--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What people don't understand is that the…" description: "\"What people don't understand is that the underground that existed was created in the early 80s and was thriving throughout the 80s. Until the industry ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/ian-mackaye-3369_enough_what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the_48875.jpg" --- # What people don't understand is that the underground that… ![“What people don't understand is that the underground that existed was created in the early 80s and was thriving throughout the 80s. Until the industry showed up it was a pretty significant network. It was all happening, but the smell of money had not wafted up high enough for the industry. It…” quote by Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/ian-mackaye-3369_enough_what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the_48875.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/ian-mackaye-3369_enough_what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the_48875.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/ian-mackaye-3369_enough_what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the_48875.jpg) > “What people don't understand is that the underground that existed was created in the early 80s and was thriving throughout the 80s. Until the industry showed up it was a pretty significant network. It was all happening, but the smell of money had not wafted up high enough for the industry. It wasn't really until they came descending on Seattle that things really got out of control.” [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes how an organic, vibrant underground music scene existed before commercial forces intervened, and how the influx of money and industry attention later disrupted its authenticity. **In simple terms:** Underground culture predated corporate influence. Key Takeaway Industry influx can corrupt grassroots movements. Themes culture music authenticity commercialization history Mood nostalgic critical reflective Type observation historical commentary When to use this quote - independent musicians forming communities - record labels scouting talent - festivals attracting corporate sponsors - local venues facing gentrification Key Concepts underground scene industry impact socioeconomic dynamics Practical Applications - documentary on music history - strategic planning for indie labels Questions to Reflect On - How does commercialization affect artistic integrity? - What mechanisms can preserve underground culture? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [80S Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/80s-industry-703301/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Industry Wasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry-wasn-328829/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Significant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significant/) [Underground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underground/) [Underground Existed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underground-existed-703297/) [Understand Underground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-underground-703299/) ## Related quotes > [For myself, I went into an industry I wasn't educated on, and I thought, 'Hey, yeah, let's do this. Awesome.' And I've really had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-bella/for-myself-i-went-into-an-industry-i-wasn-t-educated-on-and-i-thought/) [Brie Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-bella/) > [Before representing Nevada in Congress, I worked in Las Vegas as a computer programmer and systems analyst in what's been long considered a male-dominated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacky-rosen/before-representing-nevada-in-congress-i-worked-in-las-vegas-as-a/) [Jacky Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacky-rosen/) > [Before I became an actor, I was a producer and a visual effects supervisor. Our industry wasn't making the kind of films I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rana-daggubati/before-i-became-an-actor-i-was-a-producer-and-a-visual-effects/) [Rana Daggubati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rana-daggubati/) > [I didn't really care about the entertainment industry. That wasn't my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-france/i-didn-t-really-care-about-the-entertainment-industry-that-wasn-t-my/) [Tan France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-france/) > [When I got into the music industry, I wasn't focused on being the most famous artist or even getting a major record deal. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/when-i-got-into-the-music-industry-i-wasn-t-focused-on-being-the-most/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I like Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Common. But I like the underground stuff like Young Jeezy, Black Rob and Shine. I also love heavy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanilla-ice/i-like-jay-z-50-cent-and-common-but-i-like-the-underground-stuff-like/) [Vanilla Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanilla-ice/) > [What a curious picture it is to find man, homo sapiens, of divine origin, we are told, seriously considering going underground to escape the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/what-a-curious-picture-it-is-to-find-man-homo-sapiens-of-divine/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [“When he had first arrived, he had found London huge, odd, fundamentally incomprehensible, with only the Tube map, that elegant multicolored topographical display of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/when-he-had-first-arrived-he-had-found-london-huge-odd-fundamentally/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [In many ways, my entire graphic novel career was a long diversion. Originally, all I wanted to do was to be an underground cartoonist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/in-many-ways-my-entire-graphic-novel-career-was-a-long-diversion/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [Nailbomb was never really a big record. It's big in the underground. It's huge and it developed a big cult following.