The reason the 737 stood out is because it's descendents are still in use today while the 707 and DC8 are largely retired.

The Sud Aviation Caravelle first flew in 1955 and entered revenue service in 1959.

It was a small airliner with two engines in the rear. Although the Caravelle was retired in 2005, the twin rear engine layout was used by the very successful DC-9, MD-80 series, which is still flying, as are the similar Embraer ERJs. Twin rear mounted engines is also the design used by most private jets.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sud_Aviation_Caravelle