--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Critics don't buy records. They get 'em…" description: "\"Critics don't buy records. They get 'em free.\" — Nat King Cole" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e4/nat-king-cole-15878_critics_critics-don-t-buy-records-they-get-em-fr_125209.jpg" --- # Critics don't buy records. They get 'em free. ![“Critics don't buy records. They get 'em free.” quote by Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e4/nat-king-cole-15878_critics_critics-don-t-buy-records-they-get-em-fr_125209.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e4/nat-king-cole-15878_critics_critics-don-t-buy-records-they-get-em-fr_125209.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e4/nat-king-cole-15878_critics_critics-don-t-buy-records-they-get-em-fr_125209.jpg) > “Critics don't buy records. They get 'em free.” [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critics receive music for free, so their judgments may lack the financial stakes that listeners experience. **In simple terms:** Critics review without paying. Key Takeaway Free access may bias critique. Themes criticism music industry bias valuation Mood skeptical wry Type observational When to use this quote - album reviews - music journalism Key Concepts economic incentive objectivity Practical Applications - consider critic incentives - balance with audience feedback Questions to Reflect On - Does cost influence critical honesty? - How can listeners gauge true value? A Different Perspective Free access can also enable unbiased, pure artistic assessment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [Don't pay any attention to the critics - don't even ignore them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/don-t-pay-any-attention-to-the-critics-don-t-even-ignore-them/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [If you can't tolerate critics, don't do anything new or interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-can-t-tolerate-critics-don-t-do-anything-new-or-interesting/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [The only difference between me and my critics is that I don't lie to the world about who I am. People are complicated and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-cernovich/the-only-difference-between-me-and-my-critics-is-that-i-don-t-lie-to/) [Mike Cernovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-cernovich/) > [If you want to please the critics, don't play too loud, too soft, too fast, too slow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arturo-toscanini/if-you-want-to-please-the-critics-don-t-play-too-loud-too-soft-too/) [Arturo Toscanini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arturo-toscanini/) > [I write from my soul. This is the reason that critics don't hurt me, because it is me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-write-from-my-soul-this-is-the-reason-that-critics-don-t-hurt-me/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I don't read critics, and I don't care what they say. You can't let them steal your soul. You do what the director and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blythe-danner/i-don-t-read-critics-and-i-don-t-care-what-they-say-you-can-t-let/) [Blythe Danner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blythe-danner/) > [He needs to have a strong heart, because critics don't have a heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-martinez/he-needs-to-have-a-strong-heart-because-critics-don-t-have-a-heart/) [Sergio Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-martinez/) > [I think I won't do for your business at all, but personally I have no fight with you. You can go on and save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-i-won-t-do-for-your-business-at-all-but-personally-i-have-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Critics don't want to see directors they like make too much of a left turn. That's good for criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/critics-don-t-want-to-see-directors-they-like-make-too-much-of-a-left/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [I don't have to talk about critics - I don't care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-ellis/i-don-t-have-to-talk-about-critics-i-don-t-care/) [Jill Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-ellis/) > [Most of my critics don't even listen to me; they are clueless. They just go to Web sites that report what I say out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/most-of-my-critics-don-t-even-listen-to-me-they-are-clueless-they/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Critics don't bother me because if I do badly, I know I'm bad before they even write it. And if I'm good, I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/critics-don-t-bother-me-because-if-i-do-badly-i-know-i-m-bad-before/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [Critics don't sell records, unfortunately. No one reads what they write anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/critics-don-t-sell-records-unfortunately-no-one-reads-what-they-write/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) > [The critics don't build great cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-pena/the-critics-don-t-build-great-cities/) [Federico Pena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-pena/) > [Critics I don't understand. They get too intellectual. They're not very well-versed in street talk; it takes them longer to say it. So they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/critics-i-don-t-understand-they-get-too-intellectual-they-re-not-very/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## More by Nat King Cole > [The people who know nothing about music are the ones always talking about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/the-people-who-know-nothing-about-music-are-the-ones-always-talking/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [When I first organized the King Cole Trio back in 1937, we were strictly what you would call an instrumental group. To break the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/when-i-first-organized-the-king-cole-trio-back-in-1937-we-were/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [I'm in the music business for one purpose - to make money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/i-m-in-the-music-business-for-one-purpose-to-make-money/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [Get me well so I can get on television and tell people to stop smoking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/get-me-well-so-i-can-get-on-television-and-tell-people-to-stop-smoking/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [I make no claim to