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The industry history is full of stories of decisions made by people rejecting artists and Songs that later found great success.
"Nobody listens to guitar bands any more," said the label executive to The Beatles. Rejection.
The iconic Songs, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and "Summertime", from "The Wizard of Oz" and "Porgy and Bess" were almost not included in those two musicals, based on some Leadership Decision-Maker's opinion.
And the reasons for someone's opinion vary widely. It may be the mood they're in that day. It may be their personal tastes. Judgment by decision-makers and the general public are as varied as individuals themselves.
Mark ? (Can't think of his name!) tells of the 'ambience' factor, the opinion of the show based partly on the fact the audience is out at a 'party', with a drink in hand, friends around, attitude set to enjoy themselves.
A singer asked, "Do you have to be pretty to be a success?" Yes, 'cosmetics' is a factor. I was thinking about Madonna's Song, "Papa Don't Preach", and liking its Structure and production. She was a lovely young thing to look upon. Would a less attractive girl have had the same success? Unknown, unknowable.
I remember back when the world was young people showing up at the house with 'the new' album by someone and sometimes saying how much they liked it. We'd put it on and I didn't like it. I wondered why they did. But their reasons for 'liking' were not the same as mine for 'disliking'. My criteria were different, based on my 'training' in music appreciation from listening to the stuff I grew up with, and the personal experience of Song-Writing. But that's all anyone has to go on; their own 'training' for development of a criteria 'list' of values for evaluating a Lyric, the arrangement (accompaniment), the overall execution of the vocalization, the performance of instruments, the prosody of how it all 'marries' into the whole.
On a different day the 'decision-maker' might feel differently about a Song, or an artist. When the decision-maker is a Leadership Decision-Maker, deciding whether to promote a Song as a Publisher or Artist's Management, their opinion only matters a little more because of that 'Gate-Keeper' status. It's a judgment call based on their criteria. The general public will make their own judgment call about whether to lay down the coin of the realm to 'own' the Song, to pay attention as it is performed, or to watch the 30 TV's, talk about 'the game', the girls, their day, and ignore the music.
Play. Write. Your judgment call is the most important one. Do judge. Do self-critique. If you learn to get it right your success is more likely with the judgment call of all those other decision-makers, consumers in the Leadership Decision-Making in the industry, and the general public.
In summation, don't put too much stock in other people's 'opinion', even the professionals whose say-so opens the gate or closes it in your face. They've been wrong before, probably as much as they've been right.