Like you RSA, I dismissed LPs decades ago because of pops, hiss, and not being able to use in my car.
I cant speak to the pressings but others have.
I got the LP bug this year and bought a new turn table. I was pleasantly surprised when I played my LPs I had stored for 30 years. Very clean pleasant sound on the better kept less used records. Still pops on the abused ones.
As Soundermn said, my equipment is better now than it was then. So I think that made a difference.
I am not replacing my digital library with LPs but, it has reopened an avenue I had closed for three decades. I can now search for those gem LPs and get satisfaction when I find them.