That popularity thing again

Matt Rosoff ponders what makes music catch fire HERE. He says researcher Duncan Watts "strongly disputes the theory, put forth by Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point and beloved by marketers, that a select group of so-called "Influencers" are the main force behind fast-moving trends." This is fascinating stuff. It's the lifeblood of our culture, yet we don't really know much about what happens when quality and popularity merge. Usually they're each out stumbling along on their own, arbitrarily doling out good and bad luck to creators, some of whom get much more, or less, than they deserve.