Creativity Quote by Joshua Homme

Homme’s line sounds almost aggressively obvious, which is exactly why it lands. In an era where every conversation about music gets dragged into gatekeeping, algorithms, and “the culture,” he shrugs and re-centers the oldest metric: taste. Not critics’ lists, not streaming strategy, not the moral panic over what’s “real” or “authentic.” Just the blunt human habit of chasing what hits.

The intent is defensive and liberating at the same time. Defensive, because it pushes back against the idea that audiences need to be educated into the right listening habits, or that popularity is proof of manipulation. Liberating, because it grants listeners agency: people aren’t passive vessels for marketing; they’re active, messy curators of their own dopamine. Homme’s delivery (and his broader persona) matters here: as a musician who’s moved between desert-rock purism, radio-friendly hooks, side projects, and collaborations, he’s spent decades watching scenes police boundaries. This sentence quietly refuses that policing.

The subtext is also a subtle critique of industry mythmaking. If people listen to what they think is good, then “breaking” an artist is less about narrating genius and more about aligning with an existing desire. It’s a reminder that “good” isn’t a universal standard; it’s personal, social, and situational. Your “good” is what you play driving at night, what you needed at 17, what makes your friend text “put this on.”

Homme isn’t offering theory. He’s reclaiming the commonsense truth that still scares tastemakers: listeners decide.