--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Popularity has everything to do with…" description: "\"Popularity has everything to do with business and nothing to do with music.\" — Donald Fagen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/donald-fagen-23315_business_popularity-has-everything-to-do-with-bus_1271730.jpg" --- # Popularity has everything to do with business and nothing… ![“Popularity has everything to do with business and nothing to do with music.” quote by Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/donald-fagen-23315_business_popularity-has-everything-to-do-with-bus_1271730.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/donald-fagen-23315_business_popularity-has-everything-to-do-with-bus_1271730.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/donald-fagen-23315_business_popularity-has-everything-to-do-with-bus_1271730.jpg) > “Popularity has everything to do with business and nothing to do with music.” [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success in business relies on market appeal, while artistic value is independent of commercial metrics. **In simple terms:** Business success ≠ musical quality. Key Takeaway Separate business goals from artistic judgment. Themes business music success valuation Mood critical analytical Type observational evaluative When to use this quote - product launch - career planning - creative projects - budget decisions Key Concepts marketing artistic integrity commercialism Questions to Reflect On - How do you evaluate music beyond sales? - Can a song be valuable without profit? A Different Perspective Music can be commercially successful yet lack artistic depth, and vice versa. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Popularity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popularity/) ## Related quotes > [There just is exponentially more money in the movie business than in the music business. As a result there are more people involved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-duritz/there-just-is-exponentially-more-money-in-the-movie-business-than-in/) [Adam Duritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-duritz/) > [I've basically been able to do everything, I basically run my own career and the decisions I make - whether it's how I'm gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-basically-been-able-to-do-everything-i-basically-run-my-own/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) > [The hardest thing to do in this business is to still be around. When music changes, when labels' resources have dried up, it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcknight/the-hardest-thing-to-do-in-this-business-is-to-still-be-around-when/) [Brian McKnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcknight/) > [The Internet might be killing the business for music labels, but it is working well for independent artists. I released my songs online and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonu-kakkar/the-internet-might-be-killing-the-business-for-music-labels-but-it-is/) [Sonu Kakkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonu-kakkar/) > [I understand that a corporation needs to make money, but this was never business to me. My music was always so heartfelt and deeply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raye/i-understand-that-a-corporation-needs-to-make-money-but-this-was/) [Raye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raye/) > [I learned everything about business and about music and stuff from being a second engineer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-iovine/i-learned-everything-about-business-and-about-music-and-stuff-from/) [Jimmy Iovine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-iovine/) > [Music for me is something I prefer to keep away form the whole business part of my life. I feel like everything I do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milla-jovovich/music-for-me-is-something-i-prefer-to-keep-away-form-the-whole/) [Milla Jovovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milla-jovovich/) > [The people on the business side in the music business are kind of different from the theatre business. I think it's partly because there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-curry/the-people-on-the-business-side-in-the-music-business-are-kind-of/) [Tim Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-curry/) > [I thought I wouldn't enjoy the business side of music, but it's fun because it is completely - like running a DIY venue was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-deacon/i-thought-i-wouldn-t-enjoy-the-business-side-of-music-but-it-s-fun/) [Dan Deacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-deacon/) > [I'm in a crazy business. The music industry is really tough, and I fight for my life. I just want to make everybody happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chubby-checker/i-m-in-a-crazy-business-the-music-industry-is-really-tough-and-i/) [Chubby Checker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chubby-checker/) > [I've been through a heartbreak and seen the business side of the music industry. Now I see things clearer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-skye/i-ve-been-through-a-heartbreak-and-seen-the-business-side-of-the/) [Justine Skye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-skye/) > [The music business has made a 360. It's a whole 'nother game. It's not nearly what it was. And I fear for it, because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/the-music-business-has-made-a-360-it-s-a-whole-nother-game-it-s-not/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [Where I come from, music is not a business. Sharing music is a business, but music is not a business. It comes from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-wright/where-i-come-from-music-is-not-a-business-sharing-music-is-a-business/) [Lizz Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-wright/) > [I still have a lot to learn - about the business, about music, and about myself. Its exciting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britney-spears/i-still-have-a-lot-to-learn-about-the-business-about-music-and-about/) [Britney Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britney-spears/) > [I hate the business part of music. Music is just like the streets. There's loyal and disloyal people, people saying one thing and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/schoolboy-q/i-hate-the-business-part-of-music-music-is-just-like-the-streets/) [Schoolboy Q](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/schoolboy-q/) ## More by Donald Fagen > [I had trouble distinguishing art from life. I don't now, and I feel much better!