I believe it absolutely would.
You have go break down the dynamic (we will choose Batman for the example) and in the end they go hand in hand.. Batman is a human who uses his head to defeat "super" powers and an insane list of bad guys/situations. Many quicker, stronger, has some type of advantage over him. People can relate to this, making him popular (give him the added bells and whistles of a sleek and favorable costume, an arsenal of fun gadgets, and excellent martial arts prowess) people want to see more and more of him... Now a character with all the above cant sustain alone, he needs drama, he needs enemies (Superman's downfall)..as you had mentioned, his top rogues are only worth it and arguably number 4-5, but those 4-5 are SO great and interact with Batman SO well that it just boosts the secondary rogues ad they compliment one another, in turn making them more formidable. (Not to mention his 4-5 top rogues are better than MANY characters entire rogues gallery)
Now add together ALL the above and you get an equation that makes people want more and more, which propels Batman into the limelight and mass media outlet. In turn bringing in more fans and visibility. Batman did not luck out.. He has all the pieces to be where he is, his rogues have a big part to play in this success.