Why is modern pop music today so terrible?

Styles change but there’s always an abundance of talent. Mahler once observed that "the younger generation is always right" after hearing a piece of Schoenberg’s (that he didn’t even like). Ed Sheeran, John Mayer and Jack Johnson, for instance, are tremendously talented. Do I buy their stuff? No, but there’s no doubt that the gift is there. Had they been born decades earlier (or had I been born decades later) I’m sure I’d have liked their music. And as someone pointed out, there’s always some stuff that seems ghastly. I heard a half hour of some really lame, unimaginative music courtesy of the local classical station this afternoon. Arnold Bax, Michael Torque (sp?)--really dreadful IMO. I would have preferred any of the 3 pop stars I mentioned earlier, actually.

Right on, bdp24. 

bdp24, have you heard the tribute to Doc Pomus CD (I think it's called Save the Last Dance for Me)?  It's got Dylan, Los Lobos, Shawn Colvin, Dr. John, Brian Wilson, B.B. King, Lou Reed and others.  Pretty fine, IMO.

In 1962 if you were in America you probably had not heard or heard of the Beatles at all.

Also, the Beatles played their own guitars all the time, except for Clapton's solo on the White Album.  And they played their instruments every bit as well as the Stones.  Eventually, far better.  The Stones were for people who thought they had to be a little bit cooler, less mainstream.  Both great bands, BTW.

Peter, Paul and Mary were thrown together.  So were the Monkees.  That's not the problem--it's a matter of:  is the music good?  It doesn't matter how it originated.  Again, there's good stuff out there, but it's not likely made by the people who get all the attention in the media. 

I suggest some of you find one or more good, streaming radio stations.  We have several that broadcast here in Austin, most notably KUTX 98.9 FM  http://kutx.org/  
and KOOP  91.7
https://www.koop.org/listen-now

Of course, listening material depends on when you tune in as there are often genre-specific programs.  And much of the music is older, but there's a lot of good new stuff that you won't find on the pop stations.  It's still pop music.