the 808 cowbell principle

The makers of the 808, a famous old electronic drum machine, tried to create a cowbell sound as one of its sounds.    They failed.    But they failed interestingly.    The 808 cowbell has become one of the iconic sounds of that era, and is still used in electronic music.    (Look it up however you look things up, and give it a listen!)

The 808 Cowbell Principle of Achievement works in tons of areas.    Here's Conan O'Brien on comedy:

And a much younger man named Johnny Carson wanted very much to be Jack Benny.    In some ways he was, but in many ways he wasn't.    He emulated Jack Benny, but his own quirks and mannerisms, along with a changing medium, pulled him in a different direction.    And yet his failure to completely become his hero made him the funniest person of his generation.    David Letterman wanted to be Johnny Carson, and was not, and as a result my generation of comedians wanted to be David Letterman.    And none of us are.    My peers and I have all missed that mark in a thousand different ways.    But the point is this:   It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique.

This is why I so often hear a great song and say, "That's a great song!   I think I'll write it!"

By the time I get done writing it it's a whole new song.