--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Great music is the only genre that…" description: "\"Great music is the only genre that actually matters, and the members of that club are far more similar to each other than they are to any genre they mi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/chris-thile-4170_genre_great-music-is-the-only-genre-that-actua_2921962.png" --- # Great music is the only genre that actually matters, and… ![“Great music is the only genre that actually matters, and the members of that club are far more similar to each other than they are to any genre they might be commonly associated with.” quote by Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/chris-thile-4170_genre_great-music-is-the-only-genre-that-actua_2921962.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/chris-thile-4170_genre_great-music-is-the-only-genre-that-actua_2921962.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/chris-thile-4170_genre_great-music-is-the-only-genre-that-actua_2921962.png) > “Great music is the only genre that actually matters, and the members of that club are far more similar to each other than they are to any genre they might be commonly associated with.” [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Music transcends genre labels, uniting those who share its essence. **In simple terms:** Music unites beyond genre. Key Takeaway Seek common musical ground. Themes music genre community identity Mood enthusiastic inspired Type philosophical musical When to use this quote - concerts - music clubs - collaborative projects Key Concepts aesthetic values cultural cohesion artistic identity Questions to Reflect On - What music moves you most? - How do you find community through sound? A Different Perspective Genre loyalty can be divisive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) [Great music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-music/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [I just want to make great music. There's not a genre that I would categorize it as, but I want it to be true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-skye/i-just-want-to-make-great-music-there-s-not-a-genre-that-i-would/) [Justine Skye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-skye/) > [I love horror movies, so it's a real treat to be able to work on a television show of that genre, and have it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-breckenridge/i-love-horror-movies-so-it-s-a-real-treat-to-be-able-to-work-on-a/) [Alexandra Breckenridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-breckenridge/) > [I never had a problem with genre because a genre actually is like a uniform - you put yourself into a certain uniform. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/i-never-had-a-problem-with-genre-because-a-genre-actually-is-like-a-3/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [I never had a problem with genre because a genre actually is like a uniform - you put yourself into a certain uniform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/i-never-had-a-problem-with-genre-because-a-genre-actually-is-like-a-2/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [I never had a problem with genre because a genre actually is like a uniform - you put yourself into a certain uniform. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/i-never-had-a-problem-with-genre-because-a-genre-actually-is-like-a/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [Dickens is a much misunderstood and mis-approached writer, in that he tends to be read, particularly in the twentieth century, as a social commentator…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/dickens-is-a-much-misunderstood-and-mis-approached-writer-in-that-he/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [My thesis statement would be—Bach didn't write Baroque music. He wrote great music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/my-thesis-statement-would-be-bach-didn-t-write-baroque-music-he-wrote/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [The great musics of the world are great for very similar structural reasons: good melody, good harmony, and a balance of feminine and masculine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/the-great-musics-of-the-world-are-great-for-very-similar-structural/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [We are aiming to create a one and only new music genre that exceeds the limits of pop and metal music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzuka-nakamoto/we-are-aiming-to-create-a-one-and-only-new-music-genre-that-exceeds/) [Suzuka Nakamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzuka-nakamoto/) > [I always say, there's no music genre better than another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalia/i-always-say-there-s-no-music-genre-better-than-another/) [Rosalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalia/) > [Pop music is the one genre that isn't a genre. If the kids like it, then that's what defines it as pop music. Pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-saunier/pop-music-is-the-one-genre-that-isn-t-a-genre-if-the-kids-like-it/) [Greg Saunier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-saunier/) > [I want to make my music a genre that people can immediately identify: something that never existed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ji-hae-park/i-want-to-make-my-music-a-genre-that-people-can-immediately-identify/) [Ji-Hae Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ji-hae-park/) > [I just love music. Every genre of music: country, rock. I originally first loved punk rock. Pop punk. I don't know, just rock in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-liu/i-just-love-music-every-genre-of-music-country-rock-i-originally/) [Amber Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-liu/) > [It's been a while since I checked in with Malcolm Gladwell's 'Revisionist History' podcast. The episode 'The King of Tears' suggests the author is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hepworth/it-s-been-a-while-since-i-checked-in-with-malcolm-gladwell-s/) [David Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hepworth/) > [K-pop itself is not just a music genre, but a whole cultural phenomenon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-tae-min/k-pop-itself-is-not-just-a-music-genre-but-a-whole-cultural-phenomenon/) [Lee Tae-min](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tae-min/) ## More by Chris Thile > [A cocktail and an oyster is an awfully good thing after a park, especially one close to water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/a-cocktail-and-an-oyster-is-an-awfully-good-thing-after-a-park/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I think people react so strongly to hearing the human voice, you can't give them too much of it or else they want it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-think-people-react-so-strongly-to-hearing-the-human-voice-you-can-t/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I'm always going to need to play in front of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-m-always-going-to-need-to-play-in-front-of-people/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I love music so much. It's like the one thing I'm good at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-love-music-so-much-it-s-like-the-one-thing-i-m-good-at/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Like a sporting event, live events are the one thing you can't have anytime you want them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/like-a-sporting-event-live-events-are-the-one-thing-you-can-t-have/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Musicians and non-musicians alike are priding themselves on the width and breadth of their musical interests, which I think is to be encouraged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/musicians-and-non-musicians-alike-are-priding-themselves-on-the-width/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [There's a lot of steps between there not being music and there being music. Composition is one part of that, but if no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/there-s-a-lot-of-steps-between-there-not-being-music-and-there-being/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [The fact that I'm a fifth of Punch Brothers... that's lucky for me because I feel like I get to operate in the context…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/the-fact-that-i-m-a-fifth-of-punch-brothers-that-s-lucky-for-me/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [It seems like if they'd given Bob Dylan a pen and paper in the cradle that he would've come up with a great song.