what is more popular silver or black face plates

Silver, black faced gear is hard to see in a darkened room.

Leo Fender was a trend setter.  

I personally prefer black. I’ve noticed some companies (Parasound comes to mind) charge more for the same component in black. 

Black

The Rolling Stones had it right from the start!

I see silver face plates

and want to paint them black

no champagne or gold for me

it’s got to be flat black

i see my line of gear

and they’re all painted black

I returned the silverl amp

and exchanged it for black

changed my return address

so it never can come back

well you get the idea

I have no preference.  My AV system is all black faceplates but my music system has more silver than black.  I have the impression that black is standard for professional installations while silver has an aesthetic more suitable for residential systems.

Anyhow, here's an earlier thread on the subject:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/the-cyclicality-of-black-vs-silver