Once all the information is tabulated, the computer can listen to an entirely new album and predict how people will respond based on what it knows about the latest reactions to the music it has already heard.

If it sounds far-fetched, consider this: the system has been predicting Billboard hits with surprising accuracy over the past several months. While people may think their musical tastes are unpredictable and whimsical, they are actually quite traceable, Mr. Whitman says.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051110/HITS10/TPNational/Canada
http://www.variogr.am/
http://web.media.mit.edu/~tristan/home.html