Well, there was R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet.” 
Actually, “Panic at the Disco” seems to do narrative style songs.
Kenny G made the charts a few times, off the top of my head.
One example that springs to mind is “Crusader” by Chris de Burgh. It’s a story song that retells history in an epic (albeit biased) way.
As was mentioned previously, consider yourself fortunate. Listening to this song is like being forced at gunpoint to read the works of Danielle Steele.
“Blind” response to the OP:
Reason against the “Instrumental:” Such a song would force people to actually listen to listen to music and judge it on its own merits. This is rarely done in music today. You can’t sing along with it exactly, and the name of the song is often forgotten. I often see instumentals as albub tracks, though.
Reason against the “Story Song:” Such a song would force people to actually listen to listen to the lyrics and judge it on its own merits. 
This is done in country music, but less now than in years past; it is rare in pop music. Most story songs lack a bridge and can be too long for a modern radio single.
On that note… Around half the tracks by my favorite band (Gaelic Storm) are instrumentals, and their most popular song is a story song (“Johnny Tarr”).
A heavy-metal ‘story’ song: “Iron Man”, by Black Sabbath (or is it an Ozzie solo track?)
And the lyrics are just godawful. I’m sure it must have been the inspiration for Spinal Tap.
Story songs are alive and well. Any Fountains of Wayne album will have a couple. The Decemberists have whole bunch of them. John Prine still sings them. And rap music is full of them. Eminem has a bunch. Some autobiographical, some not.
That’s who I came in here to mention. Whether you like him or not, you can’t say some of his songs tell a story. If you ask nicely, maybe Diosabellisima or whatever her name is, will explain how she finds Eminem’s “Kim” is the “Annabel Lee” of today’s generation. Or something like that.
The funniest thing about “I’ve Been to Paradise” is that it was on the Motown label. Yes, that Motown. If you haven’t heard the song, trust me, it’s the last song you’d imagine sharing studio space with Marvin Gaye or Rick James.
Yeah, but I’ve got a worse one: Undercover Angel, by Alan O’Day. I heard it on the radio yesterday and I was laughing so hard I almost ran off the road. Great stuff. 
If I’m not mistaken, another funny thing about “I’ve Never Been to Me” is that it was released in 1977, and barely scraped the bottom of the Hot 100. Then in 1982,(lucky for us) some DJ, for reasons lost in history, began playing it and it became a huge hit.
You’ve gotta love those Iron Man lyrics…
Has he lost his mind?
Can he see or is he blind?
Can he walk at all,
Or if he moves will he fall?
Is he alive or dead?
Has he thoughts within his head?
Well just pass him there
Why should we even care?
He was turned to steel
In the great magnetic field
Ah yes… The great magnetic field. It was turning things into steel left and right.
But keep in mind this was late 70’s/80’s Motown–well after its Detroit-based heyday. By the time of “I’ve Never Been to Paradise,” the company had moved itself to LA, lost its distinctive “sound”, and had become just another record label.
I only vaguely remember this one. Was that a story song?
LMAO.
Isn’t that song was about wet dreams, or masturbation?
Wet dream, I think. The best part is
Underneath the covers
The answer lies
I’m lookin’ for my angel
In your sweet lovin’ eyes.
She said WHAT?
I bet she did.
Remakes of David Geddes Run Joey Run & Last Game of the Season (A Blind Man in the Bleachers)
:eek:
Sorry for resuscitating the thread, but I heard Run Joey Run on the radio yesterday and I wanted to ask a dumb question. The lyrics go:
Daddy, please don’t
It wasn’t his fault
He means so much to me
Daddy please don’t
We’re going to get married
Just you wait and see.
What exactly wasn’t his fault? Was she pregnant? (Next smart-ass question: How come it wasn’t his fault? Did she steal his “guys” and use a turkey baster?)
Sheds a whole different light on this song, I tell ya. I thought Dad shot him because Dad was a psycho who didn’t want his child dating boys from the wrong side of the tracks or something.
I’m guessing the girl is saying either, “It wasn’t his fault, I seduced him,” or “It wasn’t his fault I got pregnant, I forget to take my birth control pill.”