What about taste...musical taste?

The taste of the broad mass is passive and equals to the 'lowest common denominator' of a dedicated art like a genre of music, and is influenced by active opinion leaders (e.g. stars, couturiers, famous musicians etc.)
The mass is imitating in a simple way the art of a paradigm.

The taste of the mass is like a temporary fashion and equals to the spirit of the age. It could be changed like a piece of clothing. The taste of the artist is active like his individual gesture and voice and cannot be changed like a shirt.

Volker Zdunnek a.k.a. Philos60