This is the first time I've seen anyone treat the word "crap" as a profanity that needs to be disguised with an asterisk. Interesting.

Magpie said most of what I want to say. If you don't like what's on the radio, don't listen to it. Most of it is crap, but most of it always was crap. Look at a "top 40" list from any era you care to focus on, and you'll find more bad stuff than good stuff (romanticized recollections of the 60's notwithstanding). I don't care for pop radio, and I don't consider it relevant to what I do, so it doesn't really bother me (unless they insist on playing it in restaurants and other public places).

I think people should blend whatever musical elements thay want, in whatever way they want, and only try to conform to the tradition if that's what suits them. In my opinion most of the great musical developments in history have been the result of blending of seemingly disparate styles. Sure, that has produced a lot of crap too, but I will suffer the bad stuff so as to allow the good stuff to emerge.