All pop music does not sound the same. I have been collecting music for decades across a wide spectrum of styles and types-- including a lot of pop. The sound quality ranges from the normal over-compressed to beautiful and dynamic.
I agree with other posters that too much of today’s music is over compressed with too-limited dynamics. Unless you happen to be listening on your smartphone with a pair of craptastic earbuds (i.e. most young people today)-- which is why I think compression is overused-- even on music that the labels/artists surely know will NEVER EVER be played on commercial radio-- they know will be listened to as above.
I also agree that it has been reduced to a commodity by the business. Yeah, I’m talking to you Spotify!
It can be hard to find great music today despite the Internet-- because most systems "help" you find new music by trying to match your pre-existing tastes. That's a soul-sucking strategy that keeps most people safely bored within their comfort zones.
Like always, the better way requires more time.
VISIT record stores and talk to actual humans while in them.
READ music mags like Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, The Quietus, etc.
Go to live shows at smaller venues.
LISTEN to smaller Internet or college radio stations.
TAKE RISKS by listening to genres you might otherwise automatically avoid-- there’s good stuff in nearly every category.
And this is the big one-- DO NOT LIVE IN THE PAST, thinking that all the good music was made years or decades ago. Stay like a kid and be open to being blown away by new sounds and styles always coming out.
And this is a hard one for me-- DON’T get too hung up on the sound quality and start hyper-judging every little detail-- be a little tolerant.
There is literally great music being released every year.
And finally-- if you can swing it-- listen to vinyl over digital. I have an excellent system that does both digital and vinyl really well-- I still choose vinyl for the best overall sound. It’s no hassle once you get in the groove and it puts you in a more visceral contact with the artists and the sounds.
