Doubtful. The best, maybe is as good as the best was then, and today may not look so bad compared to the late 70s, say, but you don't have the heaps of talent in popular music than you had at other times (mid to late 60s, early 70s, early 80s).
You've got some unmemorable and interchangeable rock acts, and a lot of rappers, and neither group is aren't producing stuff with as much wide appeal as what the more melodic 60s, 70s, or 80s artists did.
I'd even say that today's rappers are less interesting and distinctive than 90s rappers were. Some may actually be more talented, but they don't make a splash the way the old school did.
I guess if you mean big acts, well, their day came and went. There will be fewer of them and that is a very very good thing.
Once again, I have to disagree. You have "big acts" now like Taylor Swift or Adele, but you don't have the hosts of second and third level artists scrambling to get to the top.
If you're talking about "rock" narrowly defined. Sure, the big acts are gone or are old men and new ones aren't coming up and making as big a sensation. But once again, it's those second and third tier artists that aren't making much of an impression on a wider public. The energy just isn't there anymore. Songs back in the 60s and in the 80s were a lot more memorable.
All the great rock songs have already been made.
Modern bands have to still compete with the old guys, because inevitable what they do will be compared to them.
Just listen to the difference between music in 1965, 1966, and 1967, each year was a quantum leap.
Wide appeal.
Oh.
You mean there are no gate keepers anymore with the power to restrict what gets heard. And you, like many others on this thread regard that as a horrible state of affairs. No more herd experience. Individualism = bad, herd = good.
I am glad where you are sad.
I will buy as much Celtic music as I desire not just the few expensive imports I can get Green Linnet to ship me. I will buy albums from obscure Swedish reggae bands and a song here and there from Russian house bands. If I can hear an album from some local band in Boston or Witchita online and buy a song or two.
Years ago, I used to go to a local food and bluegrass festival. They had Texas fiddle competitions and chili cookoffs. One young performer that used to play became famous (and lost a lot of baby fat) - Allison Krause. She is good. But Erika Chambers is just as good despite not being famous. In yesteryear it wouldn’t have been possible for me to find or buy her music.
Nope. I don’t miss the power of yesterday’s corporate gatekeepers restricting what music and even what types of music were available. And I don’t long for.some.corporate decision making cowboy to round me up and drive me to what music is financed by the record manufacturers, and carried in the limited shelfspace of brick and mortar stores.