Pitchfork held that mass appeal inherently compromised artistic integrity

Evidence

Where poptimists celebrated chart-topping artists and glossy production, Pitchfork upheld the idea that true art was inherently oppositional. Music that appealed to the masses was, by definition, compromised. Looking back two decades later, Schreiber argued that the “responsibility of the music press” was to “champion artists who are otherwise not gonna be heard by listeners or maybe not heard as quickly…things that were a little bit left field, outside of the mainstream, more adventurous, experimental.” — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 122

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines rockist ideology: true art is inherently oppositional and mass appeal means compromise.