Great topic. I think a fascination with music is what started all of us on the quest for in home reproduction systems that bring maximum enjoyment of our personal musical favorites. Music is intensely personal. I think it was Jerry Garcia who said his goal was to make every individual in the audience feel as though the band was playing specifically to them, and only to them. Don't hold me to that quote. The music that speaks to me won't do the same for much of the rest of the world and vice versa. I often refer to myself as a music snob because I've pretty much always expressed a disdain for what has for decades been foist upon the listening public as 'pop' (short for popular) music. Just as an example; what is sold as 'country' music these days is hardly the music of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, or George Strait. I don't know what it is, but it speaks not to me. As many have posted here, the 'best' music (in my opinion) is that which typically flies under the radar and which takes word of mouth (FM college radio, used record bins in dusty basements, small concert venues and clubs, knowledgeable friends) to reach ones ears. A benefit of being a 6 decade, slightly more than casual music enthusiast is that I've heard a fair bit of what's come down the musical pipes. When I ask someone who's listening to pandora or spotify 'country' collections on the radio if they've ever heard of Ian Tyson, Ry Cooder, Doug Sahm, Roy Buchanan, Guy Clark, Gram Parsons, Jerry Jeff Walker, or Billy Joe Shaver and get that blank stare, I don't even bother anymore to delve into other genres' under the radar stars. I just stop, let them enjoy what apparently speaks to them and silently appreciate the collections I've managed to salvage from the racks over the last 50+ years. Its all just a matter of opinion after all, and I still work hard at resisting the urge to claim, while I agree with that position, the fact is my opinion is just better than yours!
Why is modern pop music today so terrible?