Other people's behaviour acts as a cue for what to do, buy, or believe.
More quotesGive one obscure song a tiny early advantage. A few extra downloads push it upwards; being higher earns it more listeners; those listeners become proof that it deserved the position. By Friday, accidental momentum has acquired fans, cultural significance and perhaps a journalist explaining why success was inevitable. Charts are sold as mirrors. They behave more like magnets.
A bestseller badge changes the next sale. The starred dish becomes easier to order. A busy person sees thousands of downloads and sensibly borrows the crowd’s judgement. No individual has behaved absurdly, yet their reasonable shortcuts combine into a market that exaggerates its own beginnings.
Quality limits the madness without controlling the finishing order. Truly dreadful songs rarely conquer everything. Strong songs usually avoid oblivion. Inside those boundaries, visibility can choose which good-enough thing becomes unavoidable and which equally decent thing spends its life beneath “more results”. By the time the chart stabilises, its accidental history has vanished. “Popular” looks like a property of the song, not a trail of purchases, prominent placement and more purchases. The winner gains radio play; radio play confirms the win; the story is retold as evidence of quality. Somewhere at number 47, another perfectly decent song waits beneath the fold while critics discuss the public’s unmistakable preference. Markets are very good at turning the route taken into proof that no other route was possible.