Why is modern pop music today so terrible?

Hell, Van Morrison has 46 albums to his credit and I'm only familiar with at best half of them, why spend precious time wading through 'pop' music in an attempt to hear something that even approaches his genius?  Yes, it may be there, somewhere, hidden in the 'pop' sound waves, but damn! It's almost like swapping gear, again and again, in search of the 'perfect' sound when all along what you really like is right there in front of you.  Yes, I'm an old man, just like the one Neil Young sings of. I feel a certain vindication of my starchy point of view when my grown children ask if I'll put some Dead, Allman Bros, or Joni Mitchell on the TT; maybe it's respect, maybe it's pandering, but in my heart I want to think it's because they truly like it, for its originality, it's vitality, or the way it speaks to them.  Oh, hell, I'm going to have one more scotch and turn up volume and listen to the Wailin Jenny's! They are new to me and I dig it! 

First off, music is pretty subjective. Besides todays music isn't for you. You don't get it because your not suppose to. Last thing kids want is their parents, or worst their grandparents to be tripping on their music. Have we gotten so old we don't remember our parents. My Dad ( God bless him, he's no longer here but still love and miss him ) didn't like The Beatles, couldn't stand Stones, hated Alice Cooper use to call him the freak. What I'm trying to say is, welcome the club Grandpa. Ah Grasshopper, the circle is complete, we've become our Parents. 

One word... Compression :/

"Why is modern pop music today so terrible?"

Because it's an honest reflection of the times that we live in: pop music for mass consumption is superficial, artificial, meaningless and 100% disposable.  Here today and gone later today.  It wasn't always that way imo.  

It is what it is.  And most of it is God-awful and execrable.

There.  Spoken like a true Old Fart.

I'm not an old fart lol, but I agree with that statement as far as the music itself and not the actual recording process. It's cheap and the easy way " 2 takes and we will fix it in post" most the time the music itself in prefabricated and auto tune inhanced vocals laid down on top, You look and the garbage sampes supposed artist like Diplo, sleepy Tom, M82, the weekend are laying down. even that Justin temberlake dude and honestly you would think he would know better as long as he's been an artist. It's just crappy home studio garbage. you will notice that there is some that do, do a good job spend massive amounts of time in the studio to get it right. But they are really few and far b/t.