Frank Zappa, the eclectic musician and composer, is remembered not only for his unique and expansive work in music but also for his witty and sharp commentary on life, politics, and art. Here are 20 of the best quotes attributed to Frank Zappa:

1. “Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.”

2. “A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open.”

3. “So many books, so little time.”

4. “Music is the best means we have of digesting time.”

5. “The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it’s profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they’ll just take down the scenery, they’ll pull back the curtains, they’ll move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.”

6. “Politics is the entertainment branch of industry.”

7. “Art is making something out of nothing and selling it.”

8. “If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library.”

9. “The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced.”

10. “Doing something stupid once is just plain stupid; doing something stupid twice is a philosophy.”

11. “Information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, wisdom is not truth, truth is not beauty, beauty is not love, love is not music—music is THE BEST.”

12. “There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we’d all love one another.”

13. “You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline—it helps if you have some kind of football team or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.”

14. “It’s better to have something to remember than anything to regret.”

15. “Government is the Entertainment division of the military-industrial complex.”

16. “Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.”

17. “Everybody believes in something and everybody, by virtue of the fact that they believe in something, uses that something to support their own existence.”

18. “Communism doesn’t work because people like to own stuff.”

19. “Some scientists claim that hydrogen because it is so plentiful is the basic building block of the universe. I disagree. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe.”

20. “I never set out to be weird. It was always other people who called me weird.”

These quotes encapsulate Zappa’s bold outlook on creativity and individuality while also reflecting his critical view on society and cultural norms—a true testament to his prolific legacy as an artist and thinker.