Nineties fans rewarded bands that publicly rejected commercialism

Evidence

Yet their second album, Vs., released on October 19, 1993, without radio-friendly singles or promotional videos, broke records for first-week album sales. Kids flocked to midnight release parties, smashing record store windows in their excitement. Pearl Jam’s principled stand resonated with their fans: If rock bands were so desperate for money, they might as well be bankers. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 8

Categorization

• SEED: Article angle: how refusing to sell out became itself a marketable position — the commercialization of anti-commercialism.