Popularity of content items

1. A method for yielding search results based on a search query, the method comprising:

receiving a search query inspired by a user;

determining, based on the search query, multiple search results, the multiple search results including a first search result including a link to a first digital instance that specifies a first content item, and a second search result including a link to a second digital instance that specifies a second content item;

determining, using at least one processor, a first set of popularity search results based on a popularity query associated with the first content item, and a second set of popularity search results based on a popularity query associated with the second content item;

assessing a perceived popularity for the first content item based on the number of popularity search results in the first set of popularity search results, and a perceived popularity for the second content item based on the number of popularity search results in the second set of popularity search results,

wherein the perceived popularity is a measure of the popularity of the first and second content items and is distinct from a popularity of the first and second digital instances that specify each of the first and second content items; and

determining a presentation of the multiple search results based on the assessed perceived popularity.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the multiple search results to the user based on the determined presentation.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a genre related to the search query inspired by the user;

identifying a genre-specific catalog that is associated with the genre;

accessing the genre-specific catalog; and

identifying one or more content items stored within the genre-specific catalog that are related to the determined multiple search results, wherein assessing the perceived popularity for the search results includes accessing a perceived popularity for each of the identified one or more content items from within the genre-specific catalog.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication of a genre;

identifying multiple search results that are associated with the genre;

accessing a genre-specific catalog specific to the genre;

identifying one or more content items from within the genre-specific catalog that relate to the identified multiple search results;

assessing a perceived popularity for the identified one or more content items; and

determining the presentation of the multiple search results based on the assessed perceived popularity.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

selecting one content item from among the one or more content items stored within the genre-specific catalog;

forming a popularity query for the content item based on information associated with the content item;

determining popularity search results by searching private and public networks for digital instances that include information that satisfies the popularity query;

generating a perceived popularity for the content item based on the popularity search results;

associating the generated perceived popularity for the content item; and

storing the association in the genre-specific catalog.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein generating a perceived popularity for the content item comprises:

determining a raw popularity score based at least in part on a number of popularity search results received;

using a classifier to analyze at least some of the received popularity search results;

based on the analysis performed by the classifier, determining a number of popularity search results related to the genre of the catalog;

determining an ambiguity ratio that includes the determined number of popularity search results that are related to the genre of the catalog and the number of received popularity search results analyzed by the classifier; and

generating a perceived popularity for the content item based on the raw popularity score and the ambiguity ratio.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the content item is a song.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the content item is a musical album, wherein a musical album includes an electronic organization of songs.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein generating a perceived popularity for the musical album comprises:

identifying songs related to the musical album;

determining a perceived popularity for each of the songs;

determining a preliminary perceived popularity for the musical album as a whole; and

determining the perceived popularity for the musical album based on the perceived popularity for each of the songs and the preliminary perceived popularity for the musical album as a whole.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the preliminary perceived popularity for the musical album as a whole is based on popularity of the musical album without regard to popularity of individual songs included on the musical album.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the content item is a musical artist, wherein a musical artist includes one or more people who write or perform music.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein generating a perceived popularity for the musical artist comprises:

identifying songs related to the musical artist;

identifying musical albums related to the musical artist;

determining if the musical artist may be popular for a non-music related reason, and determining individual attributes related to the non-music related reason;

determining a perceived popularity for each of the songs;

determining a perceived popularity for each of the musical albums;

determining a perceived personal popularity for the musical artist based on the individual attributes related to the non-music related reason; and

determining the perceived popularity for the musical artist based on the perceived popularity for each of the songs, the perceived popularity for each of the musical albums and the perceived personal popularity for the musical artist.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the preliminary perceived popularity for the musical artist alone is based on popularity of the musical artist without regard to popularity of individual songs or musical albums related to the musical artist.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the non-music related reason includes at least one of activism, acting, gossip, interpersonal relationships and tragedy.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the individual attributes related to the non-music related reason include at least one of a cause, an organizational affiliation, a television show, a movie, a commercial, a tabloid article, a famous significant other, a famous relative and an accident.

16. A computer program product for yielding search results based on a search query, the computer program product including instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage device that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

determine, based on a search query, multiple search results, the multiple search results including a first search result including a link to a first digital instance that specifies a first content item, and a second search result including a link to a second digital instance that specifies a second content item;

determine a first set of popularity search results based on a popularity query associated with the first content item, and a second set of popularity search results based on a popularity query associated with the second content item;

assess a perceived popularity for the first content item based on the number of popularity search results in the first set of popularity search results, and a perceived popularity for the second content item based on the number of popularity search results in the second set of popularity search results,

wherein the perceived popularity is a measure of the popularity of the first and second content items and is distinct from a popularity of the first and second digital instances that specify each of the first and second content items; and

determine a presentation of the multiple search results based on the assessed perceived popularity.

17. A system for yielding search results based on a search query, the system comprising:

one or more hardware processors; and

a memory that stores instructions,

the one or more hardware processors configured by the instructions to:

determine, based on a search query, multiple search results, the multiple search results including a first search result including a link to a first digital instance that specifies a first content item, and a second search result including a link to a second digital instance that specifies a second content item;

determine a first set of popularity search results based on a popularity query associated with the first content item, and a second set of popularity search results based on a popularity query associated with the second content item;

assess a perceived popularity for the first content item based on the number of popularity search results in the first set of popularity search results, and a perceived popularity for the second content item based on the number of popularity search results in the second set of popularity search results,

wherein the perceived popularity is a measure of the popularity of the first and second content items and is distinct from a popularity of the first and second digital instances that specify each of the first and second content items; and

determine a presentation of the multiple search results based on the assessed perceived popularity.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a genre related to the first search result and the second search result;

identifying a first genre-specific catalog that is associated with the determined genre for the first search result and a second genre-specific catalog that is associated with the determined genre for the second search result;

accessing the first genre-specific catalog and the second genre-specific catalog; and

identifying one or more content items stored within the first and second genre-specific catalogs,

wherein:

the first content item is stored within the first genre-specific catalog, and

the second content item is stored within the second genre-specific catalog.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

determine a genre related to the first search result and the second search result;

identify a first genre-specific catalog that is associated with the determined genre for the first search result and a second genre-specific catalog that is associated with the determined genre for the second search result;

access the first genre-specific catalog and the second genre-specific catalog; and

identify one or more content items stored within the first and second genre-specific catalogs,

wherein:

the first content item is stored within the first genre-specific catalog, and

the second content item is stored within the second genre-specific catalog.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by the instructions to:

determine a genre related to the first search result and the second search result;

identify a first genre-specific catalog that is associated with the determined genre for the first search result and a second genre-specific catalog that is associated with the determined genre for the second search result;

access the first genre-specific catalog and the second genre-specific catalog; and

identify one or more content items stored within the first and second genre-specific catalogs,

wherein:

the first content item is stored within the first genre-specific catalog, and

the second content item is stored within the second genre-specific catalog.