Why does most new music suck?

I think a clear distinction should be made between lyrics and melody. My son came home one day after school indignant that the new assignment was to write a poem. He thought 'How absurd to demand something from someone who may not be particularly talented in this area'. He was 10 at the time. I made an agreement with him that if I can write a poem, so can he. I promptly retreated into the bedroom with clipboard in hand and emerged an hour and half later with a 7 stanza poem which he thought was fabulous. He then diligently wrote a pretty decent one himself. Attempting to add music to it is the hard part. This is where his contention would have made sense. In my recollection, all of the most important players of the 60's and 70's did in fact write their own material. Something that was always pointed out back then. It was considered a very important attribute and highly respected. However, great music stands alone and all those who did Bacharach, who imo was the key player for pop, were very well liked. So it really is always about the music isn't it. Any one can do the lyrics. The dilemma artists are faced with today is finding good original melody. There's simply none left. Not sure what that Simpson article was trying to convey.

Frogman,

Hmmm....compressed sound, poor lyrics and electronic drivel = pop music that sucks. Thanks for the Smithonian post.

Rok, do it! You only live once. And if it is anything less than "good", I'll take it off your hands. After a small discount, of course ;-)

****The dilemma artists are faced with today is finding good original melody. There's simply none left****

Ah, not so; at all. The well is bottomless. The problem is not the potential of music; a great melody is not "found". The problem is the "artists".

Oh but it is! This is where we differ. Do you think that the great melodies of the past would not exist had those who wrote them not done so? They simply beat everyone else to the punch. There are no punches left to punch.