--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I mean, rock 'n' roll is based on the…" description: "\"I mean, rock 'n' roll is based on the blues, whether people want to know that or not.\" — Dusty Hill" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/dusty-hill-7832_blues_i-mean-rock-n-roll-is-based-on-the-blues_1510687.jpg" --- # I mean, rock 'n' roll is based on the blues, whether… ![“I mean, rock 'n' roll is based on the blues, whether people want to know that or not.” quote by Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/dusty-hill-7832_blues_i-mean-rock-n-roll-is-based-on-the-blues_1510687.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/dusty-hill-7832_blues_i-mean-rock-n-roll-is-based-on-the-blues_1510687.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/dusty-hill-7832_blues_i-mean-rock-n-roll-is-based-on-the-blues_1510687.jpg) > “I mean, rock 'n' roll is based on the blues, whether people want to know that or not.” [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rock music derives fundamentally from blues structures, regardless of listeners’ awareness. **In simple terms:** Rock is built on blues roots. Key Takeaway Recognize the blues influence in rock. Themes music history influence genre origins Mood reflective educational Type analytical historical When to use this quote - songwriting - music education - genre analysis Key Concepts cultural transmission musical lineage Questions to Reflect On - How does knowing the blues roots change your listening? - Can you hear blues patterns in contemporary rock? A Different Perspective Blues origins may be obscured by modern production. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock/) ## Related quotes > [If they played more blues, people would just get it - they try to hold it back but just about can't hold it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-hooker/if-they-played-more-blues-people-would-just-get-it-they-try-to-hold/) [John Lee Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-hooker/) > [Blues purists never cared for me. I don't worry about it. I think if it this way: When I made 'Three O' Clock Blues,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/blues-purists-never-cared-for-me-i-don-t-worry-about-it-i-think-if-it/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) > [We're blues people. And blues never lets tragedy have the last word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/we-re-blues-people-and-blues-never-lets-tragedy-have-the-last-word/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [My own musical background is based in the blues, and in classical composition. I grew up listening to Muddy Waters, John Coltrane, Miles Davis,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/my-own-musical-background-is-based-in-the-blues-and-in-classical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [When you look at so much of what we all love, there's either soul-based to it, or it's the blues. It's really the beginnings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/when-you-look-at-so-much-of-what-we-all-love-there-s-either-soul/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [My influences were the riff-based blues coming from Chicago in the Fifties - Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Billy Boy Arnold records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-page/my-influences-were-the-riff-based-blues-coming-from-chicago-in-the/) [Jimmy Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-page/) > [I think we as a band, as individuals, understand that all popular music stems from blues and jazz and even pop, but rock 'n'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/i-think-we-as-a-band-as-individuals-understand-that-all-popular-music/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [Blues is a big part of rock and roll. The best rock and roll got its birth in the blues. You hear it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-young/blues-is-a-big-part-of-rock-and-roll-the-best-rock-and-roll-got-its/) [Angus Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-young/) > [The first time I met the blues People, you know I was walkin' down through the woods. Yes, the first time I met the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-guy/the-first-time-i-met-the-blues-people-you-know-i-was-walkin-down/) [Buddy Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-guy/) > [I think the blues will always be around. People need it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-winter/i-think-the-blues-will-always-be-around-people-need-it/) [Johnny Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-winter/) > [I'm certain that it was an incredible gift for me to not only be friends with some of the greatest blues people who've ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/i-m-certain-that-it-was-an-incredible-gift-for-me-to-not-only-be/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [Comedy is the blues for people who can’t sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/comedy-is-the-blues-for-people-who-can-t-sing/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [Rock & roll seemed to just come to us, on the radio and in the record stores. It became our music. . . But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/rock-roll-seemed-to-just-come-to-us-on-the-radio-and-in-the-record/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [For guitar players especially, blues is the foundation of rock and roll. You take country music and rock and roll and jazz and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/for-guitar-players-especially-blues-is-the-foundation-of-rock-and/) [Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/) > [A lot of my friends, they think I grew up to rock and roll, but I didn't. I grew up to Hank Williams, Jimmy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dion-dimucci/a-lot-of-my-friends-they-think-i-grew-up-to-rock-and-roll-but-i-didn/) [Dion DiMucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dion-dimucci/) ## More by Dusty Hill > [I don't know if it was a single-blade or one of those straight-edge razors, but I used to play in bands that were, like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/i-don-t-know-if-it-was-a-single-blade-or-one-of-those-straight-edge/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [I was 19 or 20 the last time I shaved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/i-was-19-or-20-the-last-time-i-shaved/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [Every album is unto itself, so whatever sounds we need to come up with, like way back when, we needed horns. So we invented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/every-album-is-unto-itself-so-whatever-sounds-we-need-to-come-up-with/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [Vegas to me is a place like Hollywood or New York where you can walk around and people recognize you but it's like, hey,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/vegas-to-me-is-a-place-like-hollywood-or-new-york-where-you-can-walk/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [I love recording and I love everything - videos, everything like that - but playing live is what does it for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/i-love-recording-and-i-love-everything-videos-everything-like-that/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [We're serious musicians. And we dont want our shows to be circuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/we-re-serious-musicians-and-we-dont-want-our-shows-to-be-circuses/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [Today, there's so many different types of music out there that it's difficult to keep up. Things do change; it's only natural.