I'm not sure there's a perfect answer to that question, but I think it is the quest to answer it that allows us to develop as songwriters. I think there are a lot of elements that are common to many (though not all) successful songs, but I think at the heart of it, songwriting is all about effective communication.
In other words, is anyone listening to what you have to say?
As I share my experiences (both successes and failures) as a songwriter, I think I can provide some insight, but before I try to do that, you should really ask yourself: What do I want to say, and how will I make sure that others will hear it?
Not everyone would agree that popularity is a good metric. While some would say that a hit song must be, by definition, a good song (because it is popular), others would say the exact opposite. Who is right?
I will attempt to guide you on the path to answering these kinds of questions yourself. I believe that a song's popularity does say something about it - if it's good, people generally will want to hear it - and although I don't think that's all of the story, you will often see me reference hit songs (especially if more than one follows the same pattern for success, e.g. the guitar solo is based on a pentatonic scale). At any rate, I am only a guide. You will be the final arbiter when deciding what is good and what isn't.
I will end this post with links to three very distinct but popular songs. Perhaps listening to them will aid you in your journey to discover yourself as a songwriter.
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