First, we should look at what sells and what is successful from this standpoint; music fulfills the needs, wants, and desires of any group of fans because they identify with it. and they like a song because they can hum it in the shower. The one thing that all successful acts have in common when they cross over to mass appeal is great songs! This is true as well for the more edgy artists who seem to eek out a living from smaller fanbases. They still write compelling songs that touch the hearts and minds of their fans. (Whether or not you personally ‘like’ hit songs or not has nothing to do with it.)