--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When it all started, record companies…" description: "\"When it all started, record companies - and there were many of them, and this was a good thing - were run by people who loved records, people like Ahme..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/david-crosby-8990_a-good-thing_when-it-all-started-record-companies-and_1947035.jpg" --- # When it all started, record companies - and there were… ![“When it all started, record companies - and there were many of them, and this was a good thing - were run by people who loved records, people like Ahmet Ertegun, who ran Atlantic Records, who were record collectors. They got in it because they loved music... Now, record companies are run by…” quote by David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/david-crosby-8990_a-good-thing_when-it-all-started-record-companies-and_1947035.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/david-crosby-8990_a-good-thing_when-it-all-started-record-companies-and_1947035.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/david-crosby-8990_a-good-thing_when-it-all-started-record-companies-and_1947035.jpg) > “When it all started, record companies - and there were many of them, and this was a good thing - were run by people who loved records, people like Ahmet Ertegun, who ran Atlantic Records, who were record collectors. They got in it because they loved music... Now, record companies are run by lawyers and accountants.” [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Record labels once driven by love of music now run by legal and financial interests. **In simple terms:** Music passion replaced by profit motives. Key Takeaway Support music lovers over profit‑driven executives. Themes industry music commercialization Mood critical concerned Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - artist negotiations - label contracts Key Concepts artistic integrity corporate control Questions to Reflect On - How can artists retain creative control? - What reforms could rebalance passion and profit? A Different Perspective Profit focus can stifle creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Collectors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collectors/) [Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies/) [Lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyers/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Record companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-companies/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [When it all started, record companies - and there were many of them, and this was a good thing - were run by people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/when-it-all-started-record-companies-and-there-were-many-of-them-and/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [When we started Allman Brothers, Atlantic Records kept telling us there was no way it was going anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butch-trucks/when-we-started-allman-brothers-atlantic-records-kept-telling-us/) [Butch Trucks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butch-trucks/) > [I like work, I like song writing, and I like the history of Atlantic Records. They've sat in the studio with so many artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gourley/i-like-work-i-like-song-writing-and-i-like-the-history-of-atlantic/) [John Gourley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gourley/) > [I didn't graduate from college, so I might as well be on Atlantic Records, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sturgill-simpson/i-didn-t-graduate-from-college-so-i-might-as-well-be-on-atlantic/) [Sturgill Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sturgill-simpson/) > [Partnering with Atlantic Records creates the opportunity to take what we're doing to the next level, without compromising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nipsey-hussle/partnering-with-atlantic-records-creates-the-opportunity-to-take-what/) [Nipsey Hussle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nipsey-hussle/) > [“There’s a vast fraternity of record collectors, and the record store was their hub. There was not a lot of information on these groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-calamar/there-s-a-vast-fraternity-of-record-collectors-and-the-record-store/) [Gary Calamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-calamar/) > [Now record companies are run by lawyers and accountants. The shift from the one to the other was definitely related to when the takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/now-record-companies-are-run-by-lawyers-and-accountants-the-shift/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [I found myself in a meeting on my 13th birthday, which I really had no idea the enormity of, but I was in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-simpson/i-found-myself-in-a-meeting-on-my-13th-birthday-which-i-really-had-no/) [Cody Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-simpson/) > [When I was younger, definitely getting people to listen to me and believe in me. I think it's hard when you're a young girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charli-xcx/when-i-was-younger-definitely-getting-people-to-listen-to-me-and/) [Charli XCX](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charli-xcx/) > [No, if it was up to me every record would be brand new studio material but Atlantic records asked me to put out a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-bach/no-if-it-was-up-to-me-every-record-would-be-brand-new-studio-material/) [Sebastian Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-bach/) > [I would imagine after the first recording session with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and Atlantic Records I began to realize that this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-e-king/i-would-imagine-after-the-first-recording-session-with-jerry-leiber/) [Ben E. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-e-king/) > [For so long, companies were run using a command-and-control, 'top down' hierarchical method that involved dictating down the command chain and maintaining order. