Some chips, like the LM741 and the NE555, are very popular among hobbyists but never used in professional design anymore.
Others, though, have retained their usefulness for a very, very long time. You still see 2222s and 3904s in transistor part numbers, the 1N4001 and 1N4148 are still some of the most common diodes around, the LM317 even finds its niche from time to time.
I don't know where I was going with this. Just some ponderances I suppose.