It's really hard for me to judge whether this era is objectively better or worse than those times, I think the answer is "some of each".

Popular music now is mostly pretty crappy, but tons of really great music is being made in other genres (bluegrass, folk, classical) and one's streaming service delivers whatever one prefers. One of the greatest features of our present day is unlimited access to whatever music one prefers.

Sorry to be so late responding, I had to take a hiatus over the weekend. Too much politics reading (as I've been doing since the Trump shooting) leaves me feeling somewhat ill I think. You can't behold that toxic process too much and remain at peace.

This music thread has been an interesting divergence into one of my favorite topics.