A fan is nobody for you. He's not a friend, he's not a family member, he merely likes that you do and that's all. I think some money-related things like buying tickets/CDs/memorabilia/instruments/whatever could lead to a conclusion, that he (or she) owes you something. But this is just an illusion! So Mark doesn't need to "love" his fans, because he's not supposed to.
I can't agree with this. I think it's a mutual thing. Yes, for example Mark does what he wants to do artistically (certainly does at this time of his career and perhaps always has or maybe not) but without fans things get complicated. What's the difference between a rehearsal and a concert? Fans. Does Mark like to play live. He does. Why? Take away those fans and it's just a rehearsal. Would he tour empty venues for months? Not even for a week if he could do it for free.
Fans are even more important at the beginning of ones career. Fans, audience, call it whatever you want.
Now imagine a fresh artist, a talented one if you want, doing what he loves doing best, he was dreaming about making a living as a musician but it's at this point in his career that he really for the first time realized that he could perhaps actually make it. And ask him how he feels about fans. Are they nobody for him? Artists are getting a lot more from fans, not just money.
But even if it was just money and nothing else there is a huge difference between a successful career of a certain artist because he was understood and appreciated while he was still alive and made tons of money in the process and another artist that was perhaps even better than the first yet was totally not understood and not appreciated for what he was and had to die miserable, poor and alone only for the world to realize posthumously what it was all about. Poe, Dickinson, Monet, Kafka, van Gogh and even Bach in a certain way. To name just a few of the well known ones. They had no fans! 
(Bach had fans, but only as an organist, not composer, and probably didn't die miserable, poor and alone)
There is no big difference when it comes to Mark i believe, "he just got "lucky" " (if one consider the money and the fans for the measure of success
). The similar themes go through the so many of his songs, 38 special, skydiver, in the gallery, money for nothing, after the beanstalk, ragpicker's dream, in the sky - are just few that come into my mind at first (he always took a fancy to the ones...) think of local hero, well just listen to his songs! Songs would have found the way anyhow!, or if you like vice versa "the way" would have found these Songs if it there had been different circumstances. Yes, the funs also do their part indeed, they come and go, to crash and foam and creap away (what can your praise really be worth?).
Only songs remain, it's all about the song, song is the king, art not the artist;.
...and always broke, not that they ever cared! so they called it Dire Straits!
