Yes and no. Thankfully, there’s a smorgasbord of really satisfying, “organic” music that’s free or cheap if you know where to look (and have the time to sift), plus it’s so much easier to discover old music that never lost its charm and too often provides not just a great tune but also pretty darn delightful reminders that the human condition is evergreen.
There’s that quote/discussion from “Crazy Heart” about how great songs sound familiar even if you’ve never heard them. I’ve kind of had this experience after sifting through thousands of free songs from SXSW downloads. Most all the ones I’ve kept are all great to listen to and great for parties even though no one has heard them. And the best part about them is that they are very obviously free of mass market influence both in terms of production qualities (layers of sound, etc) and in terms of themes and lyrics. It’s like there’s a real person on the other end of the line for once in your life instead of an automated phone menu, and to have 1,000 of those experiences for free (well, except for your time) really is a thing of joy. That source alone puts out over 1,000 songs a year now, and generally I keep about 20% of what they offer. It’s plenty enough to never feel compelled to buy music unless there’s something that’s a must have, and it’s all great to listen to in many different contexts.
Probably the trick in crossing over is spending 10 hours or so just sifting through new stuff. Eventually, you develop an ear for what you like and learn to evaluate songs very quickly as something to keep or delete.
or to answer your question… the dynamic you’re talking about is obviously a symptom not just of music, but all (mass) media and former silos of thought such as religion, politics and the like. For me, it’s good riddance, especially given the direction pop music is going. But there was a lot of crap on Top 40 even as far back as the late 70s and most of the 80s and I suppose if you were lucky enough to discover decent punk or whatever then you had some refuge from fucking Ghostbusters, that Ewok party song, and horrific pop ballads. I had to listen to “All Cried Out” every fucking morning while riding the bus for an entire school year thanks to Top 40 radio. Do you think I yearn for those good old days?