JC: Are you aware of the skill and diversity that has gone into the making, performing and distributing of folk songs and ballads, many of which have survived for several centuries as performed pieces - wanna give me the name of a pop song that's done that?

What a strange comment! How could a current (or even a former) popular song possibly have done that? Come back in 200 years, though, and I'll pretty well guarantee you (Armageddon allowing!) that some of the pop songs of the last 50 years will have survived and still be performed. Some have already propagated through 2 generations....I regularly hear 50-60 year old pop songs being performed by people in their 20s.