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-allen/for-so-long-companies-were-run-using-a-command-and-control-top-down/) [Kevin Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-allen/) > [Many Chinese companies are run like military camps with military discipline. We do not run a company that way. It does not help the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhang-xin/many-chinese-companies-are-run-like-military-camps-with-military/) [Zhang Xin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhang-xin/) > [I believe that software, and in fact entire companies, should be run in a way that assumes that the sum of the talent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/i-believe-that-software-and-in-fact-entire-companies-should-be-run-in/) [Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/) > [People who work for me are working for what I believe in. The leaders who run our companies do so on the basis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/people-who-work-for-me-are-working-for-what-i-believe-in-the-leaders/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) ## More by David Crosby > [I'm an inveterate bookstore wanderer. I read constantly, so I love a good bookstore. I can't help it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/i-m-an-inveterate-bookstore-wanderer-i-read-constantly-so-i-love-a/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [My songs emerge from my life, or wherever they do, unbidden and unplanned and completely on a schedule of their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/my-songs-emerge-from-my-life-or-wherever-they-do-unbidden-and/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [My father being in the movie business, I thought being an actor would be great. But when I started singing to people in coffeehouses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/my-father-being-in-the-movie-business-i-thought-being-an-actor-would/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [I gave a Collings dreadnought to a young guitar player in the Valley where I live because he didn't have a good acoustic, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/i-gave-a-collings-dreadnought-to-a-young-guitar-player-in-the-valley/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [I can't legislate a song into being; it just will not happen for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/i-can-t-legislate-a-song-into-being-it-just-will-not-happen-for-me/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [Largely I write from life. ... I write from what happens to me. Mostly about love. 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I think you see someone loving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/i-think-music-is-a-lifting-force-i-think-love-is-the-lifting-force-in/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [And I thought, I'd seen someone who seemed at last to know the truth. I was mistaken. Only a child laughing in the sun.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/and-i-thought-i-d-seen-someone-who-seemed-at-last-to-know-the-truth-i/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [I'm not givin' in an inch to fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/i-m-not-givin-in-an-inch-to-fear/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [While I was an addict, I didn't write anything. I didn't have the attention span or the will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/while-i-was-an-addict-i-didn-t-write-anything-i-didn-t-have-the/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [Elections aren't supposed to be for sale... it's that simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/elections-aren-t-supposed-to-be-for-sale-it-s-that-simple/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [All wars would end immediately if the various chiefs of state dropped a little LSD.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/all-wars-would-end-immediately-if-the-various-chiefs-of-state-dropped/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [When it all started, record companies - and there were many of them, and this was a good thing - were run by people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/when-it-all-started-record-companies-and-there-were-many-of-them-and/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) [Explore all 76 David Crosby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) ## More A good thing quotes > [Knowledge is generally considered a good thing; so, presumably, knowing more about how the U.S. thinks and operates around the world is also good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/knowledge-is-generally-considered-a-good-thing-so-presumably-knowing/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Being authentic can be a good thing in that often people who are fixated on that are also fixated on having very high standards,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-meyer/being-authentic-can-be-a-good-thing-in-that-often-people-who-are/) [Edgar Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-meyer/) > [Money is a good thing, but every morning you have to get up with something no one else in the world gets up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/money-is-a-good-thing-but-every-morning-you-have-to-get-up-with/) [George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/) > [I was raised that emotion was a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peele/i-was-raised-that-emotion-was-a-good-thing/) [Jordan Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peele/) > [When I had a full-time job, I really wasn't that busy, but now I'm really busy. I guess that's a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-moneymaker/when-i-had-a-full-time-job-i-really-wasn-t-that-busy-but-now-i-m/) [Chris Moneymaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-moneymaker/) > [It's flattering that there are lots of Internet fan sites about me. I'm a bit of a technophobe and I don't even own a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-armstrong/it-s-flattering-that-there-are-lots-of-internet-fan-sites-about-me-i/) [Jonas Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-armstrong/) > [I am not opposed to e-readers. Any technology that encourages the reading of literature is a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/i-am-not-opposed-to-e-readers-any-technology-that-encourages-the/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [I think about death all the time. I think that's a good thing because we're all going to die, and the only thing we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-gleason/i-think-about-death-all-the-time-i-think-that-s-a-good-thing-because/) [Steve Gleason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-gleason/) > [First, I was opposed to gay marriage because it seemed like one more way that gays were wanting to assimilate. When I realized the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/first-i-was-opposed-to-gay-marriage-because-it-seemed-like-one-more/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [Just because we're rid of Saddam and the evil Batthists doesn't mean the occupation is a good thing. Our salvation from Saddam was only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muqtada-al-sadr/just-because-we-re-rid-of-saddam-and-the-evil-batthists-doesn-t-mean/) [Muqtada al Sadr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muqtada-al-sadr/) > [I love Florida Georgia Line. I love 'Round Here.' 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