Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app

Continue in app Continue in browser

820views

120 Musician Quotes That Have A Nice Ring To Them

ADVERTISEMENT

Musician quotes can tingle the eyes and minds of any reader. Since ages have passed and the music industry has changed, some famous musician phrases have risen. Positivity and inspiration — Classical and modern musicians have incorporated these characteristics in their words.

However, each decade has a set of quotes that solidified their built-up legacies. So, to understand the importance of these quotes about music, we must look at the viewpoints of musicians from the classical and more modern ages.

If we want to look at a classic musician quote, Beethoven might be the best example. Like his songs, the quotes he said can only be rivaled by the sayings of the most famous people in history. However, if you are not a fan of Beethoven, Mozart and Bach also said some interesting stuff. Mozart, for example, highlighted the beauty of silence between the notes. Silence can build up tension, which can either destroy or help boost the overall quality of a song.

In modern days, musician phrases focus more on the freedom side of creativity. From John Lennon to Bob Marley, modern-day musicians highlighted that music frees a person. If we enjoy creating music and listening to it while others play it — it’s not wasted time. This train of thought can be applied to almost everything we do, making their quotes rather universal.

Listening to songs is one thing, but dwelling on motivational quotes is another. Below, we have compiled quotes that seem to sound just as good as the musical creations of artists. If some of these music quotes say good to you, upvote them. However, if you have anything to share about the musicians, do so in the comments below.

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

Fiona Apple quote about making mistakes "Make mistakes, make mistakes, make mistakes. Just make sure they’re your mistakes." - Fiona Apple

11points

#2

"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." - Stevie Wonder

11points

#3

Amy Winehouse quote about blues "Every bad situation is a blues song waiting to happen." - Amy Winehouse

10points

#4

"Music can change the world because it can change people." ― Bono

10points

#5

"I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me - like food or water." - Ray Charles

9points

ADVERTISEMENT

#6

Ludwig van Beethoven quote about music "I would rather write 10,000 notes than a single letter of the alphabet." – Ludwig van Beethoven

8points

#7

"When you're happy, you enjoy the music but when you're sad, you understand the lyrics."

8points

View more comments

#8

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid." — Frank Zappa

8points

ADVERTISEMENT

#9

"Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones." — Keith Richards

8points

#10

"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents." - Ludwig van Beethoven

7points

ADVERTISEMENT

#11

Frank Zappa quote about progress "Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."- Frank Zappa

7points

#12

"To some extent I happily don’t know what I’m doing. I feel that it’s an artist’s responsibility to trust that." - David Byrne

7points

#13

"I see music as fluid architecture." - Joni Mitchell

7points

#14

"Music is very spiritual, it has the power to bring people together." — Edgar Winter

7points

#15

"Softly, deftly, music shall caress you. Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you." — Andrew Lloyd Webber

7points

ADVERTISEMENT

#16

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

7points

#17

“Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.” — Charlie Parker

7points

#18

"The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between." – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

6points

#19

"Musicians want to be the loud voice for so many quiet hearts." – Billy Joel

6points

#20

Louis Armstrong quote about music "Musicians don’t retire; they stop when there’s no more music in them." – Louis Armstrong

6points

ADVERTISEMENT

#21

"I believe musicians have a duty, a responsibility to reach out, to share your love or pain with others." – James Taylor

6points

#22

Mick Jagger quote about dreams "Lose your dreams and you might lose your mind." - Mick Jagger

6points

#23

Thelonious Monk quote about musicians "All musicians are potential band leaders." - Thelonious Monk

6points

#24

"If you play music with passion and love and honesty, then it will nourish your soul, heal your wounds and make your life worth living. Music is its own reward." - Sting

6points

#25

Ella Fitzgerald quote about love and inspiration "Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong." - Ella Fitzgerald

6points

ADVERTISEMENT

#26

"Until you’re ready to look foolish, you’ll never have the possibility of being great." - Cher

6points

#27

"Don't worry about being a star, worry about doing good work, and all that will come to you." - Ice Cube

6points

#28

Jimi Hendrix quote about music "Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music." - Jimi Hendrix

6points

#29

"Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention. But you have to get there." - Pink

6points

#30

"It was my 16th birthday - my mom and dad gave me my Goya classical guitar that day. I sat down, wrote this song, and I just knew that that was the only thing I could ever really do - write songs and sing them to people." - Stevie Nicks

