With regards to Strats, go to any guitar-related internet forum, and you'll find thousands upon thousands of posts saying "A Strat doesn't sound like a Strat unless its got a tremelo/vibrato!" Well, whatever. I'm not entering THAT particular minefield.
And, like I said a few days ago, 25% of the posts here are about or mention Floyd Rose systems.
I listen to the radio a couple of hours a day, and can't remember the last time I heard someone use a whang-bar. As for me, I don't like them, don't use them, and don't particularly want to hear them. Notable exceptions are Duane Eddy, King James, and Eddie Van Halen.