--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Relevance is a big, big question. It's…" description: "\"Relevance is a big, big question. It's more about what's your definition of being relevant. In the music world, agism is a big issue. It's about youth ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/larry-mullen-jr-28171_age_relevance-is-a-big-big-question-it-s-mor_1620187.png" --- # Relevance is a big, big question. It's more about what's… ![“Relevance is a big, big question. It's more about what's your definition of being relevant. In the music world, agism is a big issue. It's about youth and youth culture. There's no other art form that I know that requires you to be a certain age.” quote by Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/larry-mullen-jr-28171_age_relevance-is-a-big-big-question-it-s-mor_1620187.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/larry-mullen-jr-28171_age_relevance-is-a-big-big-question-it-s-mor_1620187.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/larry-mullen-jr-28171_age_relevance-is-a-big-big-question-it-s-mor_1620187.png) > “Relevance is a big, big question. It's more about what's your definition of being relevant. In the music world, agism is a big issue. It's about youth and youth culture. There's no other art form that I know that requires you to be a certain age.” [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights age‑based bias in music, questioning relevance and cultural expectations. **In simple terms:** Age can limit relevance in music culture. Key Takeaway Challenge ageism, value talent over age. Themes ageism relevance culture Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical social When to use this quote - talent evaluation - marketing strategies - youth culture - career longevity Key Concepts generational bias industry standards Questions to Reflect On - How does age affect your perception of music? - What can the industry do to reduce age bias? A Different Perspective May overlook merit of experience and wisdom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-form/) [Big questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-questions/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-world/) [Relevance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relevance/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) [Youth culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth-culture/) ## Related quotes > [I'm just trying to survive and stay relevant! That's all anyone in the music business can ask for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-tin/i-m-just-trying-to-survive-and-stay-relevant-that-s-all-anyone-in-the/) [Christopher Tin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-tin/) > [I promised myself as a kid that I would not become that guy. So I have my finger on the pulse of what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-bunting/i-promised-myself-as-a-kid-that-i-would-not-become-that-guy-so-i-have/) [Shane Bunting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-bunting/) > [I'm just kind of a hippie. Age is not that relevant to the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-malkmus/i-m-just-kind-of-a-hippie-age-is-not-that-relevant-to-the-music/) [Stephen Malkmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-malkmus/) > [Italy is not widely thought of as a pioneer of youth culture in the way, say, the UK is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-armani/italy-is-not-widely-thought-of-as-a-pioneer-of-youth-culture-in-the/) [Giorgio Armani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-armani/) > [“Maybe you feel as if there were nothing better in the world than driving in a car, listening to music with friends, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hua-hsu/maybe-you-feel-as-if-there-were-nothing-better-in-the-world-than/) Hua Hsu > [I was young, so I was part of youth culture. The years went by, I became older and no longer part of youth culture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/i-was-young-so-i-was-part-of-youth-culture-the-years-went-by-i-became/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [The ethical life... is maintained in being by a common culture, which also upholds the togetherness of society... Unlike the modern youth culture, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/the-ethical-life-is-maintained-in-being-by-a-common-culture-which/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“Although a youth culture was in evidence by the 1950s, the first obvious and dramatic manifestation of a culture generated by peer-orientation was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/although-a-youth-culture-was-in-evidence-by-the-1950s-the-first/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [The things that I draw on, and the world that I feel part of, aren't particularly youth culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wyatt/the-things-that-i-draw-on-and-the-world-that-i-feel-part-of-aren-t/) [Robert Wyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wyatt/) > [So I get all the references and I totally get the humor and it's really fun. This - it's kind of a mash up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/so-i-get-all-the-references-and-i-totally-get-the-humor-and-it-s/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [“Concurrently, the growing class power and public voice of conservative and liberal well-to-do black folks easily obscures the class cruelty these individuals enact both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/concurrently-the-growing-class-power-and-public-voice-of-conservative/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Since the 1960s, mainstream media has searched out and co-opted the most authentic things it could find in youth culture, whether that was psychedelic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/since-the-1960s-mainstream-media-has-searched-out-and-co-opted-the/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“10. What books would you recommend to an aspiring entrepreneur? Some quick favorites: The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/10-what-books-would-you-recommend-to-an-aspiring-entrepreneur-some/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [As an advocate for kids for over twenty years, I have watched things change since I was in school. Thankfully, this book made me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-fields/as-an-advocate-for-kids-for-over-twenty-years-i-have-watched-things/) Doug Fields > [The 1970s, the decade of my teenage years, was a transitional period in American youth culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-allin-cornell/the-1970s-the-decade-of-my-teenage-years-was-a-transitional-period-in/) [Eric Allin Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-allin-cornell/) ## More by Larry Mullen, Jr > [The longer you've been acting, normally, the better you are at it. As a musician, it doesn't work like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/the-longer-you-ve-been-acting-normally-the-better-you-are-at-it-as-a/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [I've often thought that it would be great to do some acting because nobody would think that I would be able to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/i-ve-often-thought-that-it-would-be-great-to-do-some-acting-because/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [I don't think anybody could imagine the life that I've been lucky enough to have. It's been an incredible journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/i-don-t-think-anybody-could-imagine-the-life-that-i-ve-been-lucky/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [The big issue with rock stars becoming actors is that sometimes it's not believable, and vice versa with actors becoming rock stars. Sometimes just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/the-big-issue-with-rock-stars-becoming-actors-is-that-sometimes-it-s/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [There's a thin line between interesting music and self-indulgence. We crossed it on the Passengers record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/there-s-a-thin-line-between-interesting-music-and-self-indulgence-we/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [I will never be a career actor, I don't think. I don't feel that I have the skill set to jump into it that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/i-will-never-be-a-career-actor-i-don-t-think-i-don-t-feel-that-i-have/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [We all have views on what our Irishness means to us. Two members of the band were born in England and were raised in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/we-all-have-views-on-what-our-irishness-means-to-us-two-members-of/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [And if I had to spend 20 years in the band just to play that show, and have done that, I think it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/and-if-i-had-to-spend-20-years-in-the-band-just-to-play-that-show-and/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [Unfortunately, as far as the music is concerned, what defines relevance is whether you are on the radio or whether you are on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/unfortunately-as-far-as-the-music-is-concerned-what-defines-relevance/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [Relevance, for me, is about being creative and doing things that you believe in, whether that's music or acting or painting a picture, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/relevance-for-me-is-about-being-creative-and-doing-things-that-you/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [And if I had to spend 20 years in the band just to play that show, I think it would have been worthwhile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/and-if-i-had-to-spend-20-years-in-the-band-just-to-play-that-show-i/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [Then Bono arrived, and he meant to play the guitar, but he couldn't play very well, so he started to sing. He couldn't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/then-bono-arrived-and-he-meant-to-play-the-guitar-but-he-couldn-t/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [People say, 'Why don't you do interviews? What do you think about this? What do you think about that?' My job in the band…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/people-say-why-don-t-you-do-interviews-what-do-you-think-about-this/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [The only thing I wouldn't like to do is to play roles as a musician. I'm not sure that I would be comfortable doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/the-only-thing-i-wouldn-t-like-to-do-is-to-play-roles-as-a-musician-i/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) > [It doesn't matter what songs we sing. I'm a drummer. Chicks dig me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mullen-jr/it-doesn-t-matter-what-songs-we-sing-i-m-a-drummer-chicks-dig-me/) [Larry Mullen, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) [Explore all 19 Larry Mullen, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mullen-jr/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Relevance is a big, big question. It's more about what's your definition of being relevant. In the music world, agism is a big issue. It's about youth and youth culture. 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