--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there was ever any truth to the…" description: "\"If there was ever any truth to the trickle-down theory, the only evidence of it I've ever seen was in that period of 1960 to 1965. All of sudden they w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/dave-van-ronk-21329_1960s_if-there-was-ever-any-truth-to-the-trick_1024132.jpg" --- # If there was ever any truth to the trickle-down theory… ![“If there was ever any truth to the trickle-down theory, the only evidence of it I've ever seen was in that period of 1960 to 1965. All of sudden they were handing out major label recording contracts like they were coming in Cracker Jack boxes.” quote by Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/dave-van-ronk-21329_1960s_if-there-was-ever-any-truth-to-the-trick_1024132.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/dave-van-ronk-21329_1960s_if-there-was-ever-any-truth-to-the-trick_1024132.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/dave-van-ronk-21329_1960s_if-there-was-ever-any-truth-to-the-trick_1024132.jpg) > “If there was ever any truth to the trickle-down theory, the only evidence of it I've ever seen was in that period of 1960 to 1965. All of sudden they were handing out major label recording contracts like they were coming in Cracker Jack boxes.” [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The so‑called trickle‑down benefits of the music business were only evident in a brief surge of record contracts during the early 1960s. **In simple terms:** A short period showed many new contracts, but it didn’t last. Key Takeaway Don’t assume a trend will continue without evidence. Themes music industry economics trickle‑down history contracts Mood cautious analytical Type historical critical When to use this quote - record label scouting - artist negotiations - career planning - historical analysis Key Concepts Supply and demand market cycles industry hype Questions to Reflect On - What other industries show similar short‑lived booms? - How can artists protect themselves from fleeting market hype? A Different Perspective The pattern may reflect broader economic cycles, not a sustainable model. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crackers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crackers/) [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“Usually when people talk about the trickle-down theory, it has to do with economics. The richer people at the top of a society become,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/usually-when-people-talk-about-the-trickle-down-theory-it-has-to-do/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Trickle-down theory - the less than elegant metaphor that if one feeds the horse enough oats, some will pass through to the road for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/trickle-down-theory-the-less-than-elegant-metaphor-that-if-one-feeds/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [It was a time period in the 1960, when a generation of souls looked at the established society, looked at the pettiness, the greed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/it-was-a-time-period-in-the-1960-when-a-generation-of-souls-looked-at/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [If the evidence says you're wrong, you don't have the right theory. You change the theory, not the evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/if-the-evidence-says-you-re-wrong-you-don-t-have-the-right-theory-you/) [John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/) > [ \[T\]he true natural sciences lock together in theory and evidence to form the ineradicable technical base of modern civilization. The pseudosciences satisfy personal psychological… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/t-he-true-natural-sciences-lock-together-in-theory-and-evidence-to/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The Republican Party is doubling down on this trickle-down theory that says, 'Thou shalt concentrate wealth at the very top of our society. Thou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-malley/the-republican-party-is-doubling-down-on-this-trickle-down-theory/) [Martin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-malley/) > [It's kind of hard to sell 'trickle down,' so the supply-side formula was the only way to get a tax policy that was really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-stockman/it-s-kind-of-hard-to-sell-trickle-down-so-the-supply-side-formula-was/) [David Stockman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-stockman/) > [I don't think that the trickle-down theory of diversity ever really works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-bryant/i-don-t-think-that-the-trickle-down-theory-of-diversity-ever-really/) [Kimberly Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-bryant/) > [The trickle-down theory of economics has it that it's good for rich people to get even richer because some of their wealth will trickle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/the-trickle-down-theory-of-economics-has-it-that-it-s-good-for-rich/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [The "trickle-down" theory: the principle that the poor, who must subsist on table scraps dropped by the rich, can best be served by giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blum/the-trickle-down-theory-the-principle-that-the-poor-who-must-subsist/) [William Blum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blum/) > [“That scientifically savvy philosopher Daniel Dennett pointed out that evolution counters one of the oldest ideas we have: 'the idea that it takes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/that-scientifically-savvy-philosopher-daniel-dennett-pointed-out-that/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [On tight money: It reflects a reversion to the old idea that the tree can be fertilized at the top instead of at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/on-tight-money-it-reflects-a-reversion-to-the-old-idea-that-the-tree/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [He'll call that trickle-down. I call it Niagara Falls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kemp/he-ll-call-that-trickle-down-i-call-it-niagara-falls/) [Jack Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kemp/) > [We've had trickle down economics in the country for ten years now, and most of us aren't even damp yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/we-ve-had-trickle-down-economics-in-the-country-for-ten-years-now-and/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [It is not enough for a story to flow. It has to kind of trickle and glint as it crosses over the stones of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/it-is-not-enough-for-a-story-to-flow-it-has-to-kind-of-trickle-and/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## More by Dave Van Ronk > [“Why must the show go on?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/why-must-the-show-go-on/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [And then adds with a laugh, 'but in retrospect I think he may have been more sophisticated than we were.