It really depends on the school. Some kids are popular because they are nice and fun to be around, some are popular because they bully other people, and others are popular because of their clothes....
Well, now everyone thinks looking hot, wearing the best clothes, listening to the coolest music (hip- hop, rap, pop) and having the most friends. But those are the ones that grow up to be losers....
There are various reasons to why popular people are popular. It might be because they have all the lasted clothing or simply the fact that they have money(rich). Maybe they are very easy to talk to....
I'm not quite sure, but I'm guessing around the 1970-80's is when it started getting popular, around the years of Tony Alva and Stacy Paralta. Around 2000 the skateboard that most common people used...