5 Things to Know About Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Rejection

Reprise Records rejected the album outright The label hated the finished record and refused to release it, calling it uncommercial.

Wilco walked away from their contract Instead of re-recording or compromising, the band left Reprise and kept the master tapes.

They streamed the entire album for free online In 2001, Wilco put the full album on their website, letting fans decide its worth before any label picked it up.

Nonesuch Records signed them and released it The buzz from the free stream convinced Nonesuch to acquire and distribute the album in 2002.

It became a defining album of the 2000s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sold over 500,000 copies and is widely considered a landmark indie rock record.