SQL query to retrieve all the records that have not indicated category

If I understand the question, you’re looking for the SQL for the equivalent of

$args = array (
    'post_type' => 'popular_music',
    'post_status' => 'publish',
    'tax_query' => array (
        array (
            'taxonomy' => 'category',
            'operator' => 'NOT EXISTS',
            ),
        ),
    'posts_per_page' => -1,
    'orderby' => 'ID',
    'order' => 'DESC',
    ) ;
$query = new WP_Query ($args) ;
echo $query->request ;

If so, then this is the SQL that WP_Query produces

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS $wpdb->posts.ID
FROM
    $wpdb->posts
WHERE
    1=1 AND
    ( 
        NOT EXISTS
        (
            SELECT 1
            FROM
                $wpdb->term_relationships INNER JOIN
                $wpdb->term_taxonomy ON $wpdb->term_taxonomy.term_taxonomy_id = $wpdb->term_relationships.term_taxonomy_id
            WHERE
                $wpdb->term_taxonomy.taxonomy = 'category' AND
                $wpdb->term_relationships.object_id = $wpdb->posts.ID
        )
    ) AND
    $wpdb->posts.post_type="popular_music" AND
    (($wpdb->posts.post_status="publish"))
GROUP BY $wpdb->posts.ID
ORDER BY $wpdb->posts.ID DESC

Related Posts: