How Songs Get Popular

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers created an artificial music market of 14,341 participants split into two groups to pick music from unknown musicians. In one group, the individuals had only song titles and band names to go on. The individuals in the other group saw how others had rated the songs. Turns out popularity bred popularity, which explains why there's so much crap on the radio."

Comments

Re:Just like /.

[saskboy]

I've noticed this "music effect" on moderation too. If I get even one mod point in a + or - direction, more are sure to follow in more cases than not, while equally good or bad posts will get no attention. That's part of the reason why it's important to post early, besides being at the top, you're more likely to get flagged for moderation.