A number of WP folks use the word "popular" as an epithet. So the folks who do that must have some great solid inside knowledge about who is popular, and who isnt, to be able to do that. So you would have to ask one of those people.
A certain WP person got angry at me once, and accused me of being "well loved on WP" while he was reaming me out at length. I guess I should sue that person for slander! LOL! But how that person knows how popular I am when even I have no clue about my own, or anyone else's popularity, is beyond me.
There must be some secret popularity database hidden in the bowls of Wrongplanet that this person gets to see!