I think it&#x27;s the opposite: as it&#x27;s not widespread anymore, it becomes less nuanced (in each particular incarnation) and more solipsistic.<p>And the discussion about pop (and that&#x27;s what pop ways, after all: a big discussion) is poorer&#x2F;reduced, as fewer people participate to it per segment of &quot;popular&quot; culture.<p>Like them or not, past musicians, due to the centrality of pop music to everyday life, the huge amplification of their message (not easy to escape in micro-niches), and lack of alternative diversions, were part of a huge cultural discussion. Not encompassing everybody of course, but still huge, which gave added meaning (even if it was just an &quot;interpretation&quot; and nothing inherent) to their work and news, and especially gave it potency beyond &quot;affecting a single person&quot;.