clinking

sometimes i just don't understand what the point is of everyone and their mother linking to certain very popular blogs that everyone and their mother already links to so what is the point of another blog linking to them? is it so everyone who comes to your blog will know that you are one of their groupies? is it like name-dropping? i try to link only to blogs that most people don't already link to. is it so that blog will then perhaps link back to you? but then they are only linking to you because you linked to them. it confuzles me.