Art Quote by Ellen Willis
“What cultural revolutionaries do not seem to grasp is that, far from being a grass-roots art form that has been taken over by businessmen, rock itself comes from the commercial exploitation of the blues.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Rock and the Blues, 1979
Rock music’s roots are commercial, not purely grassroots.
In simple terms: Rock stems from commercial blues.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge music’s economic origins.
Themes
culture
music
commercialism
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
critical
historical
When to use this quote
- music industry
- genre evolution
Key Concepts
cultural appropriation
artistic authenticity
Questions to Reflect On
- How does commercial origin affect authenticity?
- Can grassroots and commercial coexist?
A Different Perspective
Commercial narratives can overlook artistic merit.
![“I would say [to my father], "Why don't you actually take some courses in physics instead of saying [you are not believing in gravity]?" But he would never do it. Businessmen for some reason or other, think, because they're successful in a single direction, that they know everything. You know what…” quote by Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e7b/paul-laffoley-7077_believe_i-would-say-to-my-father-why-don-t-you-a_374065.jpg)
