A song's popularity on music charts declines over time for reasons related to the law of diminishing returns. As listeners hear a song repeatedly after its initial release, the utility they derive from it increases until being maximized, after which point additional listens provide less value. Listeners then consume less of the overplayed song, causing it to fall in rank on music charts which track plays and purchases over time. All songs eventually follow this pattern of an initial period of popularity eventually giving way to diminishing returns and a decline in popularity and chart ranking.

1. Why does a particular song remain
popular for a while on music charts
and then fall in rank as time goes
by?
Johnathan Blake

2. Let’s use Rihanna, for example!
• Rihanna has more #1 hits than any other artist
in music history since Billboard began tracking
hits in
• She currently has the number 1 song in
America
• But after some time has passed, all songs fall
in rank
• Why?

3. Sounds good? – Rihanna’s “Umbrella”
• Yeah, sounds delicious!
• Wow, this is great
• Most amazing song ever!
• Still good
• Didn’t they just play this?
• This song is overplayed…
• Turning to another station

4. How can we explain this observation?
• Law of Diminishing Returns
– The utility listeners get from listening to Rihanna
increases with each listen
– Eventually, that utility is maximized
– Diminishing returns happens after each listen
following utility maximization
– Listeners respond by consuming less of it
– Therefore, since Billboard ranks songs by plays and
purchases, the song begins to fall in rank!

5. The lifespan of a song

6. Goodbye!