Why does most new music suck?

If I could have my way, I would bring back all the record stores I have frequented over the years and they and the ones still around would all thrive.

But, if I had to chose between how I found and accessed new music years ago to what can be done today, I'm afraid I would have to let the fond memories go and move forward.

There is one thing from the past I have mentioned in older threads that I would bring back. The more I think about it, the more I think it could be a viable business proposition to actually do it now more than ever.

Here's the current top new CD list on Radio Paradise.

Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
2. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
3. Woodkid - The Golden Age
4. Patty Griffin - American Kid
5. Owiny Sigoma Band - Power Punch
6. Daughter - If You Leave
7. I Am Kloot - Let It All In
8. The Boxer Rebellion - Promises
9. Calexico - Algiers
10. Beth Orton - Sugaring Season
11. Harry Manx - Om Suite Ohm
12. Ludovico Einaudi - In a Time Lapse
13. Sarah Blasko - I Awake
14. Sinkane - Mars
15. Gabrielle Aplin - English Rain
16. Neil Halstead - Palindrome Hunches
17. Vel Indica - Turn Off Your Devices
18. The Spring Standards - Yellow/Gold
19. Caro Emerald - The Shocking Miss Emerald
20. Ben Howard - Every Kingdom
21. Bat for Lashes - The Haunted Man
22. Grizzly Bear - Shields
23. thenewno2 - thefearofmissingout
24. Serafina Steer - The Moths Are Real
25. Shook Twins - Window
26. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Specter At The Feast
27. Various Artists - Beautiful Creatures OST
28. The Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania
29. Night Beds - Country Sleep
30. KT Tunstall - Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon

And the top classic songs:

Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower (9.651)
2. The Beatles - A Day In The Life (9.65)
3. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (9.639)
4. Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata (9.637)
5. Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (9.577)
6. J.S. Bach - Toccata in D minor (9.575)
7. Pink Floyd - Echoes (9.563)
8. Beethoven - Symphony No.5 - Allegro Con Brio (9.556)
9. Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five (9.55)
10. Vivaldi - The 4 Seasons: Summer (9.531)
11. Pink Floyd - Time (9.525)
12. The Beatles - You Never Give Me/The End (9.518)
13. Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing (9.514)
14. Pink Floyd - Us & Them -> Eclipse (9.508)
15. Mozart - Symphony No. 40 - Molto Allegro (9.468)
16. Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence (9.467)
17. Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing (live) (9.466)
18. The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (9.465)
19. Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer (9.447)
20. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (9.435)
21. The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun (9.433)
22. Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze (9.43)
23. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay (9.402)
24. The Beatles - Let It Be (9.394)
25. Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (9.393)
26. Beethoven - Für Elise (9.385)
27. Etta James - At Last (9.38)
28. Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World (9.377)
29. Benny Goodman - Sing, Sing, Sing (9.349)
30. Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter (9.326)
31. The Beatles - Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (9.32)
32. Jimi Hendrix - The Wind Cries Mary (9.312)
33. Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Allegro (9.306)
34. The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby (9.295)
35. Rolling Stones - Paint It Black (9.289)
36. Jimi Hendrix - Red House (9.281)
37. The Beatles - You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (9.279)
38. John Lennon - Imagine (9.277)
39. Simon & Garfunkel - America (9.275)
40. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever (9.27)
41. The Who - Baba O'Riley (9.267)
42. Pink Floyd - The Great Gig In The Sky (9.265)
43. Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (9.26)
44. The Beatles - In My Life (9.255)
45. B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone (9.248)
46. The Beatles - Blackbird (9.243)
47. Johann Sebastian Bach - Violin Concerto No.4 In E, Adagio (9.235)
48. Antonio Vivaldi - The 4 Seasons - Summer - Allegro Non Molto (9.223)
49. Van Morrison - Into The Mystic (9.222)
50. Otis Redding - I've Been Loving You Too Long (9.217)
51. Erik Satie - Gnossienne No1 (9.206)
52. Duke Ellington - Stormy Weather (9.204)
53. Vince Guaraldi Trio - Linus and Lucy (9.202)
54. Led Zeppelin - Ramble On (9.195)
55. Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues (9.18)
56. Ray Charles - Hit The Road Jack (9.139)
57. Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode (9.135)
58. Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come (9.13)
59. Patsy Cline - Crazy (9.127)
60. Edvard Grieg - Hall of the Mountain King (9.122)

