Is today’s contemporary music lacking?

I get so frustrated every time I see this subject come up on music forums. 

Listen, I am in my 60's, but the main problem I have with new music, is keeping up with all the great new stuff coming out, in several genres, from all over the world.

I there have been quite a few studies done, that show, that most people's musical tastes stop evolving at the age of 30. For most people, their favorite music is the music that was the "soundtrack of their youth", and once they settle into their lives at the age of 30, music no longer servers that purpose.

As long as one avoids the mainstream, has an open mind, an inquisitive attitude, and is not trying to relive their youth, there is so much great music out there.

For those who don’t believe that pre-year 2000 popular music represents the pinnacle of the genre and that nothing of value has been produced since, here are just a few of the great and unsurpassed chart toppers from the 60’s-90’s:

https://youtu.be/VECljlG--gE

https://youtu.be/r3BWaRkJ58M

https://youtu.be/C7T4aQMxTTM

https://youtu.be/zfLU3Mv_O9w

https://youtu.be/asQxeXYFYgg

https://youtu.be/S3Oyipl36YQ

https://youtu.be/by6xt5NX4ZM

and, of course, who can forget this gem? :

https://youtu.be/KYgK97aioNA

Hell, let’s go back a little further:

#1 on the Billboard pop chart in 1956:

https://youtu.be/-OHYREiQzK4

Simonmoon +1. For many music is about nostalgia, music can make one feel young again, I get it. On the other hand,  optimizing my streaming setup has reinvigorated my love of so many more genres of music than previous listening limited to my collection of 2500 or so cd's and same amount of vinyl allowed. There is so much great music out there from all eras, 30's-present!  And even for any specific era and genre, so much that was previously undiscovered!
There has always been good, great, bad and indifferent music from every genre and era, and it will remain that way into the future.

Don’t blame the artists, blame the public. Popular music is a money making venture that churns out more of whatever sells. Not sure exactly where the shift happened. There are still outliers though. It could be a lack of music education. Some of it might be tied to the increasing importance of appearance since the dawn of the video age. If the song is mediocre, but has a great video it will still get play. Find music you enjoy and support it rather than complain about what just falls in your lap.

There are a lot of YouTube videos analyzing music that touch on this. Some of my favorites are by Rick Beato or Adam Neely. 

For those who don’t believe that pre-year 2000 popular music represents the pinnacle of the genre and that nothing of value has been produced since, here are just a few of the great and unsurpassed chart toppers from the 60’s-90’s:

 

Yes, but this thread is not specifically about popular music. The thread is about contemporary music. If the thread was about pop music, then I would agree with you.

There are many creative genres of contemporary music, that are just as good as ever.

I listen to contemporary: jazz, classical, and progressive music, including most of the subgenres of these, and I can't keep up with all the great music coming out.

I can list page after page of incredible jazz musicians, classical composers, and prog bands, most forging new territory, fresh and creative.