Same goes for art, literature, etc. The great and ground breaking stuff is out there but you have to look for it.
There is and probably always will be a pop "matrix" and a "Zion" known to those who stray.
I viewed radio as a medium to find new good songs and listen my favorite ones.
I thought this too, until I realised that the 4 channels were actually broadcasting the same airing, albeit slightly out of sync.
The forums over there are old-internet great too... ;-)
When OP talks about amazing stuff I think what s/he gets at is that there is music out there which literally causes amazement instead of a "yeah, this is good" nod.
Current pop music isn't meant to amaze you. If anything it serves as a utility. I.e. it makes unfortunate situations, like a long commute to your dead end job, more bearable.
They just lack any kind of character. cookie-cutter songs from talented but unimaginative people. Their music lacks 'life'.
I can't explain why but a good blues guitarist can strike a nerve just playing relatively simple licks if they do it well. It conveys a feeling that makes modern pop sound bland, lifeless, boring. There is no connection to the musician or the music. no soul.
All said though music is a very much personal taste thing so each to their own. Today you will have 'I'm a barbie girl, in a barbie woo-oorld' stuck in your head. You're welcome :)