10 Steps to creating great music

People often ask me to recommend them the best gear to buy so that they can start their own studio and make great music.  I wonder if their money and efforts could be spent in a wiser way.   Here is what I focus on to create music that will last.  

1. The business/work (gotta have material to work with)
2. The song (crappy recordings of a great song are much better than great recordings of crap.)
3. The arrangement (the producer will help here and make a good song great by knowing what instrumentation is needed and where)
4. The performance (the musicians should be good - a good producer will know how to get the best performances out of the musicians)
5. The mix (whoever mixes and masters the project is highly responsible for the outcome of the sound and the producer will make sure it is acceptable)
6. The instruments and amps (these play the biggest role in the recorded sound) followed by…
7. The microphone placement (recording engineers land here)
8. The room
9. The microphone
10.The preamps, compressors, EQs and converters