Punk's hard edge, and angry lyrics were too much to enter the world of pop-rock. Society wasn't yet ready to embrace these new views and feelings. But Punk would be released into the mainstream in small amounts, by new wave artists who would take this new sound and create something for the public. These artists adopted Punk's eighth-note technique, but did not adopt its confrontational views or angry lyrics.

No longer was the lyrics heterogeneous by nature, but rather they were written to suit a particular audience's interest. Although it sounded like Punk rock, it did not stand for the same beliefs. True Punk rockers accused these artists of selling out.