6points

ADVERTISEMENT

#31

"Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself." - Miles Davis

6points

#32

"The devil ain't got no music. All music is God's music." - Mavis Staples

6points

#33

"Music drives you. It wakes you up, it gets you pumping. And, at the end of the day, the correct tune will chill you down." - Dimebag Darrell

6points

#34

"Music happens. It cannot be made." - Ilaiyaraaja

6points

#35

Missy Elliot quote about music "Music should be your escape." — Missy Elliot

6points

ADVERTISEMENT

#36

"You can cage the singer but not the song." — Harry Belafonte

6points

#37

Shania Twain quote about music "Music is a great natural high and a great natural escape." — Shania Twain

6points

#38

"Music is the emotional life of most people." — Leonard Cohen

6points

#39

"Music is a weapon in the war against unhappiness." — Jason Mraz

6points

#40

“Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours.” — Elton John

6points

#41

"Music can change the world." — Ludwig van Beethoven

6points

ADVERTISEMENT

#42

“Music acts like a magic key, to which the most tightly closed heart opens.” ― Maria von Trapp

6points

#43

“Music is life itself.” — Louis Armstrong

6points

#44

Pete Seeger quote about music "The easiest way to avoid wrong notes is to never open your mouth and sing. What a mistake that would be.” — Pete Seeger

6points

#45

"There was no one near to confuse me, so I was forced to become original." – Franz Joseph Haydn

5points

#46

"I decided long ago never to walk in anyone’s shadow; if I fail, or if I succeed at least I did as I believe." – Whitney Houston

5points

ADVERTISEMENT

#47

"I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well." - Johann Sebastian Bach

5points

#48

"To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist." - Robert Schumann

5points

#49

"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain." - Bob Marley

5points

#50

"Do the things you believe in, in the name of love. And know that, you aren’t alone. We all have doubts and fear." - Carole King

5points

#51

"Be your own artist, and always be confident in what you’re doing. If you’re not going to be confident, you might as well not be doing it." - Aretha Franklin

5points

ADVERTISEMENT

#52

"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 be." - Eddie Van Halen

5points

#53

James Taylor quote about music "I don't read music. I don't write it. So I wander around on the guitar until something starts to present itself." - James Taylor

5points

#54

"When I grew up, what was interesting for me was that music was color and life was gray. So music for me has always been more than entertainment." - Pete Townshend

5points

#55

"On the other hand, what I like my music to do to me is awaken the ghosts inside of me. Not the demons, you understand, but the ghosts." - David Bowie

5points

ADVERTISEMENT

#56

"Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It’s transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, years back, to the very moment certain things happened in your life. It’s uplifting, it’s encouraging, it’s strengthening." — Aretha Franklin

5points

#57

"People ask me how I make music. I tell them I just step into it. It’s like stepping into a river and joining the flow. Every moment in the river has its song." — Michael Jackson

5points

#58

"Music is powerful. As people listen to it, they can be affected. They respond." — Ray Charles

5points

#59

Nina Simone quote about jazz "Jazz is not just music, it’s a way of life, it’s a way of being, a way of thinking." — Nina Simone

5points

ADVERTISEMENT

#60

Gene Simmons quote about music “Music is feeling. You can try to verbalize it. It really just hits you or it doesn’t.” — Gene Simmons

5points

#61

“The true beauty of music is that it connects people. It carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers.” — Roy Ayers

5points

#62

“Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence.” — Robert Fripp

5points

#63

“Can a mere song change a people's minds? I doubt that it is so. But a song can infiltrate your heart and the heart may change your mind.” ― Elvis Costello

5points

#64

“Music kept me off the streets and out of trouble and gave me something that was mine that no one could take away from me.” — Eddie Van Halen

5points

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#65

Sidney Lanier quote about music “Music is love in search of a word.” — Sidney Lanier

5points

#66

Leonard Bernstein quote about music “Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.” — Leonard Bernstein

5points

#67

“A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” — Leopold Stokowski

5points

#68

"The wise musicians are those who play what they can master." – Duke Ellington

4points

#69

"Be your own artist, and always be confident in what you’re doing.
If you’re not going to be confident, you might as well not be doing it." – Aretha Franklin

4points

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

#70

"A musician should only sound like what they do, and no two musicians sound the same. It’s an individual-feel thing, you know?" – Dave Grohl

4points

#71

"If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow." – Beyoncé

4points

#72

Roy Ayers quote about beauty of music "The true beauty of music is that it connects people. It carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers." – Roy Ayers

4points

#73

Eddie Van Halen quote about musicians "We’re musicians. We make music for a living. It’s that simple. Nothing else matters." – Eddie Van Halen

