That phrase is the title and hook of a 1972 Christian rock song by Larry Norman, and it also echoes an older Christian saying.
Basic idea
The line “Why should the devil have all the good music?” pushes back against the idea that fun, energetic popular music (like rock) is automatically “worldly” or evil. It argues that believers should also be free to use the most exciting, modern musical styles to express faith, joy, and spiritual truth, not just slow or traditional hymns.
Historical background
The wording comes from a much older proverb, “The devil has all the best tunes,” which criticized how secular songs seemed more appealing than church music. In the 18th century, some Methodists started putting Christian lyrics to popular melodies and defended it by asking, “Why should the devil have all the best tunes?” meaning: if the music is good, why not use it for God.
In Larry Norman’s song
Larry Norman’s 1972 song takes that old saying and applies it to rock and roll. The lyrics describe someone who loves rock music, loves Jesus, and refuses the claim that rock’s beat or style must belong to the “devil,” insisting there’s nothing wrong with vibrant music used to honor God.
Bigger cultural point
More broadly, the phrase is about who “gets” culture: it questions why creative, powerful art and music should be left to purely secular or even destructive themes. It suggests that people of faith can and should participate fully in contemporary culture, including its most compelling musical forms, instead of retreating into a dull or fearful artistic ghetto.
