El Greko - who said anything about "RULES"??   As many of us have TRIED to say, there are no hard and fast rules. There are also different standards for different genres. I THINK that the comments being made here are very generic OPINIONS. I do think that the comments taken on a whole give you an IDEA what SOME of the fans of this style of music appreciate.

Of course that song was popular, as are numerous other songs in various genres. It is not to say that we won't appreciate a Procol Harum, a rap song, or even a song in a foreign tongue.   Just don't make an assumption that just because someone writes a song that everyone must like it. If the majority of us seem to appreciate songs that "tell a story that others will relate to", just accept that a group of people have given an opinion.   I wouldn't wear my Red Sox cap in Yankee Stadium and expect that others would appreciate my choice.