The squeaky wheel gets the grease

The squeaky wheel gets the grease is an American aphorism or metaphor attesting that matters that draw attention to themselves are more likely to be addressed than those that do not. The term makes no necessary correlation between the volume of a complaint and its stridency with its merit.

History

The origin of the squeaky wheel metaphor is unknown, but its current form is attributed to American humorist Josh Billings, who is said to have popularized it in his putative poem "The Kicker"

However, this poem has been attributed to various authors, anonymous or otherwise, and its provenance has never been verified. The first known publication of the poem was in 1910. For unknown reasons, in 1937 Bartlett's Familiar Quotations attributed the poem to Shaw.
Other variations exist, and suggest that being heard gets attention, and prolongs the life of the hub, whereas a silent hub may be overlooked and neglected.
In other cultures
Parallels
The Chinese proverbs "会哭的孩子有奶吃"
The German version "Das Rad, das am lautesten quietscht, bekommt das meiste Fett
The Portuguese proverb "Quem não chora, não mama"
The Spanish proverb "El que no llora no mama"
Contrasts
The Japanese proverb, "The stake that sticks up gets hammered down", or "The nail that stands out gets pounded down,",
The Dutch proverbs "Tall trees catch loads of wind" and " above the mowing line ".
The Korean maxim "모난 돌이 정 맞는다: Pointy stone meets chisel."
The Spanish proverb, "El clavo que sobresale recibe el martillazo", "The nail that stands out gets hammered down"
Other
Related or contrasting sentiments include:
Tall poppy syndrome, where those who stand out most attract criticism, a popular term in Commonwealth countries
Law of Jante, an attitude of disapproval toward exhibitions of individuality or personal success, rooted in Scandinavia