The best quotes about music from famous musicians

"I would love to continue in music, with writing... but I am not the kind of person who will hang around if I start to become irrelevant. If that happens, I will bow down gracefully, raise my kids, and have a garden. And I am going to let my hair go gray when I'm older. I don't need to be blonde when I'm 60!"

7 / 29 Fotos

Johnny Rotten -

"Music can describe emotions far more accurately than words ever can. As soon as I realized that, I knew music was where I wanted to be."

8 / 29 Fotos

Elton John -

"At heart I've always been a music fan. That part of me has never changed since I was a little kid, sitting in a room watching a record go round, looking at the color of the labels."

9 / 29 Fotos

Billy Joel -

"I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music."

10 / 29 Fotos

Ray Charles (1930–2004) -

"My music had roots which I'd dug up from my own childhood, musical roots buried in the darkest soil."

11 / 29 Fotos

Billie Eilish -

"I don't know how to function without music. When I'm not making it, I'm listening to it. It gives me courage and takes care of my mind."

12 / 29 Fotos

Herbie Hancock -

"Music happens to be an art form that transcends language."

13 / 29 Fotos

Paul Simon -

"Music is forever, music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die."

14 / 29 Fotos

Bob Dylan -

"This land is your land and this land is my land, sure, but the world is run by those that never listen to music anyway."

15 / 29 Fotos

Missy Elliott -

"Music should be your escape."

16 / 29 Fotos

Eddie Van Halen (1955-2020) -

"If you want to be a rock star or just be famous, then run down the street naked, you'll make the news or something. But if you want music to be your livelihood, then play, play, play, and play! And eventually you'll get to where you want to."

17 / 29 Fotos

Pharrell Williams -

"I'm a fan of music, first and foremost. So I do things from the perspective of a fan."

18 / 29 Fotos

Bryan Ferry -

"You can never get silence anywhere nowadays, have you noticed? But when you get music and words together, that can be a very powerful thing."

19 / 29 Fotos

David Bowie (1947–2016) -

"I had to resign myself, many years ago, that I'm not too articulate when it comes to explaining how I feel about things. But my music does it for me, it really does."

20 / 29 Fotos

Stevie Wonder -

"Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories. And the longer a song has existed in our lives, the more memories we have of it."

21 / 29 Fotos

Dolly Parton -

"If you talk bad about country music, it's like saying bad things about my momma. Them's fightin' words."

22 / 29 Fotos

Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) -

"Music makes me high on stage, and that's the truth. It's like being almost addicted to music."

23 / 29 Fotos

Cardi B -

"Music never felt like a job."

24 / 29 Fotos

Bruce Springsteen -

"All I try to do is to write music that feels meaningful to me, that has commitment and passion behind it."

25 / 29 Fotos

Frank Zappa (1940–1993) -

"There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another."

26 / 29 Fotos

John Lennon (1940–1980) -

"If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry.'"

27 / 29 Fotos

Prince (1958–2016) -

"What's missing from pop music is danger."

28 / 29 Fotos

Getty Images

0 / 29 Fotos

Kurt Cobain (1967–1994) -

Getty Images

1 / 29 Fotos

Chris Martin -

"I just want to make the best music of all time with my best friends."

Getty Images

2 / 29 Fotos

Shakira -

"The worst frustration for a singer is choosing a career in making music and then not being able to make music because you're always giving interviews."

Getty Images

3 / 29 Fotos

Snoop Dog -

"I love making music and I'm falling in love with making records, so it's like having two girlfriends. But I can handle it."

Getty Images

4 / 29 Fotos

Lady Gaga -

"When you make music or write or create, it's really your job to have mind-blowing, irresponsible, condomless sex with whatever idea it is you're writing about at the time."

Getty Images

5 / 29 Fotos

Elvis Presley (1935–1977) -

"I don't know anything about music. In my line [of work] you don't have to."

Getty Images

6 / 29 Fotos

Taylor Swift -

Getty Images

7 / 29 Fotos

Johnny Rotten -

"Music can describe emotions far more accurately than words ever can. As soon as I realized that, I knew music was where I wanted to be."

Getty Images

8 / 29 Fotos

Elton John -

"At heart I've always been a music fan. That part of me has never changed since I was a little kid, sitting in a room watching a record go round, looking at the color of the labels."

Getty Images

9 / 29 Fotos

Billy Joel -

"I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music."

Getty Images

10 / 29 Fotos

Ray Charles (1930–2004) -

"My music had roots which I'd dug up from my own childhood, musical roots buried in the darkest soil."

Getty Images

11 / 29 Fotos

Billie Eilish -

"I don't know how to function without music. When I'm not making it, I'm listening to it. It gives me courage and takes care of my mind."

Getty Images

12 / 29 Fotos

Herbie Hancock -

"Music happens to be an art form that transcends language."

Getty Images

13 / 29 Fotos

Paul Simon -

"Music is forever, music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die."

Getty Images

14 / 29 Fotos

Bob Dylan -

"This land is your land and this land is my land, sure, but the world is run by those that never listen to music anyway."

Getty Images

15 / 29 Fotos

Missy Elliott -

"Music should be your escape."

Getty Images

16 / 29 Fotos

Eddie Van Halen (1955-2020) -

Getty Images

17 / 29 Fotos

Pharrell Williams -

"I'm a fan of music, first and foremost. So I do things from the perspective of a fan."

Getty Images

18 / 29 Fotos

Bryan Ferry -

"You can never get silence anywhere nowadays, have you noticed? But when you get music and words together, that can be a very powerful thing."

Getty Images

19 / 29 Fotos

David Bowie (1947–2016) -

"I had to resign myself, many years ago, that I'm not too articulate when it comes to explaining how I feel about things. But my music does it for me, it really does."

Getty Images

20 / 29 Fotos

Stevie Wonder -

"Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories. And the longer a song has existed in our lives, the more memories we have of it."

Getty Images

21 / 29 Fotos

Dolly Parton -

"If you talk bad about country music, it's like saying bad things about my momma. Them's fightin' words."

Getty Images

22 / 29 Fotos

Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) -

"Music makes me high on stage, and that's the truth. It's like being almost addicted to music."

23 / 29 Fotos

Cardi B -

"Music never felt like a job."

Getty Images

24 / 29 Fotos

Bruce Springsteen -

"All I try to do is to write music that feels meaningful to me, that has commitment and passion behind it."

Getty Images

25 / 29 Fotos

Frank Zappa (1940–1993) -

"There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another."

Getty Images

26 / 29 Fotos

John Lennon (1940–1980) -

"If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry.'"

Getty Images

27 / 29 Fotos

Prince (1958–2016) -

"What's missing from pop music is danger."

Getty Images

28 / 29 Fotos

The best quotes about music from famous musicians

What singer-songwriters think about the art of music and their peers

05/11/24 | StarsInsider

MUSIC Lines

It's perhaps no surprise that some of the best quotes about music come from singer-songwriters. Musicians love to wax lyrical about themselves and others, anything from philosophical musings on peace and love to entertaining and sometimes stupefying advice for anyone hoping to find show business success.

Click through the following gallery and see if these words hit the right chord with you.