Old man's attitude. The most popular music has always been bland.
There's plenty of good music out there as there always has been if ones bothered to look for it.
For a start I suggest tuning into 6 music
As an old man I object..
I agree with the original sentiment but I think what might have meant is modern popular music. There's still good stuff out there but the music industry has changed, X factor and other things have replaced the older vehicles for accessing the public imagination such that 50 years ago there was a healthy mix. Crap alongside other, more interesting stuff reached the minds of most. Now its all there and easier to find but very few people are exposed to it.
Back in the day everyone knew the Abba songs and you could hear them alongside the Clash, those sorts of differences now run on separate rails
I picked the top from 40 and 50 years ago and now to compare
The top 10 40 years ago was a mix of all sorts, like it or not (Labelled with Love was a fantastic song and, in my humble opinion better than anything written in the last 10 years, back then it was just another record).
1 Police Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
2 Queen & David Bowie Under Pressure
3 Altered Images Happy Birthday
4 Four Tops When She Was My Girl
5 Julio Iglesias Begin the Beguine (Volver A Empezar)
6 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Of Joan Of Arc)
7 Haircut 100 Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)
8 Squeeze Labelled With Love
9 Olivia Newton-John Physical
10 Dave Stewart With Barbara Gaskin It's My Party
Current top 10
1 EASY ON ME-ADELE
2 SHIVERS ED SHEERAN
3 BAD HABITS ED SHEERAN
4 COLD HEART ELTON JOHN & DUA LIPA
5 FLOWERS (SAY MY NAME) ARRDEEISLAND
6 OVERPASS GRAFFITI ED SHEERAN
7 LOVE NWANTITI (AH AH AH) CKAY
8 HEAT WAVES GLASS ANIMALS
9 OBSESSED WITH YOU CENTRAL CEE
10 MEET ME AT OUR SPOT ANXIETY/WILLOW/TYLER
I tried the latest top 10 and maybe I am getting old because they seem shallow, self obsessed, formulaic and unoriginal to me (and yes, so do some of the 1981 hits as well)
This week 1971 was better I think
1 COZ I LUV YOU SLADE
2 TILL TOM JONES
3 JOHNNY REGGAE PIGLETS
4 MAGGIE MAY/REASON TO BELIEVE ROD STEWART
5 I WILL RETURN SPRINGWATER
6 BANKS OF THE OHIO OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
7 GYPSYS, TRAMPS AND THIEVES CHER
8 JEEPSTER T. REX
9 TIRED OF BEING ALONE AL GREEN
10 THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN JOAN BAEZ