--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not many people bought Velvet Underground…" description: "\"Not many people bought Velvet Underground LPs, but those who did, started a band.\" — Brian Eno" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/brian-eno-776_band_not-many-people-bought-velvet-undergroun_2729388.jpg" --- # Not many people bought Velvet Underground LPs, but those… ![“Not many people bought Velvet Underground LPs, but those who did, started a band.” quote by Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/brian-eno-776_band_not-many-people-bought-velvet-undergroun_2729388.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/brian-eno-776_band_not-many-people-bought-velvet-undergroun_2729388.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/brian-eno-776_band_not-many-people-bought-velvet-undergroun_2729388.jpg) > “Not many people bought Velvet Underground LPs, but those who did, started a band.” [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Obscure music can inspire future creators despite low sales. **In simple terms:** Obscure art fuels future innovation. Key Takeaway Support niche creativity. Themes influence creativity culture Mood appreciative hopeful Type cultural inspirational When to use this quote - music production - entrepreneurship - education Key Concepts artistic legacy subcultural impact Questions to Reflect On - How does hidden art affect culture? - What can you do to promote niche creators? A Different Perspective Not all obscure works gain recognition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [My favorite model of success is when people say, 'Nobody bought that first Velvet Underground album, but everyone who did started a band.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron-mitchell/my-favorite-model-of-success-is-when-people-say-nobody-bought-that/) [John Cameron Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron-mitchell/) > [The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/the-first-velvet-underground-album-only-sold-10-000-copies-but/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I love the Velvet Underground, bro.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarface/i-love-the-velvet-underground-bro/) [Scarface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarface/) > [The clothes I wear... that doesn't change. I love long dresses. I love velvet. I love high boots. I never change. I love the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-nicks/the-clothes-i-wear-that-doesn-t-change-i-love-long-dresses-i-love/) [Stevie Nicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-nicks/) > ['You Talk' was originally a copy of a certain Velvet Underground song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-doherty/you-talk-was-originally-a-copy-of-a-certain-velvet-underground-song/) [Pete Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-doherty/) > [I like Velvet Underground, but I was never really hardcore into them. I like them, and I like Nico, but I won't front like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-andre/i-like-velvet-underground-but-i-was-never-really-hardcore-into-them-i/) [Eric Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-andre/) > [I like their darkness but I also like the pop-side of the Velvet Underground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-like-their-darkness-but-i-also-like-the-pop-side-of-the-velvet/) [Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/) > [Parallels between classical and pop are not new. The whole San Francisco movement of John Cage and Terry Riley went hand in glove with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hazlewood/parallels-between-classical-and-pop-are-not-new-the-whole-san/) [Charles Hazlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hazlewood/) > [ The best New York in the world is driving down the \[Pacific Coast Highway\] listening to the Velvet Underground. That's the best time I've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/the-best-new-york-in-the-world-is-driving-down-the-pacific-coast/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [Everybody gets a tag. If you listen to a Velvet Underground record, you don't think, 'Godfathers of Punk.' You just think, 'This sounds great.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/everybody-gets-a-tag-if-you-listen-to-a-velvet-underground-record-you/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I heard the Velvet Underground and that changed things when I was like, 15.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-heard-the-velvet-underground-and-that-changed-things-when-i-was/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [As a New Yorker you can't help but be proud of the fact that so much music and culture started here. Punk rock, jazz,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/as-a-new-yorker-you-can-t-help-but-be-proud-of-the-fact-that-so-much/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [It's hard to imagine the whole punk movement without The Velvet Underground. I toured with them when they did their reunion tour, and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-wareham/it-s-hard-to-imagine-the-whole-punk-movement-without-the-velvet/) [Dean Wareham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-wareham/) > [When I was very little, I was into Michael Jackson. At six or seven, it was Madonna, but she's not what she used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lykke-li/when-i-was-very-little-i-was-into-michael-jackson-at-six-or-seven-it/) [Lykke Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lykke-li/) > [I grew up in the '90s. I listened to a lot of The Clash, Velvet Underground and Roxy Music. I wasn't into Boyzone, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-taylor-johnson/i-grew-up-in-the-90s-i-listened-to-a-lot-of-the-clash-velvet/) [Aaron Taylor-Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-taylor-johnson/) ## More by Brian Eno > [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [The lyrics are constructed as empirically as the music. I don't set out to say anything very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/the-lyrics-are-constructed-as-empirically-as-the-music-i-don-t-set/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Admirers can be a tremendous force for conservatism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/admirers-can-be-a-tremendous-force-for-conservatism/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [The whole history of pop music had rested on the first person singular, with occasional intrusions of the second person singular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/the-whole-history-of-pop-music-had-rested-on-the-first-person/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [You can't really imagine music without technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/you-can-t-really-imagine-music-without-technology/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Robert Fripp and I will be recording another LP very soon. It should be even more monotonous than the first one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/robert-fripp-and-i-will-be-recording-another-lp-very-soon-it-should/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I despise computers in many ways. I think they’re hopelessly underevolved and overrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-despise-computers-in-many-ways-i-think-they-re-hopelessly/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I think very often producers are really trying to repeat things. When they hear something in the new songs that they recognize as being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-think-very-often-producers-are-really-trying-to-repeat-things-when/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I think that's very significant that we're so attached to the idea now of - it was something I advocated for years, that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-think-that-s-very-significant-that-we-re-so-attached-to-the-idea/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [If you watch any good player, they're using different parts of their body and working with instruments that respond to those movements. They're moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/if-you-watch-any-good-player-they-re-using-different-parts-of-their/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Songs that don't depend on composition depend instead on performance - so the fire has to be there in the playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/songs-that-don-t-depend-on-composition-depend-instead-on-performance/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I can see the use and value of religion, just as I can see the use of mud wrestling, yoga, astronomy and sadomasochism. but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-can-see-the-use-and-value-of-religion-just-as-i-can-see-the-use-of/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I wanted to get rid of the element that had been considered essential in pop music: the voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-wanted-to-get-rid-of-the-element-that-had-been-considered-essential/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [At the beginning of the 20th century, the ambition of the great painters was to make paintings that were like music, which was then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/at-the-beginning-of-the-20th-century-the-ambition-of-the-great/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I had an interesting day. I was in the studio with a group of musicians, who shall remain nameless, and I said to them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-had-an-interesting-day-i-was-in-the-studio-with-a-group-of/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) [Explore all 373 Brian Eno quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/) [Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Not many people bought Velvet Underground LPs, but those who did, started a band.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brian Eno" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/not-many-people-bought-velvet-underground-lps-but-those-who-did/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Band" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/not-many-people-bought-velvet-underground-lps-but-those-who-did/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/brian-eno-776_band_not-many-people-bought-velvet-undergroun_2729388.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/brian-eno-776_band_not-many-people-bought-velvet-undergroun_2729388.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/brian-eno-776_band_not-many-people-bought-velvet-undergroun_2729388.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Not many people bought Velvet Underground LPs, but those who did, started a band.” — Brian Eno", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Brian Eno", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Not many people bought Velvet Underground...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/not-many-people-bought-velvet-underground-lps-but-those-who-did/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/not-many-people-bought-velvet-underground-lps-but-those-who-did/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```