So what happened

[Jay Jolliffe]

To the music for the mid 60's to mid to late 70's....While not being able to do too after I was relieved of my Gallbladder we watched Levon Helm & then The Last Waltz. I know I'm showing my age but most in here a approaching geezer hood anyways. That's when music was music & not a bunch of synthesized crap...that's mostly not hearable.....

[Stephen Cherry]

Back then, musicians could play instruments; today they can dance.

[Shawn Pixley]

Outside the Pop and Hip-hop genres, I think the quality of musicianship is actually higher now. There was a lot of poor musicianship in the 60's & 70's. Obviously there was very good examples, but we tend to overlook bands that did those classics like Henry the Eighth (Herman's Hermits?). Shutting off heavy sarcasm now.

The central problem currently is that you must actively seek the current musicians who aren't of the Pop / Hip-hop genres. You might want to check out:

Porcupine Tree
The National
Gaslight Anthem
The Doves
We Are Augustines
The Killers
Joy Formidible
North Atlantic Oscillation
Decemberists
The Shins
The Hives
Katatonia
Leszek Mozdzer
The Mercury Tree

I can go on.... The musicians above are very good. You might or might not like the genres or the bands, but to say that there aren't good musicians today is untrue.

[Greg Peterson]

I agree with Shawn. The genre has essentially 'grown up'. Lots of truly talented and skilled players in the genre. Doesn't mean I care what passes for pop music these days.

But I imagine today's pop audience will enjoy and appreciate the music of their era as much as we enjoy ours.