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-cavalera/nailbomb-was-never-really-a-big-record-it-s-big-in-the-underground-it/) [Max Cavalera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-cavalera/) > [When I was very little, I was into Michael Jackson. At six or seven, it was Madonna, but she's not what she used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lykke-li/when-i-was-very-little-i-was-into-michael-jackson-at-six-or-seven-it/) [Lykke Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lykke-li/) > [The challenge artists face today is whether to be an underground, unheard genius, or to dilute their art for the marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-challenge-artists-face-today-is-whether-to-be-an-underground/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Couples without kids have each other, their friends, families, and Siri to talk to. It's not like they're quarantining themselves in an underground bunker,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/couples-without-kids-have-each-other-their-friends-families-and-siri/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [We been bubblin' in the Los Angeles underground for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xzibit/we-been-bubblin-in-the-los-angeles-underground-for-years/) [Xzibit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xzibit/) > [I was young, but to me that was underground music. I had never heard anything like Venom or any of that stuff growing up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pajo/i-was-young-but-to-me-that-was-underground-music-i-had-never-heard/) [David Pajo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pajo/) ## More by Ian MacKaye > [Truth is, right now two bombs could drop out of the sky and blow up this house and whatever building you're in and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/truth-is-right-now-two-bombs-could-drop-out-of-the-sky-and-blow-up/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I think it's my nature to engage in things that are more difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-think-it-s-my-nature-to-engage-in-things-that-are-more-difficult/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [The thing is, people can't complain about profit-oriented moves if they're only interested in profit themselves. You can't have it both ways. If they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/the-thing-is-people-can-t-complain-about-profit-oriented-moves-if/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I think that people are constantly thinking about capturing things that they're not actually present for the moment they're trying to capture. I'm quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-think-that-people-are-constantly-thinking-about-capturing-things/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [ I'd much rather talk to a 30-year old that survived rough times in their lives \[practicing Straight Edge\] rather than someone that was harmed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-d-much-rather-talk-to-a-30-year-old-that-survived-rough-times-in/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [ For most people who have or who do identify as or with \[song\] Straight Edge, I feel like for most people, they're just trying… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/for-most-people-who-have-or-who-do-identify-as-or-with-song-straight/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [The Corcoran show was actually almost a reportage. The exhibit was, in many ways, pretty unique. It was one of the first pieces about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/the-corcoran-show-was-actually-almost-a-reportage-the-exhibit-was-in/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [The Fugazi Live Series site, when we realized the Internet, the way it works - the speeds and its development - made it possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/the-fugazi-live-series-site-when-we-realized-the-internet-the-way-it/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I'm always happy when I hear about people selling records or selling books or selling movies. It makes me proud of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-m-always-happy-when-i-hear-about-people-selling-records-or-selling/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [An unlocked door means that, occasionally, you might get a devil come in, but a locked door means you have thousands of angels just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/an-unlocked-door-means-that-occasionally-you-might-get-a-devil-come/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I consider the piano my 'main' instrument and have been playing for as long as I can remember. It seems to me that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-consider-the-piano-my-main-instrument-and-have-been-playing-for-as/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I work so I don't need to make rent through my songs, and I think if more people engaged with music without needing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-work-so-i-don-t-need-to-make-rent-through-my-songs-and-i-think-if/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [Guy Picciotto had a really sound point: Live albums basically have bands playing songs that are available on studio records, and what example can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/guy-picciotto-had-a-really-sound-point-live-albums-basically-have/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I think that the idea of straight edge, the song that I wrote, and the way people have related it it, there's some people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-think-that-the-idea-of-straight-edge-the-song-that-i-wrote-and-the/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [There's also a lot of skateboard stuff, because I was a skateboarder. Somewhere around here I have one of my original boards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/there-s-also-a-lot-of-skateboard-stuff-because-i-was-a-skateboarder/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) [Explore all 132 Ian MacKaye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) ## More Enough quotes > [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) [Rena Kornreich Gelissen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rena-kornreich-gelissen/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/) [James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) [Browse all 23,898 Enough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What people don't understand is that the underground that existed was created in the early 80s and was thriving throughout the 80s. Until the industry showed up it was a pretty significant network. It was all happening, but the smell of money had not wafted up high enough for the industry. It wasn't really until they came descending on Seattle that things really got out of control.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ian MacKaye" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the-underground-that-existed-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enough" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the-underground-that-existed-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/ian-mackaye-3369_enough_what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the_48875.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/ian-mackaye-3369_enough_what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the_48875.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/ian-mackaye-3369_enough_what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the_48875.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What people don't understand is that the underground that existed was created in the early 80s and was…” — Ian MacKaye", "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": "Ian MacKaye", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What people don't understand is that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the-underground-that-existed-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the-underground-that-existed-was/#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 } } ] } ```