[headsplice]

Seconding what others have said before me, plus:
Yeah, there's lots of crap around. Watch Amadeus to see how long crappy secondary music has existed.
The trick is to find stuff that is genuinely good to you. Some might argue that Britney Spears is better than Christina Aguilera. Within the framework of bubblegum pop, they might be right. But comparing either one of those two nincompoops to Ella Fitzgerald gets you laughed at. Perspective and taste are key. I happen to like Eminem a lot, but not so much DMX. Some people call it tasteless, I don't.
The other thing you have to remember TP is that major music corps aren't out there to make great music. They exist to make money (some might argue off the backs of great musicians, but that's a different thread). So, they sell what people buy them. All the blame should not be placed at the feet of the music corps, but some needs to be spread before consumers as well. Take the electronic music scene, for example. The best DJ's are taken by the best labels, and tour under ClearChannel's massive flag. But, these major companies bring world class music to folks who wouldn't otherwise get it because that's what the consumers of that music demand.