"What Did They Mean By 'Selling Out'?"

“At this stage, [Tom] Petty says that he isn’t looking to further his career. He just wants to have a good time. ‘My hope is to carry on with some dignity,’ he says. That includes refusing to allow his songs to be used in commercials. ‘I turn down millions every year,’ he says. ‘I don’t want [the music] to be known for a beer or an orange juice,’ he says.”
 — One day soon, if it is not the case already, this attitude will be incomprehensible to almost everyone who makes or listens to music. And while the economic incentives afforded to artists of Petty’s generation certainly made this an easier decision than it will be for anyone who tries to earn their keep through their music in the future, it is worth wondering what kind of world we’ll be living in once there’s no longer anything disreputable about renting out your creativity to people who will use it to hustle pills that make it easier for you to do a shit when you’re on opioids.