Tennessee Ernie Ford Quotes

For songs to be big, I don't think there's a certain formula to it.

People spend their careers trying to figure out what makes a hit single. But I learned a long time ago that you can't anticipate what people want, because it's always going to change.

Nobody ever knows how big a song is going to be.

If you look at the charts every year, there may be five or ten memorable songs from each year.

The record business has always mystified me. Sometimes there are reasons why things sell or don't sell that can't be understood by mere mortals.

If I tried to make a commercial album, it would be a complete flop. I have no idea what the world at large likes.

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.

Artists don't always know. Almost every song I ever recorded that was a hit at the majors that the promotional people picked I didn't think it would be a hit. I was wrong every time!

When I started playing music, people weren't selling 5 million records. That was not the standard; that was not the focus.

The music industry has become so unpredictable. And I think people know that if someone has a Number One song, it doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have several ones after.

I remember people telling me that at 5 1/2 minutes long, 'Lightning Crashes' would never be a hit song.

You never know until a song comes out and becomes what it becomes, obviously you can't predict how the masses will react.

Now there is a new group every week; it seems like everybody and anybody can get into the charts.

I have seen more bad songs make it because of MTV than good ones that haven't.

In England, rock music very rarely infiltrates the charts, but country music even less so.

I don't know if a song is going to be a hit or it's going to flop. I never know. I just do the music and if people like it, they like it.

I don't think any artist really knows why a song gets popular.

Crossfire's done very well. I knew it was a great song, but I didn't know it would be so big.

To be honest, I don't want No. 1's anymore. Now, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind the odd few, but I'd also like a record going in at eight and staying around.

Singles, whatever. But selling a million albums feels like an impossible thing to do.

I'd like to think that people see there's two ways to do things. You can put a lot of money into a band and force people to like them or you can just find good bands and people will like them anyway.

Selling a million records used to be a big deal. I guess it's not anymore.

I'm not concerned at all to have a number one song or a top 10 or top 50 or top whatever.

My music has been called so many different things over the years. I figure as long as it's selling, call it what you want.

What is a hit? Who can tell? Who decides what a hit sounds like? I needed to remind myself that a hit is whatever people decide is a hit. I don't make hits; I make music. People make hits.