That’s a good point.
I remember the 1970s and people sitting for long stretches and listening to progressive rock. Yes, drugs were often involved. “Listening to music” was considered an activity.
Today, it seems that music is a soundtrack to your life. It’s like people are living in a movie. I walk down the street, and music plays. I cook a meal, and music plays. Hey, I don’t actually listen to any of it. Why would I do that? It’s just there. I don’t want to think about it. Music isn’t important. It’s just “there”.
And much of today’s music (I’m talking Pop, not Rap) is mostly a back beat. With a big voice (often a powerful female voice) belting out repetitive lyrics. People don’t listen, because there isn’t much to really listen to. It’s just supposed to be “there”.
That’s a completely different approach to music than in decades past.
I was in a grocery store that had music you described with the big female voice bleating out repetitive lyrics over and over and over. It is headache inducing.
It took all I had to keep from going to the manager and telling him that the music they were playing is driving me out of the store. I know it is a muzak and he can’t help it, but it was loud and horrible.