Here's one of the few newer songs I ranked a 10 on Radio Paradise. I tend to not do this in general preferring to save 10s for songs that have proved their worth over time as classics, but this is perhaps one of the most beautiful yet chilling and sad tunes ever:

Porcupine Tree - Sentimental
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Uploaded on Nov 29, 2010

Track 4 from "Fear of a Blank Planet" (2007)

Never want to be old
And I don't want dependence
It's no fun to be told
That you can't blame your parents anymore

I'm finding it hard
To hang from a star
I don't want to be...
Never want to be old

Sullen and bored the kids stay
And in this way wish away each day
Stoned in the mall the kids play
And in this way wish away each day

I don't really know
If I care what is normal
And I'm not really sure
If the pills I've been taking are helping

I've wasted my life
And I'm hurting inside
I don't really know
And I'm not really sure...

Sullen and bored the kids stay
And in this way wish away each day
Stoned in the mall the kids play
And in this way wish away each day

Sullen and bored the kids stay
And in this way wish away each day
Stoned in the mall the kids play
And in this way wish away each day

Here is my list of top rated songs on Radio Paradise. Anything that I like a lot typically gets a 7 or better.

10 - King Crimson - Epitaph
10 - Traveling Wilburys - End Of The Line
10 - The Beatles - When I'm Sixty-four
10 - The Beatles - In My Life
10 - Peter Gabriel - Mercy Street
10 - The Beatles - You Never Give Me/The End
10 - Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer
10 - Grateful Dead - Ripple
10 - Elton John - Rocket Man
10 - Erik Satie - Gymnopedie No. 1
10 - Moody Blues - Gypsy (of a strange and distant time)
10 - Neil Young - Helpless
10 - Ray Charles - I've Got a Woman
10 - Aaron Copland - Fanfare for the Common Man
10 - John Coltrane - Naima
10 - Temptations - Papa Was a Rolling Stone
10 - Duke Ellington - Sassy
10 - Paul Simon - Late In The Evening
10 - J.S. Bach - Toccata in D minor
10 - King Crimson - One Time
10 - David Bowie - Space Oddity
10 - Porcupine Tree - Sentimental
9 - Johnny Cash - The Mercy Seat
9 - Blind Melon - No Rain
9 - Peter Gabriel - Growing Up
9 - Chantays - Pipeline
9 - The Beatles - Hey Bulldog
9 - The Beatles - Revolution 1
9 - The Pretenders - Back on the Chain Gang (live)
9 - Bob Dylan - Everything is Broken
9 - Doc Watson & David Grisman - Summertime
9 - Moody Blues - Blue World
8 - Porcupine Tree - My Ashes
8 - Rodrigo y Gabriela - Stairway to Heaven
8 - Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus
8 - Ozric Tentacles - Iscence
8 - The Church - Reptile
8 - Seal - Crazy
8 - The Who - Bargain
8 - Massive Attack - Teardrop
8 - Sivert Hoyem - Prisoner of the Road
8 - Porcupine Tree - Stars Die
8 - Stevie Wonder - Superstition
8 - Nick Lowe - Cracking Up
8 - Robert Palmer - Johnny and Mary
8 - Crowded House - Private Universe
8 - Radiohead - These Are My Twisted Words
8 - Nat King Cole - (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
8 - Band of Horses - Factory
8 - U2 - New Year's Day
8 - Pink Floyd - Learning to Fly
7 - Shriekback - All Lined Up
7 - Habib Koité & Bamada - Wassiyé
7 - Sonic Youth - Stones
7 - Steely Dan - Deacon Blues
7 - R.E.M. - What's The Frequency, Kenneth
7 - Natalie Merchant - Nursery Rhyme Of Innocence And Experience
7 - Moby - Look Back In
7 - Papa Wemba - Sala Keba (Be Careful)
7 - Breaks Co-op - The Sound Inside
7 - Thievery Corporation - Forgotten People
7 - PJ Harvey - This Mess We're In (w/ Thom Yorke)
7 - Peter Murphy - Cuts You Up
7 - The Blue Nile - Tomorrow Morning
7 - Gorillaz - Stylo
7 - Eels - Mr E's Beautiful Blues
7 - Squirrel Nut Zippers - Blue Angel
7 - Kathleen Edwards - Goodnight, California
7 - The Doors - Cars Hiss By My Window
7 - Turin Brakes - Sea Change
7 - XTC - Greenman
7 - Joe Satriani - Sleep Walk