being a business genius. You can make so much money in this business that it loses its value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/i-make-no-claim-to-being-a-business-genius-you-can-make-so-much-money/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [If you smile through your fear and sorrow, smile and maybe tomorrow you'll see the sun come shining through for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/if-you-smile-through-your-fear-and-sorrow-smile-and-maybe-tomorrow/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [Smile and maybe tomorrow you'll see that life is still worth while if you just smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/smile-and-maybe-tomorrow-you-ll-see-that-life-is-still-worth-while-if/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [Although it's been said many times, many ways...Merry Christmas to you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/although-it-s-been-said-many-times-many-ways-merry-christmas-to-you/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [I'm a musician at heart. I know I'm not really a singer. I couldn't compete with real singers. But I sing because the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/i-m-a-musician-at-heart-i-know-i-m-not-really-a-singer-i-couldn-t/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [“Oh, my darling, it’s incredible, that someone so unforgettable should think I am unforgettable, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/oh-my-darling-it-s-incredible-that-someone-so-unforgettable-should/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/madison-avenue-is-afraid-of-the-dark/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [Primarily I'm a meat man, although once in a while I toy with a few vegetables.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/primarily-i-m-a-meat-man-although-once-in-a-while-i-toy-with-a-few/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [The Supreme Court is having a hard time integrating schools. What chance do I have to integrate audiences?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/the-supreme-court-is-having-a-hard-time-integrating-schools-what/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [If you ever plan to motor west, travel my way, take the highway that is best. Get your kicks, on Route Sixty-six.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/if-you-ever-plan-to-motor-west-travel-my-way-take-the-highway-that-is/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [I'm not playing for other musicians. We're trying to reach the guy who works all day and wants to spend a buck at night.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/i-m-not-playing-for-other-musicians-we-re-trying-to-reach-the-guy-who/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) [Explore all 41 Nat King Cole quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) ## More Critics quotes > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Critics are biased, and so are readers. (Indeed, a critic is a bundle of biases held loosely together by a sense of taste.) But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-balliett/critics-are-biased-and-so-are-readers-indeed-a-critic-is-a-bundle-of/) Whitney Balliett > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. I think people are conditioned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tyrnauer/i-reject-criticism-because-the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-sit-there/) [Matt Tyrnauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tyrnauer/) > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [There was a cultural war going on, the '60s was going on. All the film critics were square.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/there-was-a-cultural-war-going-on-the-60s-was-going-on-all-the-film/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [Capitalists have done more good for society through their charitable giving, philanthropy and generosity than all their critics combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/capitalists-have-done-more-good-for-society-through-their-charitable/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [I get that the media wants us to play theater critics and critique every other proposal. What I'm focusing on are my own policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-get-that-the-media-wants-us-to-play-theater-critics-and-critique/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The Yippies, their lifestyle is different from mine. But I consider Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman inspired critics of the kind of society that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dellinger/the-yippies-their-lifestyle-is-different-from-mine-but-i-consider/) [David Dellinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dellinger/) > [This one goes out to all my critics: don't you feel stupid? Look how I did it. Look how it came to pass when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/this-one-goes-out-to-all-my-critics-don-t-you-feel-stupid-look-how-i/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [There's a lot of stuff I want to do, just things that I want to explore that don't involve show business. I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/there-s-a-lot-of-stuff-i-want-to-do-just-things-that-i-want-to/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/whatever-course-you-decide-upon-there-is-always-someone-to-tell-you/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-likely-to-disappear-in-a/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [David Rockefeller is the most conspicuous representative today of the ruling class, a multinational fraternity of men who shape the global economy and manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/david-rockefeller-is-the-most-conspicuous-representative-today-of-the/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [The boundaries between contemporary art and cinema are so rigid. It's unbelievable. The film critics don't know my artwork and the art world doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/the-boundaries-between-contemporary-art-and-cinema-are-so-rigid-it-s/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [A certain type of critic doesn't really want French movies to be visual. They think movies started from books and they forgot this part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-tautou/a-certain-type-of-critic-doesn-t-really-want-french-movies-to-be/) [Audrey Tautou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-tautou/) Browse all 2,637 Critics quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Critics don't buy records. 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