--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've never believed in cheapening music…" description: "\"I've never believed in cheapening music by going according to what some people think is public taste.\" — Les Baxter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/les-baxter-27455_music_i-ve-never-believed-in-cheapening-music_2222120.png" --- # I've never believed in cheapening music by going according… ![“I've never believed in cheapening music by going according to what some people think is public taste.” quote by Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/les-baxter-27455_music_i-ve-never-believed-in-cheapening-music_2222120.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/les-baxter-27455_music_i-ve-never-believed-in-cheapening-music_2222120.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/les-baxter-27455_music_i-ve-never-believed-in-cheapening-music_2222120.png) > “I've never believed in cheapening music by going according to what some people think is public taste.” [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He rejects the idea that music should be altered to match popular trends, valuing artistic integrity over commercial pressure. **In simple terms:** Music should stay true, not be cheapened for mass appeal. Key Takeaway Preserve your artistic vision. Themes artistic integrity commercialism creativity Mood defiant principled Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - songwriting - album production - live performance - music education Key Concepts authenticity cultural value Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance authenticity with audience expectations? - What pressures influence your creative choices? A Different Perspective Compromise may be needed to reach wider audience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [According People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/according-people-1364431/) [Believed Cheapening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believed-cheapening-4964097/) [Cheapening Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheapening-music-4964096/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-going/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Public Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-taste-406296/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“You must learn how to act according to what people say and do, not what they wish or fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helene-wecker/you-must-learn-how-to-act-according-to-what-people-say-and-do-not/) [Helene Wecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helene-wecker/) > [“Be true to yourself and don't live your life according to other people's dreams and wants.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambra-celeste/be-true-to-yourself-and-don-t-live-your-life-according-to-other/) [Ambra Celeste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambra-celeste/) > [People always make this totally artificial distinction between what is commercial and what is good. They quote that maxim "Nobody ever lost money underestimating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/people-always-make-this-totally-artificial-distinction-between-what/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Those who say they (television) give the public what it wants begin by underestimating public taste, and end by debauching it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/those-who-say-they-television-give-the-public-what-it-wants-begin-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The things that have been most popular with people have always been a total surprise, and so I've never felt like I could really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ervin-beam/the-things-that-have-been-most-popular-with-people-have-always-been-a/) [Samuel Ervin Beam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ervin-beam/) > [I am pleased with the exhibition... everything on display was sold for a good price to decent people. It has been a long time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/i-am-pleased-with-the-exhibition-everything-on-display-was-sold-for-a/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [“Charging commercial institutions with failure to educate public taste is an indulgence from which intellectuals will only be deterred when they grasp that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-watson/charging-commercial-institutions-with-failure-to-educate-public-taste/) [Colin Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-watson/) > [Discussions of Western civilization are too often confined to works of high art that reflect a relatively narrow element of public taste and experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/discussions-of-western-civilization-are-too-often-confined-to-works/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [If the work is poor, the public taste will soon do it justice. And the author, reaping neither glory nor fortune, will learn by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-louis-david/if-the-work-is-poor-the-public-taste-will-soon-do-it-justice-and-the/) [Jacques-Louis David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-louis-david/) > [You've got to change with the public's taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/you-ve-got-to-change-with-the-public-s-taste/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [It is precisely those artists and writers who are most inclined to think of their art as the manifestation of their personality who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/it-is-precisely-those-artists-and-writers-who-are-most-inclined-to/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [The syllogism art for art's sake refers to that kind of painting which disregards, or is contrary to, public taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-j-phillips/the-syllogism-art-for-art-s-sake-refers-to-that-kind-of-painting/) [Walter J. