Having recently subscribed to an online music service, I'm currently searching out all the old songs that I liked, but never bought.

I'm 39 years old now. This is the part of my life where I start to decry modern music and tell the youngsters how much their music sucks, and how much better it was in my day. I've been trying to avoid doing such a cliche thing, but I can resist the impulse no longer.

Everyone gets to my age and comes to the same conclusion, it seems. But I'm beginning to wonder if the recording industry intends to make sure it's true.

It's not just me. Music really does suck now. It's getting worse instead of better as time goes on. In 40 years, turning on the radio will result in instant projectile vomit attacks and permanent brain damage. Music will be regulated by the BATF and there will be liberal consumer groups insisting that it be banned, like DDT.

It's not that I think the music of "my generation" is better than anyone elses - music from preceding generations is better than today's music too. Take for example "Follow You, Follow Me", a fairly typical pop ditty that Genesis produced in 1978, a bit before my time. Lyrically and musically, it's about two orders of magnitude better than any of the watery swill that comes out today.

Do modern "musicians" even try to make interesting music any more?
One trend I find particularly fascinating is the use of parts of old songs in new songs. This way, the talentless "artist" can cash in on some of the sentiment of the previous popular song without exerting himself on writing things like notes and chords. Hell, he doesn't even have to choose a tempo, or pay royalties! He can just write some more inane lyrics about killing cops or bitches or whatever, lay it over the sample, and head right to the top of the charts.

And don't even get me started on some of the finer bands of the past like Oingo Boingo or Talk Talk, or the fantastic Kate Bush. Let's not concern ourselves with the exceptional artists, let's just talk about middle-of-the-road good bands like Cheap Trick or The Who.

Hell, I listened to "Come on Feel the Noise" from Quiet Riot the other day. I wondered why nothing that good has come out recently. And Quiet Riot sucks.