I must be old

If one chooses to become a LP disciple, it starts with putting the effort to either bin dive and do some kind of cleaning or open your wallet-get a "stamper"(enough plugging for you know who).

If you choose not to do either, then you're left with those questionable overpriced  reissues and "audiophile" LPs.

I own many different colored jumpsuits for my "stamper" finds.

Clicks and pops can be minimize to the point of just about "perfect" but that goes back to effort. After that, if the system is decent an errant stitch is easily dismissed for an organic, believable presentation.

No you are not stupid vinyl is a more interactive and fun medium and there are a lot of great recordings that will never make it to digital but i would say just listen and have fun like what you like.

My dad just gave me a bunch of his old records. Some really cool stuff that I've wanted for a long time. Some old Beatles, the first Band album. I cleaned them on my vacuum based record cleaner. Some sound ok but with pops and more noise. Some are unlistenable.

My experience is when the vinyl is in good shape and quiet, I always prefer the vinyl. It's bigger, more airy, more intricate. There are instruments I sometimes don't hear on digital. But if I don't have a good copy of something then digital it is. I can see how the dead quiet background of digital is very appealing and I continue to take steps to get my vinyl front end as quiet. 

For me, analog and digital are just different. I prefer the former but see how others might prefer the latter. 

"if you want an accurate rendition of the actual recording"....BS! If the recording was an "Analog" recording, then the above is a ridiculous statement. The inherent surface noise on vinyl has "zero" to do with whether it is or is not an accurate rendering of a recording. Vinyl is an "Analog" medium. Some of the "best" recorded sound I’ve heard was via vinyl. Digital is missing some of the information, as it is inherent in how it is produced. The original signal is broken up into 1’s and 0’s and laced back together again. This alone interferes with the "natural flow" of the analog signal. Its like taking someone’s DNA molecule apart and lacing it back together, but forgetting a few strands here and there! No longer original. However, if the recording on vinyl was derived via a digital recording process to begin with, then the cd is essentially the same, without the surface noise. Digital will never sound as good as all analog recordings from beginning to end. I’m talking about when tube equipment was used to record the signal to tape. Some of the very best recordings were made 50 or more years ago, and that is the truth (those days are long gone). Today, most if not all is digitally processed crap.
Do I listen to CD’s? Of course! They are easy and convenient. Do they sound better? Absolutely not. If you have yet to experience that "tubey magic" that well recorded all analog vinyl can produce, then you are missing out. Noise, warts, and all, it still sounds better. JMO