For everyone who thinks there is no good modern music being produced that compares to the likes of Led Zeplin, for example, check out Greta Van Fleet. She even gets accused of sounding too much like them.

Like blues? Larkin Poe. Lukas Nelson does not sound like his dad Willie but is a great musician. I could go on.

I don't think it is logical to try to compare the best of the musicians of the past to the musicians of today or any other time for that matter. There is only one Whitney Houston, and no one is really like here, before or now.

Richie Blackmore will forever be the guitar player associated with Deep Purple. Steve Morse replaced him and stayed with the band for twenty-eight years. Steve is a super good guitar player and as good as any of the guitar players thumper mentioned. Guitarist Simon McBride will join the band as a permanent member; time will tell how we will take to him. Steve is staying home to take care of his wife, who is battling cancer.

The fact that Old songs now represent 70 percent of the U.S. music market does not necessarily make a particular old song great or preclude some new songs from being good.

There are modern guitar players who are much more skilled than some of the more popular guitar players of the past.

As a kid, I could have gone into a record shop and recognized many, if not most, of the artists on the records for sale. The modern-day "record store," something called the internet, has millions of records for sale, and there is no way for me to be exposed to even a small fraction of that. So, there is no way for me to know how much excellent new music exists.

Record companies don't have to promote " old songs," so it is less expensive to sell them and more profitable. I can assure you that profit is the only motivational force in corporate America.

Just my 3 cents worth.

Billy

“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”