Originally written by Mike Diver · 10 February 2006
Um...
'Academics' across t'pond have 'discovered' the 'revealing' 'news' that 'people' are more likely to 'like' something if they're 'told' to like it before 'listening' to it. Y'know, 'music'.
Scientists - we assume not the really clever ones working to make our world a better, safer, more friendly kinda place - at Colombia Univeristy polled some 14,000 people via a website-type thing. The result: that bands can become popular without people actually having heard them.
The process is all very complicated, so basically what happened is as follows: person listens to band and rates band for others to see; band goes to number one on recommendations as well as downloads/listens; sometimes band goes to the top of the virtual charts without receiving x-amount of plays necessary to be there, achieving success through a sheep-like following of the leader. Or something.
Momentum breeds success, in a nutshell, and momentum from other people recommending new music is a powerful tool indeed.
"It suggests that even if an act creates high quality music, you might not be successful," was the opinion of chief science man, sociologist Matthew Salganik.