Music Quote by Lester Bangs
““It's not enough just to do those things anymore; what you must do instead if you want success on any large scale is either figure out a way of getting yourself associated in the audience's mind with their pieties and their sense of 'community,' i.e. ram it home that you're one of THEM; or, alternately, deck and bake yourself into an image configuration so blatant or outrageous that you become a culture myth.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Music journalism, 1990
Success at scale requires aligning with audience values or creating a bold, mythic persona that dominates culture.
In simple terms: Align or become a cultural myth.
Key Takeaway
Connect with community or become unforgettable.
Themes
marketing
culture
identity
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
marketing
philosophical
When to use this quote
- brand campaigns
- artist promotion
- media strategy
Key Concepts
authenticity
mythmaking
branding
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you prefer authenticity or spectacle?
- How can a brand stay genuine while becoming iconic?
A Different Perspective
Bold myths can alienate or provoke backlash.
![“Like almost all of Beefheart's recorded work, [Trout Mask Replica] was not even "ahead" of its time in 1969. Then and now, it stands outside time, trends, fads, hypes, the rise and fall of whole genres eclectic as walking Christmas trees, constituting a genre unto itself: truly, a musical Monolith…” quote by Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aad/lester-bangs-9750_beatles_like-almost-all-of-beefheart-s-recorded_60270.jpg)
![“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 don't mind it. I hate all these big, silly rock stars who moan. At least they're fuckin' downloading your music, you cunt, and paying attention, know what I mean? You should fuckin'…” quote by Liam Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0c7/liam-gallagher-12691_liam-gallagher_downloading-s-the-same-as-what-i-used-to_369.jpg)
