Innovation and entrepreneurial behaviour in the Popular Music industry

In a creative industry, what pattern of artistic influences increases the likelihood that an artist will produce innovative products? This research examines all major artists in popular music between 1950 and 2008, their unique historic network of artistic influences, and their innovation achievements in the Popular Music Industry. The research applies network analysis to the social structure of the industry to see: do artists who create innovative products occupy unique structural positions in the complete network of artistic influences (1950–2008)? We posit and find evidence that artists with structural holes in their influence networks have access to unique resources from which to fashion new innovative products.