--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Regardless of who originally made it…" description: "\"Regardless of who originally made it popular, any hit song becomes a challenge to the ingenuity and imagination of other musicians and performers.\" — L..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/les-baxter-27455_challenges_regardless-of-who-originally-made-it-pop_1909931.jpg" --- # Regardless of who originally made it popular, any hit song… ![“Regardless of who originally made it popular, any hit song becomes a challenge to the ingenuity and imagination of other musicians and performers.” quote by Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/les-baxter-27455_challenges_regardless-of-who-originally-made-it-pop_1909931.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/les-baxter-27455_challenges_regardless-of-who-originally-made-it-pop_1909931.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/les-baxter-27455_challenges_regardless-of-who-originally-made-it-pop_1909931.jpg) > “Regardless of who originally made it popular, any hit song becomes a challenge to the ingenuity and imagination of other musicians and performers.” [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. A popular song challenges other artists to innovate and reinterpret it creatively. **In simple terms:** Hit songs inspire artistic competition. Key Takeaway Embrace creative challenges. Themes creativity competition music inspiration Mood enthusiastic curious Type inspirational analytical When to use this quote - songwriting - musical performance - cover versions Key Concepts artistic innovation interpretation Questions to Reflect On - How do you reinterpret a popular song? - What fuels your creative response? A Different Perspective Limited by original composition constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Ingenuity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenuity/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Performers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [Originally, 'Popular' was going to be a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-murphy/originally-popular-was-going-to-be-a-movie/) [Ryan Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-murphy/) > [Creating a decent pop song is a challenge - and occasionally, once in every decade - it's kind of fun to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/creating-a-decent-pop-song-is-a-challenge-and-occasionally-once-in/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [There's a lot of different ways that a song would be a challenge to parody. There are a lot of songs that would ostensibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/there-s-a-lot-of-different-ways-that-a-song-would-be-a-challenge-to/) [Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/) > [“HIT SONG written by Johnny Mercer during the Second World War contained the words “accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative….”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-john-templeton/hit-song-written-by-johnny-mercer-during-the-second-world-war/) [Sir John Templeton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-john-templeton/) > [Music is an emotion so you have to live with music all through your life to make one hit song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devi-sri-prasad/music-is-an-emotion-so-you-have-to-live-with-music-all-through-your/) [Devi Sri Prasad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devi-sri-prasad/) > [When you write a hit song, and you know it when it's done, it's one of the best feelings in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-rhett/when-you-write-a-hit-song-and-you-know-it-when-it-s-done-it-s-one-of/) [Thomas Rhett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-rhett/) > [If I wanted to make a quick buck, there's far easier ways of doing it. What I want is to provoke people. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/if-i-wanted-to-make-a-quick-buck-there-s-far-easier-ways-of-doing-it/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [The one hit song that I have tremendous gratitude for is Boots, because it has a life of its own. It's like being identified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-sinatra/the-one-hit-song-that-i-have-tremendous-gratitude-for-is-boots/) [Nancy Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-sinatra/) > [If you've got a good melody and a good story married together, that's a good sign for hit-song material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-campbell/if-you-ve-got-a-good-melody-and-a-good-story-married-together-that-s/) [Glen Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-campbell/) > [I think my first hit was the first song I ever wrote. I actually wrote it in 2005 in college. The title of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccall/i-think-my-first-hit-was-the-first-song-i-ever-wrote-i-actually-wrote/) [Kevin McCall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccall/) > [It's arguable whether a hit song is gonna add to the business a film does. There are plenty of films that didn't do any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hughes/it-s-arguable-whether-a-hit-song-is-gonna-add-to-the-business-a-film/) [John Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hughes/) > [Often by the time writers and producers try to get a new hit song, the industry has already moved on. Whatever you're creating might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poo-bear/often-by-the-time-writers-and-producers-try-to-get-a-new-hit-song-the/) [Poo Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poo-bear/) > [I remember people telling me that at 5 1/2 minutes long, 'Lightning Crashes' would never be a hit song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kowalczyk/i-remember-people-telling-me-that-at-5-1-2-minutes-long-lightning/) [Ed Kowalczyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kowalczyk/) > [You don't really write a hit song - you write a great song, and then, if the public decides it's a hit, they take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuno-bettencourt/you-don-t-really-write-a-hit-song-you-write-a-great-song-and-then-if/) [Nuno Bettencourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nuno-bettencourt/) > [I think taking a hookline of a hit song and making a new song is fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-kumar/i-think-taking-a-hookline-of-a-hit-song-and-making-a-new-song-is-fun/) [Tulsi Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-kumar/) ## 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/) > [I've never believed in cheapening music by going according to what some people think is public taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/i-ve-never-believed-in-cheapening-music-by-going-according-to-what/) [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 Challenges quotes > [I know for my wife and I, we always loved the idea of being young parents. It is an incredibly inspiring and challenging job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/i-know-for-my-wife-and-i-we-always-loved-the-idea-of-being-young/) [Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/) > [Our biggest challenge is to eliminate the popular perception that economists don't have anything useful to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zandi/our-biggest-challenge-is-to-eliminate-the-popular-perception-that/) [Mark Zandi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zandi/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [People in great groups have blinders on. Their work is all they see. They value failures as learning opportunities. They are optimistic, not realistic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/people-in-great-groups-have-blinders-on-their-work-is-all-they-see/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [If, as I anticipate, a wide array of personal, portable information/communication devices becomes increasingly important and widespread for information-intensive users, it will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-as-i-anticipate-a-wide-array-of-personal-portable-information/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [“Two powerful, little words I've learned to use when facing challenges, fears, and doubts— so what? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/two-powerful-little-words-i-ve-learned-to-use-when-facing-challenges/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [It's a challenge to work a character's arc into a format in which you only have a very limited amount of time to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/it-s-a-challenge-to-work-a-character-s-arc-into-a-format-in-which-you/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) > [I personally think if something's not a challenge, there's no point doing it, because you're not gonna learn much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-personally-think-if-something-s-not-a-challenge-there-s-no-point/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Men want a challenge, but they want a challenge they can win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-gaskell/men-want-a-challenge-but-they-want-a-challenge-they-can-win/) Whitney Gaskell > [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [Nobody challenges me. I challenge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakuntala-devi/nobody-challenges-me-i-challenge-myself/) [Shakuntala Devi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakuntala-devi/) > [Challenging is good, like good conversation, yes? Who wants to have dinner with the same old easy listening music sounding friends all the time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/challenging-is-good-like-good-conversation-yes-who-wants-to-have/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) [Browse all 8,851 Challenges quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Regardless of who originally made it popular, any hit song becomes a challenge to the ingenuity and imagination of other musicians and performers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Les Baxter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/regardless-of-who-originally-made-it-popular-any-hit-song-becomes-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Challenges" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/regardless-of-who-originally-made-it-popular-any-hit-song-becomes-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/les-baxter-27455_challenges_regardless-of-who-originally-made-it-pop_1909931.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/les-baxter-27455_challenges_regardless-of-who-originally-made-it-pop_1909931.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/les-baxter-27455_challenges_regardless-of-who-originally-made-it-pop_1909931.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Regardless of who originally made it popular, any hit song becomes a challenge to the ingenuity and…” — 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": "Regardless of who originally made it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/regardless-of-who-originally-made-it-popular-any-hit-song-becomes-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/regardless-of-who-originally-made-it-popular-any-hit-song-becomes-a/#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 } } ] } ```