"Bach and Beethoven, all of them, they had to write something to please the upper structure, those with money and power"

This quote by Sun Ra talks to the power characteristics of the music market and the need for composers to please those in power in order to succeed. Sun Ra is suggesting that composers such as Bach and Beethoven had to write music that was pleasing to those with money and power in order to achieve success. This implies that the music market is heavily affected by those with money and power, which authors should accommodate their tastes in order to be successful. Sun Ra is likewise recommending that the music market is not necessarily a meritocracy, and that those with cash and power have the ability to form the industry in their favor. This quote speaks with the requirement for composers to be familiar with the power characteristics of the music industry and to be conscious of the tastes of those in power in order to achieve success.