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Hit Songs Depend on Whether Peers Like It
Which song will be the next big hit? The songs people think others will like. This was indicated in a recent study from the National Science Foundation, the McDonnell Foundation, and Legg Mason Funds and published in the journal Science.
The study involved and divided young people two groups:
* In the socially-influence groups, once some songs began to be downloaded, others would try out those songs too.
* In the independent group, with no guidance from others, each person had to make his own decision. Some songs proved more popular than others, but not always the same ones that became popular in other groups.
Source: Science, "Experimental Study of Inequality and Unpredictability in an Artificial Cultural Market"