12 min read
3.9 (6,631 ratings)Why do some ideas, songs, or products catch fire while others fade into obscurity? Popularity reveals more about human nature than you might think.
1. Exposure Often Trumps Quality
Popularity isn't always about quality; exposure plays a major role. Art museums, for instance, display works that aren't necessarily "the best," but those that have had adequate exposure over time. This sheds light on how fame can be arbitrary.
Claude Monet's water lily paintings owe their fame as much to being exhibited at the right time as to their artistic merit. On the other hand, Gustave Caillebotte, an equally brilliant impressionist, is much less known because his works largely missed critical early displays. When exposure is timed well, it can be enough to boost someone's work into mainstream recognition.
Caillebotte’s absence from a pivotal 1897 Musée du Luxembourg showcase left him overshadowed by his peers—Monet, Degas, and others—who went on to receive widespread acclaim. The takeaway: being in the spotlight at the right moment often leads to lasting fame.
Examples
- Monet’s exposure through early exhibitions
- Gustave Caillebotte’s overlooked talent
- The historical significance of timing for recognition
2. The Balance of Familiarity and Novelty
People like designs or products that offer just the right mix of familiarity and innovation. This delicate balance is what makes them approachable yet exciting.
Raymond Loewy, a pioneer in American industrial design, coined the concept of MAYA (Most Advanced Yet Acceptable). His designs, like the bullet-shaped trains and iconic Lucky Strike packaging, resonated because they were recognizable but added a modern twist. This approach makes things feel fresh while maintaining their usability.
Dutch researcher Paul Hekkert conducted a study on why certain designs are appealing. He found that people are drawn to objects with typical but slightly novel elements. This is why Loewy’s train designs, while still looking like trains, stood out with their streamlined shapes.
Examples
- MAYA (Most Advanced Yet Acceptable) principle
- Loewy’s streamlined bullet-shaped train
- Paul Hekkert’s study on typicality and novelty
3. Repetition Breeds Favoritism
Humans crave repetition in music because familiarity makes them feel good. Interestingly, small changes in a repetitive pattern sustain attention and enhance enjoyment.
90% of music we listen to is something we've heard before. Popular songs stay on Billboard charts for months as listeners get hooked on their rhythmic familiarity. A study on mice showed they stay focused on repetitive tunes when slight variations are introduced. Similarly, popular songs stick when they are repetitive yet peppered with modest changes.
Pop music often follows a pattern: verse-verse, chorus, bridge. This predictable structure, with subtle twists here and there, keeps listeners coming back.
Examples
- Billboard Hot 100's repetitive musical patterns
- Mouse experiments revealing attention through variations
- Successful pop song structures like verse-chorus-bridge
4. Sexism Is Perpetuated Through Popularity
Popular media frequently reflects and reinforces societal biases, including sexism—a phenomenon seen in Hollywood and children’s programming alike.
A study by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media analyzed 120 films from 2010-2013. It found that less than a third had female protagonists, with women occupying only a small fraction of executive or STEM-related character roles. Female characters were also sexualized more often than men, showcasing a troubling trend in representation.
Audience preferences exacerbate this issue. Movies featuring women in traditionally “masculine” roles or men in "feminine" roles receive lower ratings, perpetuating sexism in popular culture.
Examples
- Geena Davis Institute analysis on gender roles in movies
- Women underrepresented in executive or STEM roles in media
- Viewer preferences penalizing gender role reversal
5. Popularity Can Backfire
Becoming too popular sets up expectations that are hard to meet, resulting in backlash or loss of exclusivity.
Research by Balazs Kovacs and Amanda J. Sharkey on Goodreads revealed that award-winning books often suffer lower average reader ratings. This is because high expectations attract readers outside the book’s target audience, leading to disappointment. Furthermore, people may reject a product simply because it’s mainstream.
Lady Gaga’s album Artpop is a case study in failed popularity. Despite heavy promotion, it underperformed as audiences found it lacking amidst its high-profile marketing push.
Examples
- Goodreads research on award-winning books
- Lady Gaga’s Artpop album reception
- Backlash from a loss of exclusivity
6. Humor Thrives in Safe Popularity
We laugh more when everyone else does, which explains the historical use of laugh tracks. Humor often works by violating expectations but remaining within the bounds of social acceptability.
Peter McGraw’s Benign Violation Theory suggests humans find jokes funny when they challenge expectations without crossing into offensive territory. The success of laugh tracks in 1960s TV shows exemplified this safe social context for humor. Yet they disappeared in modern shows, which shifted to cinematic storytelling instead of staged "sketches."
Laugh tracks eventually lost their relevance as societal norms and television trends evolved.
Examples
- Benign Violation Theory explaining humor
- Laugh tracks' role in creating cohesion in TV shows
- Shift away from laugh tracks in modern, cinematic series
7. Random Factors Decide Success
Popularity often has more to do with luck than design. Even products perfectly positioned to succeed rely on interconnected networks and random factors.
For example, Duncan Watts’ simulation experiment showed that popularity cascades (where products become viral) occur only 0.1% of the time, even with favorable conditions. This highlights how much randomness is involved.
The journey of "Rock Around the Clock" from obscurity to fame showcases this randomness. Initially a flop, it became an anthem after being featured in Blackboard Jungle, driven by the movie’s success.
Examples
- Duncan Watts’ simulation on popularity
- The improbable rise of “Rock Around the Clock”
- Factors like interconnected networks shaping outcomes
8. Viral Popularity Is Misleading
The idea of content “going viral” is often misunderstood. Instead of a person-to-person chain reaction, viral success usually hinges on centralized broadcasting.
Scientists at Yahoo found that most tweets don’t get reshared at all, and even the most popular ones spread via prominent platforms like news sites or live events. A spinach pancake recipe may seem viral when discussed, but it likely gained traction through the New York Times' vast reach rather than organic shares.
Broadcasting power gives content an illusion of viral growth, masking its actual dependence on mainstream dissemination.
Examples
- Yahoo study on Twitter shares
- The "Gangnam Style" phenomenon
- New York Times' broadcast influence
9. Popularity Fades Over Time
Popularity isn’t sustainable forever. As contexts shift and novelty wears off, things that were once beloved eventually lose their shine.
The decline of the laugh track in modern TV is a good example. It gained popularity in the 20th century but became outdated as shows adapted to a cinematic style. Similarly, initial hits like Polaroid cameras fade, only to see occasional resurgence based on nostalgia or reinvention.
Understanding this fleeting nature can help creators move with change rather than resist it.
Examples
- Laugh track's disappearance in the 2000s
- Polaroid cameras' shift from dominance to nostalgia
- Evolving trends reshaping relevance
Takeaways
- Focus on timing and exposure for your work, aligning its release with moments of high visibility for optimal impact.
- Balance familiarity with innovation in your designs, projects, and ideas to attract and sustain interest.
- Prepare for diminishing returns on popularity; instead of clinging to prior success, look for ways to adapt to changing contexts and tastes.