Why do we stop listening to new music as we get older?

I don't find this to be true for me.  I am constantly finding new music from all different time periods and genres.  There are tons of new great artists but you do have to turn over some rocks.  I find that having a streamer makes it very easy.  

I think that 99% of the music being recorded these days is crap - and my three sons, who are all. in their mid-30's - agree.  They listen to the same music as me - Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, NRBQ, They Might Be Giants, Chicago, etc.

Some do listen to new music...I'm 67 and am always discovering new music. Try Stereophile music reviews for some great stuff you may not have discovered yet.

The only time I hear new music is when I am in my wife's car (I drive it more than she does) and listen to Sirius, but only the stations I like: Classic Rock (3-4 channels), Real Jazz & Watercolors, Yacht Rock and Bridge, and a few artists with their own channels. If I hear a song I never heard before, especially from an artist I like, I will usually buy the album on an LP, if available new. I seldom buy a used record. Joshua by Miles and One Trick Pony by Paul Simon and Mr. Radio by Linda Ronstadt all enticed me to buy Seven Steps to Heaven, One Trick Pony and Get Closer. New records, but is it new music when you add to the works of an artist you like? It is for me. With jazz, there are so many combinations of players, you really have to know if a particular album is worthwhile. Same with pop and rock with the evolution of bands with different members and stages of their evolution. 

The only groups I listen to where I have every album they made in the studio are the Beatles, Steely Dan (& DF) and the Police (only 5 records). The Beatles have a few clunkers (especially on Yellow Submarine and Magical Mystery Tour), Steely Dan's only ones are the one or two Walter sung (RIP) and the Police had a few Andy sung that I make sure to skip. If you count Sting with the Police as one, they drop off the list of groups with every album in my library.

I  didn't start listening to jazz until about 20-25 years ago, but am fairly selective in what I like there (mainly bob and blues) and in classic rock. CD player was disconnected about 15 years or so ago, and won't relax listening to my stereo by looking at a computer phone, etc. for access, so it's records only for me.

If I don't like something, I won't listen to it, and if it is worth anything, I either trade it in to a local record store or sell it on eBay. Many "legendary" albums I find unlistenable. 

I want to expand my record library beyond the 325 I currently own, but it is not easy for me to find new things I like. I am always asking for recommendations of people's favorites. With the amount of time I listen, I play each record about 3-4 times a year through what I try to arrange at a relatively even distribution of playing time per record, so a record has to earn its keep. I could see the total getting to 4-500, but beyond that, there wouldn't be time to listen to the ones that are my favorites. Those with thousands or records can't possibly listen to them all even once a year, so I would call them collectors or even hoarders. Not me. 

I'm a research psychologist and have studied this issue. If you'll forgive a shameless plug for my book, The Things We Love, I've got a discussion of the research on this issue in chapter 7. 

As some people here have noted, not everyone does stop liking new music as they get older. But it is very common. There are three main reasons:

1. Neurological changes in the brain as it matures.

2. Our social situations change. When we're young, we're in a lot of social situations where we are exposed to new music, e.g., listening to music with friends. As we get older, that happens less, and we only get exposed to new music if we make an effort for it to happen. 

3. When people are young, music is a main way we define our identity, so it is important to us and we talk and think about it a lot. As we get older, our identity shifts from what music we like to our career, our family, our home, our choice of vacations, our possessions, and lots of other stuff. So for many people, music becomes a smaller part of their lives. 

The book is about why people love things, including music and audio equipment. It might be of interest to people on this list. And Amazon named it a "best book" of 2022. So I hope you'll check it out.