Did the 1970s punk bands want mainstream success?--I think they did.
I've been reading the book Please Kill Me, and it's quite good. I was struck by something, though. I was in high school in the early 2000s and back then most of the other punk fans I was friends with had very strong opinions on bands that had "sold out," which usually just meant that they went to a major label or had reached a level of success that was beyond that particular person's taste.
What struck me as I have been reading this book is that I don't think these ideas of artistic purity or selling out ever crossed their minds. Most of the people in these bands that have been so influential (Ramones, Clash, Sex Pistols, Stooges, Patti Smith, Television, New York Dolls, etc.) were incredibly poor and many of them had substance abuse issues and most barely made any money off of their music at the time. Most of them desperately wanted to see some commercial success and were not concerned about the idea of going to a major label.
Can someone correct me if I'm wrong? Are there any interviews from the 1970s of these punk bands talking trash about the major labels or explicitly wanting to remain independent?