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-j-phillips/) > [The adult public's taste is not necessarily ready to accept the logical solutions to their requirements if the solution implies too vast a departure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-loewy/the-adult-public-s-taste-is-not-necessarily-ready-to-accept-the/) [Raymond Loewy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-loewy/) > [Those who say they give the public what it wants begin by underestimating public taste and end by debauching it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/those-who-say-they-give-the-public-what-it-wants-begin-by/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [An actor should refine public taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/an-actor-should-refine-public-taste/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) ## More by Les Baxter > [Any good music must be an innovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/any-good-music-must-be-an-innovation/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [That was when the Spanish came in and conquered the Aztecs. I thought that was a clever thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/that-was-when-the-spanish-came-in-and-conquered-the-aztecs-i-thought/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [I don't try to make 15 musicians sound like two each.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/i-don-t-try-to-make-15-musicians-sound-like-two-each/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [I love doing concert music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/i-love-doing-concert-music/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [I did the Broadway album unfortunately in a year when there were no hits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/i-did-the-broadway-album-unfortunately-in-a-year-when-there-were-no/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [When I want 30 musicians in the orchestra, I get 30.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/when-i-want-30-musicians-in-the-orchestra-i-get-30/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [In a sense, a hit belongs to the person who made it popular, but if a tune is good enough to attain tremendous success,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/in-a-sense-a-hit-belongs-to-the-person-who-made-it-popular-but-if-a/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [Under my contract with Capitol, I have complete freedom to do just about anything I want in my own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/under-my-contract-with-capitol-i-have-complete-freedom-to-do-just/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [Well, thats the secret of commerciality, a simple style and you stick with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/well-thats-the-secret-of-commerciality-a-simple-style-and-you-stick/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [Well, that's the secret of commerciality, a simple style and you stick with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/well-that-s-the-secret-of-commerciality-a-simple-style-and-you-stick/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [I'm not an intellectual composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/i-m-not-an-intellectual-composer/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [I don't think the record company is aware of it. Because they just bury my albums and don't release them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/i-don-t-think-the-record-company-is-aware-of-it-because-they-just/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [Regardless of who originally made it popular, any hit song becomes a challenge to the ingenuity and imagination of other musicians and performers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/regardless-of-who-originally-made-it-popular-any-hit-song-becomes-a/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [I don't know what the problem with Capitol is. Some one's got to wake 'em up. Prod 'em a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/i-don-t-know-what-the-problem-with-capitol-is-some-one-s-got-to-wake/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [I write emotional music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/i-write-emotional-music/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) [Explore all 20 Les Baxter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) ## More Music quotes > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I'm at the edge of the world, Where do I go from here? Do I disappear? Edge of the world, Should I sink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/i-m-at-the-edge-of-the-world-where-do-i-go-from-here-do-i-disappear/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) > [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/) [Hubert Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-laws/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [ “Downloading's the same as what I used to do. I used to tape the charts of the songs I liked \[off the radio\]. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-gallagher/downloading-s-the-same-as-what-i-used-to-do-i-used-to-tape-the-charts/) [Liam Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-gallagher/) > [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I want people to hear my lyrics and my melodies and say, 'That dude's in pain.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/i-want-people-to-hear-my-lyrics-and-my-melodies-and-say-that-dude-s/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [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 received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) [Browse all 55,293 Music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've never believed in cheapening music by going according to what some people think is public taste.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Les Baxter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/i-ve-never-believed-in-cheapening-music-by-going-according-to-what/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Music" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/i-ve-never-believed-in-cheapening-music-by-going-according-to-what/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/les-baxter-27455_music_i-ve-never-believed-in-cheapening-music_2222120.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/les-baxter-27455_music_i-ve-never-believed-in-cheapening-music_2222120.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/les-baxter-27455_music_i-ve-never-believed-in-cheapening-music_2222120.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've never believed in cheapening music by going according to what some people think is public taste.” — Les Baxter", "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": "Les Baxter", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've never believed in cheapening music...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/i-ve-never-believed-in-cheapening-music-by-going-according-to-what/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/i-ve-never-believed-in-cheapening-music-by-going-according-to-what/#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 } } ] } ```