Ad-Rock Quotes

Hit songs are mysterious and slippery beasts; few artists have a lock on them. This means that many people, like me, have become fans of songs rather than fans of artists.

Never hate a song that's sold a half million copies.

I like bands that don't necessarily sell the most records.

My first five albums were triple-platinum, and I played a lot of concerts.

The way I picked the tracks for '99.9%' was based on the feeling of, 'Is this going to be a hit?' I wanted songs that people would immediately hear and remember.

Just because you sell millions of records it doesn't guarantee bums on seats.

I'm not heart-broken if I don't have a hit. But I guess a hit would help. It makes the money go up a bit.

It was really weird to have a hit. Of course, we had a certain level of fame in the Pixies, but nothing I had ever done had been mall-kid friendly.

You can tell when you're in a hit.

I never really think so much about commercial success; I usually just think about records that move me, and 'Baby Got Back' was one that moved me.

I'm not like a legend that - so I'm sort of in the middle in this sort of gray area where, you know, I'm creating music, and I'm not saying there isn't an audience, because there is; because all of those people go out and spend $80 to $150 on a concert ticket.

I had no idea 'Big Green Tractor' was going to be as big a hit as it was. You just can't predict those things.

I've just been fortunate to havehad a lot of hit records, though Human Wheels doesn't qualify as a hit record-but it's really the best single I've ever had.

You look at what One Direction has done and just say, 'That is just lucky;' it is not. It is happening because they are talented boys, good looking lads; and yes, their songs might not be the typical songs that lots of radios want to play, but they are great songs, pop records, that are massive across the world selling in huge numbers.

People get passionate about a song. It's been my experience if you put out radio candy, something commercial, it doesn't sell records.

One of the things that's clear to me from interviews that I've read is that the more popular successful jazz musicians had audiences above and beyond the music community.

Even the bands I dig don't have a history of attaining mass consumption.

The Band never really played big concert tours. We never sold millions and millions of albums.

If I have a hit, then I hope the people who like the hit song go out and buy my album so they can hear it all.

What I didn't expect was 'VIP' becoming something of a cult and one of my biggest hits.

I'd say the best thing the Violators and I have done is to dominate the U.S. with an arsenal of smash hits.

I'm lucky that I have people listening to my music, waiting to see me in North America.

We're not trying to be a mega-pop-band, but we also wouldn't be opposed to selling millions of records, either.

I thought my second record was good, but it didn't have that smash hit we did on the first one that somehow found its way onto tons of formats of radio stations.

I don't care about how many records I sell, but the main thing is people like it.