Kind of a bourgeois question but whatever. People do actually listen to these radio stations. They will actively seek out radio stations that really do just play the same five or ten rock hits from the seventies, maybe mixed with some modern garbage. Why do they do this? What is going through their minds on the conscious and unconscious levels?
AFAIK it has something to do with establishing your in-group/clique and makes everything not part of that sound like complete ass. I think I’m in this category, because a lot of country and pop sounds like nails on chalkboard to me.
But I still listen to the new stuff being made in the genres I do like. There’s stuff I used to listen to that I can’t stand anymore (JFC what was in the water back in the 2000s that made anyone think numetal was a good idea?).
Nu metal was a CIA psyop to discredit rage against the machine.
I will not elaborate.
I wonder if the means of discovery has changed significantly too. Most of the stuff I discovered in my teens and 20s was via the radio, attending music festivals, or recommendations from people in my circle of friends at the time.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve listened to less and less radio. Listen to mostly Spotify out of convince. My circle has shrank and changes. I go to less music festivals as my time and money is dedicated elsewhere.
I can’t imagine I’m that unique in my experience.
Radio is also dying as a music discovery tool since most stations are owned by one company now