Popular Culture and the Stock Market

Read the report that started it all! In the mid-1980s, Robert R. Prechter, Jr., already famous for having forecast, in the late 1970s, the great stock market advance of the 1980s, began to apply his knowledge of Elliott Wave Theory to non-financial trends. His seminal 1985 essay, Popular Culture and the Stock Market, described correlations between the stock market and cultural trends such as those in movies, music, fashion, art, literature, and politics. People magazine, in its May 11, 1987 issue (see graphic at right), devoted an article to his observations (and stardom). Today, as Executive Director of the Socionomics Institute, Prechter continues to discover and inspire new socionomic ideas that are helping to integrate the social sciences. To read Popular Culture and the Stock Market, click here.

Video: What Makes Pop Music Popular?

This 3-minute montage follows music trends from the Beatles to Jimi Hendrix to Britney Spears, revealing a startling connection between pop culture and finance. As market analyst Robert Prechter observes, "You can almost hear the Dow going up and down over the airwaves."

Video: Short Skirts and the Stock Market

Financial market analysts have studied the "hemline indicator" for decades. Yet there's an even deeper connection between fashion trends and the economy's financial health that most overlook. This 3-minute clip from History's Hidden Engine reveals the real significance of what's in style.

Video: The Untold Secret of Cinematic Success

Successful Disney films and horror movies have more in common than you might think. This 3-minute clip from History's Hidden Engine explains that connection -- and why it's just as relevant to stock markets and broad social trends as it is to movies.

Video: Why Some Scandals Never Make News

The Enron and Martha Stewart scandals made headlines at about the same time. It wasn't just coincidence. This 4-minute clip about socionomics from History's Hidden Engine explains why some scandals make news when they do, while others go unnoticed. Includes interviews with Robert Prechter, Jordan Kotick and John Nofsinger, Ph.D.