Why was LimeWire so popular?

Why did LimeWire become so widely used and popular among file-sharing enthusiasts? Was it the ease of use, the vast library of available content, or the fact that it was free to download and install? Did its peer-to-peer network technology provide a faster and more efficient way to share files compared to other platforms? Or was it simply the case that LimeWire was the first major file-sharing program to gain widespread attention, paving the way for its success? I'm curious to know what factors contributed to its popularity and what made it stand out from the competition.