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/and-then-adds-with-a-laugh-but-in-retrospect-i-think-he-may-have-been/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [I think I have more in common with a carpenter than you might think. We're putting things together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/i-think-i-have-more-in-common-with-a-carpenter-than-you-might-think/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [I'm a very, very stubborn man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/i-m-a-very-very-stubborn-man/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [By the mid-70s, I wanted to get out of the business. I was tired anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/by-the-mid-70s-i-wanted-to-get-out-of-the-business-i-was-tired-anyway/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [I cut myself off from the mainstream of jazz. It stood me in good stead later on, as a musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/i-cut-myself-off-from-the-mainstream-of-jazz-it-stood-me-in-good/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [Honesty is the cruelest game of all, because not only can you hurt someone - and hurt them to the bone - you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/honesty-is-the-cruelest-game-of-all-because-not-only-can-you-hurt/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [They basically said that if I didn't show up for school they'd mark me present, they wouldn't send the truant officer after me. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/they-basically-said-that-if-i-didn-t-show-up-for-school-they-d-mark/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [“March 1958 issue, for example, notes that “Dave Van Ronk, like so many other Village characters, has affected a beard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/march-1958-issue-for-example-notes-that-dave-van-ronk-like-so-many/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [“You can be a mighty sailor, wrestling with an alligator. Romping through the swamp.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/you-can-be-a-mighty-sailor-wrestling-with-an-alligator-romping/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [Most of what I listen to now is mainstream jazz from 1935 right up to and including early bebop and cool jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/most-of-what-i-listen-to-now-is-mainstream-jazz-from-1935-right-up-to/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [I don't think I went a year or so without a record between 1959 and 1979, sometimes two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/i-don-t-think-i-went-a-year-or-so-without-a-record-between-1959-and/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [In the early 1970s. 1971, '72. The rooms were closing down, record labels weren't signing acoustic acts any more. Although they had been pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/in-the-early-1970s-1971-72-the-rooms-were-closing-down-record-labels/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [“Every corpse is a patriot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/every-corpse-is-a-patriot/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [One of my earliest memories... I knew three full verses of the Star Spangled Banner when I was seven or eight years old. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/one-of-my-earliest-memories-i-knew-three-full-verses-of-the-star/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) [Explore all 29 Dave Van Ronk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) ## More 1960s quotes > [We do need different types of propulsion to get to Mars. I wrote one of the first Ph.D. theses on that in the 1960s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-do-need-different-types-of-propulsion-to-get-to-mars-i-wrote-one/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [Each year more than 100,000 high school graduates, with proved ability, do not enter college because they cannot afford it. And if we cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/each-year-more-than-100-000-high-school-graduates-with-proved-ability/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-likely-to-disappear-in-a/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [Sometimes a party must sail against the wind. We cannot heed the call of those who say it is time to furl the sail.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/sometimes-a-party-must-sail-against-the-wind-we-cannot-heed-the-call/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [ \[In the 1960s\]...you could take LSD but you couldn't wear a pantsuit. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsey-johnson/in-the-1960s-you-could-take-lsd-but-you-couldn-t-wear-a-pantsuit/) [Betsey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsey-johnson/) > [Is it a coincidence that stories from the private life became more popular just as the grand hope for public redemption through revolution was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-griffin/is-it-a-coincidence-that-stories-from-the-private-life-became-more/) [Susan Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-griffin/) > [I think the general anxiety of the 1960s - '70s spawned our interest in the living dead. When people worry about the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-brooks/i-think-the-general-anxiety-of-the-1960s-70s-spawned-our-interest-in/) [Max Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-brooks/) > [“A friend once told me a story about a former Black Panther leader in a Midwest community who in the 1960s had his phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-j-rodr-guez/a-friend-once-told-me-a-story-about-a-former-black-panther-leader-in/) [Luis J. Rodríguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-j-rodr-guez/) > [I was never bothered about my position in the industry. If I had believed in it, I wouldn't have allowed anyone to get ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharmendra/i-was-never-bothered-about-my-position-in-the-industry-if-i-had/) [Dharmendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharmendra/) > [Under the system that we now have to nominate presidential candidates, for instance, I would prefer that we have a system that is closer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beschloss/under-the-system-that-we-now-have-to-nominate-presidential-candidates/) [Michael Beschloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beschloss/) > [My son Bill, who came to me in 1960-he was 14 then, quoted the old parable to me: "It is not by their words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/my-son-bill-who-came-to-me-in-1960-he-was-14-then-quoted-the-old/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [There is a book called San Francisco Tape Music Centre:1960s Counterculture and the Avant-Garde and this book describes everything that you want to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-oliveros/there-is-a-book-called-san-francisco-tape-music-centre-1960s/) [Pauline Oliveros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-oliveros/) > [Much of the art of the 1960s, from body art to video and direct performance, was concerned with similar issues. And then there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valie-export/much-of-the-art-of-the-1960s-from-body-art-to-video-and-direct/) [Valie Export](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valie-export/) > [I went through college in the 1960s without having any idea that I was going to have to make a living. When I graduated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-went-through-college-in-the-1960s-without-having-any-idea-that-i/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“At the beginning of a decade when everything was beginning to seem possible, nothing seemed impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/at-the-beginning-of-a-decade-when-everything-was-beginning-to-seem/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) Browse all 486 1960s quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there was ever any truth to the trickle-down theory, the only evidence of it I've ever seen was in that period of 1960 to 1965. 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