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/today-there-s-so-many-different-types-of-music-out-there-that-it-s/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [People shouldn't knock the synthesizer. It's an aid, and it depends on how you use it, just like any other instrument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/people-shouldn-t-knock-the-synthesizer-it-s-an-aid-and-it-depends-on/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [Every album has its own character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/every-album-has-its-own-character/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [People got to know us from hearing us live because there wasn't much publicity or radio airplay for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/people-got-to-know-us-from-hearing-us-live-because-there-wasn-t-much/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [All we did was take what we were and brought it forward. We obviously had a great amount of pride in being from Texas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/all-we-did-was-take-what-we-were-and-brought-it-forward-we-obviously/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [I just like to play and I'm always ready to be back onstage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/i-just-like-to-play-and-i-m-always-ready-to-be-back-onstage/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [If we found an ashtray in the studio, we'd try to play it and find a part for it in a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/if-we-found-an-ashtray-in-the-studio-we-d-try-to-play-it-and-find-a/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [We live for our concerts. We like a live appearance more than anything else about this business and it bothers us when we put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/we-live-for-our-concerts-we-like-a-live-appearance-more-than-anything/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) > [I think life is there for you to grab it and be positive. Just look for the good everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/i-think-life-is-there-for-you-to-grab-it-and-be-positive-just-look/) [Dusty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) [Explore all 87 Dusty Hill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/) ## More Blues quotes > [If they played more blues, people would just get it - they try to hold it back but just about can't hold it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-hooker/if-they-played-more-blues-people-would-just-get-it-they-try-to-hold/) [John Lee Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-hooker/) > [I love Las Vegas, but I never get a chance to play a club like the House of Blues. I guess we've graduated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walsh/i-love-las-vegas-but-i-never-get-a-chance-to-play-a-club-like-the/) [Joe Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walsh/) > [That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/that-s-the-thing-about-the-blues-it-s-one-thing-to-hit-a-note-on-a/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [“Grits Glossary blues \\’blüz\\ n: nothing but a good man singing about hardship, sorrow, and the things he’s done wrong--but sake’s alive, they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-blues-bl-z-n-nothing-but-a-good-man-singing-about/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [I guess what I like is mostly country & western or else stuff that has a real blues feel to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-guess-what-i-like-is-mostly-country-western-or-else-stuff-that-has/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [I'm a rock/blues guitar player. I'm not wanting to be a pop star or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orianthi/i-m-a-rock-blues-guitar-player-i-m-not-wanting-to-be-a-pop-star-or/) [Orianthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orianthi/) > [An element I love about the blues is jamming with other musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hoey/an-element-i-love-about-the-blues-is-jamming-with-other-musicians/) [Gary Hoey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hoey/) > [Well, I don't know how they define that. But they have this Texas blues thing blown kinda out of proportion. I am a Long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hunter/well-i-don-t-know-how-they-define-that-but-they-have-this-texas-blues/) [John Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hunter/) > [Since I was a kid, I've had an absolute obsession with particular kinds of American music. Mississippi Delta blues of the Thirties, Chicago blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/since-i-was-a-kid-i-ve-had-an-absolute-obsession-with-particular/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [James Cotton is a real blues guy, and he played with Muddy Waters, and it surprised me that they would want me to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-haden/james-cotton-is-a-real-blues-guy-and-he-played-with-muddy-waters-and/) [Charlie Haden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-haden/) > [When I discovered blues - I was 12-years-old - I didn't discover it in America where it was from; I discovered it from Fleetwood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/when-i-discovered-blues-i-was-12-years-old-i-didn-t-discover-it-in/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [Elvis deserves a lot of credit for bringing the blues to middle America, not the Vegas stuff. The early stuff, The Sun records, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tork/elvis-deserves-a-lot-of-credit-for-bringing-the-blues-to-middle/) [Peter Tork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tork/) > [Old-school rock bands, and blues bands, too, are kind of a dying breed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-rossington/old-school-rock-bands-and-blues-bands-too-are-kind-of-a-dying-breed/) [Gary Rossington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-rossington/) > [My favorite moment of the whole thing was when John Belushi suggested that I get a hold of all the blues records I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-cropper/my-favorite-moment-of-the-whole-thing-was-when-john-belushi-suggested/) [Steve Cropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-cropper/) > [I listened to King Oliver and I listened to Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp... I listened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/i-listened-to-king-oliver-and-i-listened-to-louis-armstrong-jelly/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) [Browse all 1,026 Blues quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I mean, rock 'n' roll is based on the blues, whether people want to know that or not.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dusty Hill" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/i-mean-rock-n-roll-is-based-on-the-blues-whether-people-want-to-know/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blues" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/i-mean-rock-n-roll-is-based-on-the-blues-whether-people-want-to-know/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/dusty-hill-7832_blues_i-mean-rock-n-roll-is-based-on-the-blues_1510687.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/dusty-hill-7832_blues_i-mean-rock-n-roll-is-based-on-the-blues_1510687.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/dusty-hill-7832_blues_i-mean-rock-n-roll-is-based-on-the-blues_1510687.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I mean, rock 'n' roll is based on the blues, whether people want to know that or not.” — Dusty Hill", "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": "Dusty Hill", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-hill/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I mean, rock 'n' roll is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/i-mean-rock-n-roll-is-based-on-the-blues-whether-people-want-to-know/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-hill/i-mean-rock-n-roll-is-based-on-the-blues-whether-people-want-to-know/#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 } } ] } ```