The most obvious thing that separates the classic tracks from the not-so-exiting ones is having something unique. Something that makes it possible to know immediately what track it is by looking at one specific part of it. the Schumacher chicane in Suzuka, Au Rouge in Spa etc. It's becoming increasingly difficult because of safety regulations, for example they couldn't create a track like Laguna Seca and race on it now for safety reasons. Basically, elevation is out of the picture now, due to a rule about maximum speed in an off-camber corner.
On top of that, you need to add memorable moments. Brazil and Suzuka definitely have their fare share, and that adds so much to their fame and importance on the F1 calendar (wow, did I really just use three 'and's in one sentence?). New tracks don't have that obviously, but they can gain it quickly, just take Valencia as an example. In 2010 and 2012, the races had memorable moments, and Valencia has quickly gained publicity.
The final thing that could make a track great could be a unique quality that's not on the track. For example, Abu Dhabi is special track because it's late in the season, is home to Ferrari world, and runs during the night. Notice all of those are not actually about the track itself, yet those make it a spectacular track nonetheless. Melborne is memorable because of location and place in the calendar. Long story short, the actual track is not everything.
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