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/i-had-trouble-distinguishing-art-from-life-i-don-t-now-and-i-feel/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [Melodies can be good depending on the context. You can have a simple melody, and if the harmony behind it is interesting, it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/melodies-can-be-good-depending-on-the-context-you-can-have-a-simple/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [My style is a little quirky. I can't play as fast as most professional jazz players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/my-style-is-a-little-quirky-i-can-t-play-as-fast-as-most-professional/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [Now why the hell would I want to increase the volume of my ejaculation ? They can already hear me in the apartment next door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/now-why-the-hell-would-i-want-to-increase-the-volume-of-my/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [Randy Newman seemed like an even worse singer than me. I liked Ray Charles, Levi Stubbs, Jack Jones, Joe Tex, Wilson Pickett.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/randy-newman-seemed-like-an-even-worse-singer-than-me-i-liked-ray/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [As jazz fans, it was amusing for us to play jazz harmonies on these big, ugly electric guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/as-jazz-fans-it-was-amusing-for-us-to-play-jazz-harmonies-on-these/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [It's great to know that our old stuff still sounds good to our fans, just as it's wonderful to think that we've turned a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/it-s-great-to-know-that-our-old-stuff-still-sounds-good-to-our-fans/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [What do you do with what you're given, and how do you transform it into something worthwhile?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/what-do-you-do-with-what-you-re-given-and-how-do-you-transform-it/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [We don't think of ourselves as being perfectionists, really. To us it's more about desperately trying to have it sound more or less OK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/we-don-t-think-of-ourselves-as-being-perfectionists-really-to-us-it-s/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [What a beautiful world this will be What a glorious time to be free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/what-a-beautiful-world-this-will-be-what-a-glorious-time-to-be-free/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [“I started going to jazz clubs in New York when I was twelve or thirteen, first with my older cousins Mike and Jack, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/i-started-going-to-jazz-clubs-in-new-york-when-i-was-twelve-or/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [Anthemic rock music is inherently fascist - anything intended to move huge masses of people is politically offensive to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/anthemic-rock-music-is-inherently-fascist-anything-intended-to-move/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [I don't think you can escape the environment we live in now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/i-don-t-think-you-can-escape-the-environment-we-live-in-now/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [I tried to grow up. Honest. Didn’t quite happen. I guess I’m someone for whom youth still seems more real than the present, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/i-tried-to-grow-up-honest-didn-t-quite-happen-i-guess-i-m-someone-for/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [We're not getting any younger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/we-re-not-getting-any-younger/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) [Explore all 26 Donald Fagen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Popularity has everything to do with business and nothing to do with music.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald Fagen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/popularity-has-everything-to-do-with-business-and-nothing-to-do-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Business" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/popularity-has-everything-to-do-with-business-and-nothing-to-do-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/donald-fagen-23315_business_popularity-has-everything-to-do-with-bus_1271730.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/donald-fagen-23315_business_popularity-has-everything-to-do-with-bus_1271730.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/donald-fagen-23315_business_popularity-has-everything-to-do-with-bus_1271730.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Popularity has everything to do with business and nothing to do with music.” — Donald Fagen", "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": "Donald Fagen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Popularity has everything to do with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/popularity-has-everything-to-do-with-business-and-nothing-to-do-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/popularity-has-everything-to-do-with-business-and-nothing-to-do-with/#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 } } ] } ```