Metallica’s Black Album (it’s actually named Metallica, but it’s called the Black Album because of the cover) came out in 1991. Featuring songs like “Enter Sandman”, “The Unforgiven”, “Wherever I May Roam”, and “Nothing Else Matters”, the Black Album thrust Metallica into the mainstream. It also opened them up to criticism from heavy metal fans claiming that they sold-out with this record. This criticism has always bothered me, especially since I’m still hearing it today, 20 years after it was released.
Some said they sold-out because the music wasn’t as hard as on their previous albums. I disagree. With the exception of Nothing Else Matters, all of the songs were as heavy as their previous stuph. The only difference is song length. Their first 3 CDs averaged about 7 minutes per song. On the Black Album, it averaged about 5. The only reason people were saying they sold-out was because it was popular in the mainstream.
Even if they did sell out, however, so what? I would bet money that every person who whined about them selling out would do so themselves in a heartbeat. Careers in the entertainment field (musicians, actors, or sports figures) aren’t guaranteed, so you have to cash in as much as you can, as quickly as you can, because you never know when it might go away. GET OVER IT ALREADY PEOPLE!!!!!
33 Grams of Blog 
I hope people listen….
Well said. It’s always easier being a back seat driver.
People.say they sold out because it went mainstream. We both know someone who accused Blink-182 of selling out when a couple of their songs went mainstream. Some people are just stupid that way.