So much music that we never hear!

@dayglow:

"Many need to dig deeper in there collection and discover other artists"

+1 

". . . you would think Miles Davis is the only competent jazz musician".

. . . or that the (relatively) light-weight Patricia Barber and Diana Krall are the only worthwhile female vocalists. People have no idea what they're missing. 

I've learned this is one of those situations where the "lead a horse to water" analogy applies. You can't force another person to be artistically curious.

I'm in no way suggesting my personal tastes are in any way superior to anyone else's -- each person has to discover on their own what they like. But this cannot and will not occur without effort. Commercial radio will not drop it in one's lap. Instead, try Spotify, The Penguin Jazz Guide, YouTube, No Depression, the All Music site, etc. depending upon the genre of interest. 

"...the same recordings are being played over and over  Bowie/CCR/Dylan/Fleetwood Mac and Dire Straits etc."

As has been mentioned before on other threads, Classic Rock fans seeking fresher sounds should explore Americana.  

@dayglow @stuartk

You both have answered my question that was the point of radio. We only hear the artists and songs they want us to hear or that their corporations have chosen to be successful. Yes you can dig out the old albums but you are not hearing the new artists and their new music. There are sooooo many artistes, songs and music that the average person never gets to hear. Such a shame that the radio stations run by corporate media can hide the keys to this treasure.

I've cross posted this from another thread about streaming sound quality....

Playing vinyl on my system is my favorite method of listening to music. It brings me the most musical enjoyment. I love the sound quality and I love the process of listening to records.

Somehow I "discovered" all the artist and LPs that I own and play. In the past, it was mostly radio that brought these "discoveries" to me. Today, most radio stations are corporate owned and mostly play the same very limited playlist. If you are lucky enough to have a great independent radio station within your reception range, I'm happy for you. Enjoy it. And support it. I hope you discover some great new music you can buy on vinyl or CD to enjoy it more deeply..

Unfortunately, many people do not have any good radio stations near them, so chances for "discovery" are severely limited. This is where streaming can be a godsend, even if the streaming sound quality in the user's system does not reach the level of their vinyl/CD rig.

Streaming internet radio, like Radio Paradise, or a streaming service, like Spotify, Qobuz or Tidal, are a great way to discover new (or new to you) music. It can help you expand your knowledge of music by exposing you to artists you would otherwise never likely hear. You can build playlists of music you like and want to hear again, or you can listen to internet radio or a streaming service and let someone else (or an algorithm) choose selections for you. The algorithms are pretty good. They will use the stuff you've listened to before, or songs you "liked" and create playlists of similar stuff. They sometimes stray off into areas you would have never chosen, but may really like.

I'm a music lover. I listen to music every day: at home, in the car, when I work in the lawn, when I exercise. It is great that over the last few years I've discovered new music via streaming either internet radio or streaming services or even youTube. I've discovered more new (or new to me) music over the last few years of streaming Radio Paradise and Spotify, than in the previous 15-20 years of the old method.

When I discover some great new music that I want to enjoy more deeply, I look to see if it is available on vinyl. If so, I buy it so I can enjoy it more deeply. And I hope the artist makes a couple more bucks in the process...

Enjoy your music, however you choose to listen.