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/it-seems-like-if-they-d-given-bob-dylan-a-pen-and-paper-in-the-cradle/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Improvising is writing, too - there was no music and now there's music. So that's composition. And any time you take any sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/improvising-is-writing-too-there-was-no-music-and-now-there-s-music/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [It's very hard to make grand, romantic gestures on a mandolin, and there are times, particularly when playing Bach, that you long for just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/it-s-very-hard-to-make-grand-romantic-gestures-on-a-mandolin-and/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Everything in our lives is encouraging us to turn inward with all the technology that we have available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/everything-in-our-lives-is-encouraging-us-to-turn-inward-with-all-the/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Improvisation is an important part of bluegrass, and I would hasten to add that classical music wasn't always such an improvisational void. Back in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/improvisation-is-an-important-part-of-bluegrass-and-i-would-hasten-to/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [It was kind of sort of the heavens opened up and I realized that Bach, at least, you know - out of all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/it-was-kind-of-sort-of-the-heavens-opened-up-and-i-realized-that-bach/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I think that we'll see the concept of 'genre' continue to die a slow and painful death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-think-that-we-ll-see-the-concept-of-genre-continue-to-die-a-slow/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) [Explore all 115 Chris Thile quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) ## More Genre quotes > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [ He \[ the son\]'s grown up listening to all types of music, and the natural form of rebellion is to find the one genre… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-knowles/he-the-son-s-grown-up-listening-to-all-types-of-music-and-the-natural/) [Solange Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-knowles/) > [I don't really think in terms of genre, I think in terms of story and character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rudd/i-don-t-really-think-in-terms-of-genre-i-think-in-terms-of-story-and/) [Paul Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rudd/) > [I've just always loved really good projects. The things that draw me into a new project have very little to do with genre and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel-staite/i-ve-just-always-loved-really-good-projects-the-things-that-draw-me/) [Jewel Staite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel-staite/) > [As a rule, I don't worry about genre. I just want to tell a good story, with characters that interest me and my readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/as-a-rule-i-don-t-worry-about-genre-i-just-want-to-tell-a-good-story/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Trombone virtuoso and innovative composer, Papo combines the best of jazz and Latin music to create a genre that is unique and wild. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-brecker/trombone-virtuoso-and-innovative-composer-papo-combines-the-best-of/) Michael Brecker > [Gothic in its purest sense is actually a very powerful, twisted genre, but the way it was being used by by journalists - 'goff'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siouxsie-sioux/gothic-in-its-purest-sense-is-actually-a-very-powerful-twisted-genre/) [Siouxsie Sioux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siouxsie-sioux/) > [The great thing about the arts, and especially popular music, is that it really does cut across genres and races and classes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/the-great-thing-about-the-arts-and-especially-popular-music-is-that/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [“What we've done is make the categories of science fiction and fantasy larger, freer, and more inclusive than any other genre of contemporary literature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/what-we-ve-done-is-make-the-categories-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I knew what kind of genre 'Casa de mi Padre' was going for. But my character, specifically, I think is very real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genesis-rodriguez/i-knew-what-kind-of-genre-casa-de-mi-padre-was-going-for-but-my/) [Genesis Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genesis-rodriguez/) > [In television, women can really run anything. It can be a comedy, it can be a drama, it can be genre, it can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-michelle-gellar/in-television-women-can-really-run-anything-it-can-be-a-comedy-it-can/) [Sarah Michelle Gellar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-michelle-gellar/) > [I'm not a fan of any genre but am a fan of movies that are intelligent and/or funny. That goes across all genres: a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-a-fan-of-any-genre-but-am-a-fan-of-movies-that-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The excellence of this important contribution to genre literature CANNOT be overstated A masterwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-nolan/the-excellence-of-this-important-contribution-to-genre-literature/) William F. Nolan > [I have finally become my own genre, and now that's what publishers want. I have a wonderful publisher now, Mulholland, very innovated, very fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-r-lansdale/i-have-finally-become-my-own-genre-and-now-that-s-what-publishers/) [Joe R. Lansdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-r-lansdale/) > [There is a real problem with the lack of diversity, specifically in genre films and the superheroes our kids grow up watching and emulating,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djimon-hounsou/there-is-a-real-problem-with-the-lack-of-diversity-specifically-in/) [Djimon Hounsou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djimon-hounsou/) [Browse all 2,187 Genre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Great music is the only genre that actually matters, and the members of that club are far more similar to each other than they are to any genre they might be commonly associated with.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chris Thile" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/great-music-is-the-only-genre-that-actually-matters-and-the-members/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Genre" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/great-music-is-the-only-genre-that-actually-matters-and-the-members/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/chris-thile-4170_genre_great-music-is-the-only-genre-that-actua_2921962.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/chris-thile-4170_genre_great-music-is-the-only-genre-that-actua_2921962.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/chris-thile-4170_genre_great-music-is-the-only-genre-that-actua_2921962.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Great music is the only genre that actually matters, and the members of that club are far more similar to…” — Chris Thile", "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": "Chris Thile", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Great music is the only genre...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/great-music-is-the-only-genre-that-actually-matters-and-the-members/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/great-music-is-the-only-genre-that-actually-matters-and-the-members/#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 } } ] } ```