Some really good discussion happening here. Someone above mentioned that it is hard for artists to sell records these days - but on the contrary, the vinyl market has majorly boomed in the last 6-8 years. I would go so far as to say 90% of my favourite modern artists have vinyl released. I personally have a record collection of around 50 spanning both old and new music. I'd even say records are more common in my generation than discs now, as everyone has their digital media in song files on their phones, computers, iPads, etc.

As for generations not understanding each other's music - that is undeniable. My parents are pretty open minded about modern music, but I listen to a lot of rap and hip hop and they just can't understand the appeal. And that is okay - they aren't the target audience. Similarly, I don't understand the appeal of a lot of older artists. The appeal of artists like Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and AC/DC goes right over my head.

Cheers,
Deryk