Now let me preface this by saying that I enjoy modern and contemporary music well enough. But it was much better when it was a high-minded esoteric form of performance art. Listeners no longer savor music. Rather they use it as a vehicle for other activities such as dancing. Most people I know argue music is pointless if you can't dance to it, which is sad in my opinion.
Turn on the radio: Contemporary music usually deals with low-level elements of human existence: sex, love, partying. Writers used to compose about all sorts of topics: transience, beauty, heroicism. The most talented composers could take audiences on tours of beautiful country sides, not with words or pictures, but with instruments. The results were beautiful.
People now a days believe that music must be "catchy", that it must hook you in immediately. That if a melody cannot be recalled from memory, that it is forgettable, and thus poorly written. In truth, its because most songs today replay the same melody repeatedly, essentially forcing you to be able to recall it.
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"Don't freeze up girl, you're looking quite a sight." - Adam Ant.
"Baby, can you dig your man? He's a righteous man." - Larry Underwood