4points

#74

"What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to
bed at night and in between does what he wants to do." – Bob Dylan

4points

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

#75

John Lennon quote about time and joy "Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted." – John Lennon

4points

#76

"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." - Billy Joel

4points

#77

"Life is what happens when you’re making other plans." - John Lennon

4points

#78

"Making music is like shopping for me. Every song is like a new pair of shoes." - Rihanna

4points

#79

"I'm not a rock star. Sure I am, to a certain extent because of the situation, but when kids ask me how it feels to be a rock star, I say leave me alone, I'm not a rock star. I'm not in it for the fame, I'm in it because I like to play." - Eddie Van Halen

4points

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

#80

"I think you just have to be yourself instead of catering your sound to a specific audience, make the music you want to make, and the audience will find you." - Lewis Capaldi

4points

#81

Tom Waits quote about music "I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things." - Tom Waits

4points

#82

"That’s one of the great things about music. You can sing a song to 85,000 people and they’ll sing it back for 85,000 different reasons." - Dave Grohl

4points

#83

"Music… is the only real religion that is worth devoting your soul to. It is the last remnant of the primal scream, the funeral dirge, and the wedding march. It is the light that keeps me out of the shadows, and it is the reason my immortal soul is not in dire straits." — Corey Taylor

4points

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

#84

"Music is the soundtrack to every good and bad time we will ever have." ― Alex Gaskarth

4points

#85

"If I cannot fly, let me sing." ― Stephen Sondheim

4points

#86

"If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music." — Gustav Mahler

4points

#87

"Bach is an astronomer, discovering the most marvelous stars. Beethoven challenges the universe. I only try to express the soul and the heart of man." — Frédéric Chopin

4points

#88

“Music is an agreeable harmony for the honor of God and the permissible delights of the soul.” ― Johann Sebastian Bach

4points

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

"I Didn't Start The Dryer": Karen Gets Taught A Lesson After Throwing Out Neighbor's Wet Clothes

"I Didn't Start The Dryer": Karen Gets Taught A Lesson After Throwing Out Neighbor's Wet Clothes

"I Didn't Start The Dryer": Karen Gets Taught A Lesson After Throwing Out Neighbor's Wet Clothes

College Student Does Exactly As Told After Roommates Demand They Keep Their Stuff In Their Room

College Student Does Exactly As Told After Roommates Demand They Keep Their Stuff In Their Room

College Student Does Exactly As Told After Roommates Demand They Keep Their Stuff In Their Room

#89

“Music is an outburst of the soul.” ― Frederick Delius

4points

#90

“A great song should lift your heart, warm the soul and make you feel good.” ― Colbie Caillat

4points

#91

“For me, there is something primitively soothing about this music, and it went straight to my nervous system, making me feel ten feet tall.” ― Eric Clapton

4points

#92

Pablo Casals quote about music “Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.” ― Pablo Casals

4points

#93

"Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art." – Claude Debussy

3points

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

Guy Divorced 3 Years Ago Drops Off 3 Y.O. With His Ex-Wife Completely Out Of The Blue

Guy Divorced 3 Years Ago Drops Off 3 Y.O. With His Ex-Wife Completely Out Of The Blue

Guy Divorced 3 Years Ago Drops Off 3 Y.O. With His Ex-Wife Completely Out Of The Blue

“All Three Shot Out Pink”: Triplets' Baby Shower Turns Sour, Pregnant Wife Wants A Divorce

“All Three Shot Out Pink”: Triplets' Baby Shower Turns Sour, Pregnant Wife Wants A Divorce

“All Three Shot Out Pink”: Triplets' Baby Shower Turns Sour, Pregnant Wife Wants A Divorce

#94

"I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones." – John Cage

3points

#95

"It's a great thing about being a musician; you don't stop until the day you die, you can improve. So it's a wonderful thing to do." - Marcus Miller

3points

#96

"Never stop fighting no matter what anyone says. If it’s in your gut, your soul, there’s nothing, no worldly possession that should come between you and your expression." - Kanye West

3points

#97

"Embrace what makes you unique, even if it makes others uncomfortable. I didn’t have to become perfect because I’ve learned throughout my journey that perfection is the enemy of greatness." - Janelle Monae

3points

ADVERTISEMENT

#98

"There’s always that argument to make – that you’re in better company historically if people don’t understand what you’re doing." - Elliott Smith

