reported music was a central feature in 90% of its most-viewed videos in 2024.

As social media fragments (TikTok for Gen Z, Twitch for gamers, Reddit for nerds), the "popular media" that determines hit songs will also fragment. A track could be massive on Twitch streamer playlists but unknown on the Billboard Hot 100. The monolithic hit is dying; the niche viral wonder is rising.

Popular media acts as the infrastructure that delivers songs and content to the masses. It encompasses the social networks, streaming giants, and news outlets that dictate what "goes viral."

From the crackling radios of the 1920s to the algorithmic playlists of the 2020s, music has always been the heartbeat of human culture. While a song can stand alone as a piece of art, its power is magnified exponentially when woven into the fabric of entertainment content and popular media. Today, the relationship between a hit song and a viral media moment is symbiotic; they no longer just coexist—they define one another.