genre you are no longer considered to be a true punk band if you sign to a major label because they see it you're going with society and not against it, which is what punk is after all. I would say no for bands people consider punk now-a-days. More pop-punk like Green Day, Blink, etc. I wouldn't say those bands sold out, have they changed, yes. I think all bands need to sound different at some point because to put out an album with the same songs with different lyrics can get boring after a while. So I can see both sides. To answer your questions, punk is a lifestyle, it is a genre of music, and it is an attitude. They all go hand in hand. I think all the pop-punk bands out now are not true punk (obviously) and they don't have the attitude or the lifestyle. Sorry this is so long and confusing, it was hard to say exactly what I had in mind.

Switching your label doesn't guarantee that you're going to make a whole lot more money, or that you have to change your music style. A band switching to a major label could just mean that they want the opportunity for their music to be heard by more people. There's nothing wrong with that, whether you call it punk or not. I personally have no problem calling major label bands punk, but there's really no need to label something punk or not punk.

It depends if the band keeps their same attitude after becoming popular. I'd still consider The Clash punk rock although they were on a major label. Whereas, I would not consider Green Day, The Offspring or Blink 182 punk anymore as they've obviously changed their music to appease the record label.

Punk is not music.

It's about rebellion.

Most Punk bands can't even sing.

There's like a law in underground Punk clubs .. basically when you go mainstream you're considered a sellout in the eyes of Punk rockers.

Total bull.

If a band really wants to go public and have their music heard, it is their choice.

I don't think being successful songwriters and performers makes you any less punk.

Being signed on a major label doesn't just mean you're going to make a lot of money, it also means that your music will be heard farther than it would of otherwise.

gadget and a appropriate Circle are 2 solid ones, Coheed and Cambria (2002 - Now), Deftones, purple warm Chilli Peppers, Dropkick Murphys, The Ramones, Korn, Ozzy, Black Sabboth, Rage against the gadget, Radiohead, Queen, Slipknot, Seether, Saron gasoline, Soundgarden, elegant