3points

#99

"Remember the first time you went to a show and saw your favorite band. You wore their shirt, and sang every word. You didn't know anything about scene politics, haircuts, or what was cool. All you knew was that this music made you feel different from anyone you shared a locker with. Someone finally understood you. This is what music is about." - Gerard Way

3points

#100

Burna Boy quote about chasing something "At the end of the day, everything you chase will run." - Burna Boy

3points

#101

"Sometimes I wish that I was the weather, you'd bring me up in conversation forever. And when it rained, I'd be the talk of the day." - John Mayer

3points

ADVERTISEMENT

#102

"I know my lyrics might be weird to some, but they're not like that to me because I know where they come from - I know the secret." - Alex Turner

3points

#103

Dan Reynolds quote about music "Music speaks to people in a way that breaks down boundaries that words and actions sometimes can't." - Dan Reynolds

3points

#104

“I’ve always said music should make you laugh, make you cry or make you think.” — Kenny Rogers

3points

#105

"I’m trying to keep a level head. You have to be careful out in the world. It’s so easy to get turned." – Elvis Presley

2points

#106

"One thing I’ve learned is that I’m not the owner of my talent; I’m the manager of it." – Madonna

2points

ADVERTISEMENT

#107

"Whenever I felt happy about having discovered something, the first encounter, not only with the public, with other musicians, with specialists, etc, was that they rejected it." - Karlheinz Stockhausen

2points

#108

Ed Sheeran quote about originality "Be original; don't be scared of being bold!" - Ed Sheeran

2points

#109

"I want to sound like an instrument. I want my voice and my words to marry the beat. I go with the rhythm of it and the words start to come to my mind and those words could be based on things that's been on my mind for the past year, the past month, the past week, whatever; I write it." - Nas

2points

#110

"Music is not math. It's science. You keep mixing the stuff up until it blows up on you, or it becomes this incredible potion." - Bruno Mars

2points

ADVERTISEMENT

#111

"People haven’t always been there for me, but music always has." — Taylor Swift

2points

#112

120 Musician Quotes That Have A Nice Ring To Them "Life and love go on, let the music play." — Johnny Cash

2points

#113

"To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable." — Aaron Copland

2points

#114

Bruce Springsteen quote about music “The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with.” — Bruce Springsteen

2points

#115

"The goal is to try and make the perfect song. Which of course will never happen." – Chris Martin

1point

ADVERTISEMENT

#116

Bruno Mars quote about opportunity "You can’t knock on opportunity’s door and not be ready." – Bruno Mars

1point

#117

Pete Doherty quote about music “If you’ve lost your faith in love and music, then the end won’t be long.” — Pete Doherty

1point

#118

Bruce Springsteen quote about luck "When it comes to luck, you make your own." - Bruce Springsteen

0points

#119

"You just have to find that thing that's special about you that distinguishes you from all the others, and through true talent, hard work, and passion, anything can happen." - Dr. Dre

0points

#120

Niall Horan quote about fans "Fans always tell me I'm beautiful, but no one will ever be as beautiful as them." - Niall Horan

0points

ADVERTISEMENT

Žydrūnė Trukanavičiūtė

Hi! I'm the visual editor at Bored Panda, spicing up articles on Gardening, Home & Design. Guess what I daydream about? A future home with a huge garden, filled with all kinds of veggies and flowers. Sounds like the perfect match, doesn't it?

Hi! I'm the visual editor at Bored Panda, spicing up articles on Gardening, Home & Design. Guess what I daydream about? A future home with a huge garden, filled with all kinds of veggies and flowers. Sounds like the perfect match, doesn't it?

Džiugas Ožekauskas

Heyo. I’m Džiugas, a writer for Bored Panda’s Home & Design section. You can guess from my name that I’m a happy person. At least, I try to be happy and full of joy. I’m always down to analyze old and new movies and suggest decor ideas to add some pizazz to your home.

Heyo. I’m Džiugas, a writer for Bored Panda’s Home & Design section. You can guess from my name that I’m a happy person. At least, I try to be happy and full of joy. I’m always down to analyze old and new movies and suggest decor ideas to add some pizazz to your home.

What do you think ?

You May Like

160 Motivational Quotes For Work To Get Those Projects Done

Aivaras Kaziukonis

60 Popular ’90s Movie Quotes We Love To Use

Justina Čiapaitė

161 Music Quotes Every Melomaniac Should Read

Aivaras Kaziukonis

Back to Homepage

More about Quotes

Related on Bored Panda

Related on Bored Panda

Trending on Bored Panda

Also on Bored Panda