I have some spreadsheets* that have every charting hit on the billboard charts. I haven't gone through the general charts that much, but I'd say the ones I have gone through are really surprising. We tend to think we know what the most popular music from the past is, but if you look at the singles that charted the highest throughout modern history you'll find a lot of forgettable crap.

*Technically the data is copyrighted, so sadly I can't share.

Even without a spreadsheet that's obvious if you spend 5 minutes thinking about all the popular songs you know from the past.

We only remember the interesting and original songs, we don't remember the bland and forgettable songs from previous years. People compare the songs we remember with the generic chart topper du jour and complain that all music these days is bland and forgettable.

People remember Michael Jackson's music not just because it was incredibly popular, but because it was unique. People don't remember that during the same time, songs such as Chuck Berry - My Ding-A-Ling [1] also grabbed the number 1 spot.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaEC-lWSlmI

I didn't think tabulated data was copyrightable

Facts are not copyrightable, collections of facts are, thats why you cant copy google maps but you can go outside and write down the same data from your own observations. They have to be significant enough to be covered by copyright. A top 40 is maybe copyrighted.

Collections of facts are also not copyrightable. What's copyrightable is the editorial decision to include or exclude -- or, potentially, arrange -- some facts. This is why phone books weren't copyrightable - there is no creativity involved in choosing what's included ("everything") or the order in which entries appear ("alphabetical").

"Every charting hit" is also a comprehensive list involving no creativity. Order them chronologically and call it a day.

Some phone directories were said to include made up names and numbers that could be used to copyright phone directories. i.e. Company A provides a phone directory with a smattering of nonsense data contained within, Company B copies that wholesale which gives Company A ammunition in a copyright case as they point to the nonsense data and ask Company B to explain why they are included (which they obviously can't without saying, "We copied your directory"). This may just be urban lore.

It is definitely true as to maps; terrestrial maps include streets that don't actually exist. (Nautical maps don't do this.)

I haven't heard of it for phone books, but it could be true.

Extremely serious and wholesome hit from 1960: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yw0bLHTOb0

Edit: by the way, you realise that your grandparents were probably moaning about the music your parents listened to? And their parents ditto, and so on. Nothing new about it.

  Extremely serious and wholesome hit from 1960

Wow, I know nothing of Stewart's work before Silly Wizard.

Compared to an autotuned stripper mumbling into a microphone, yes, it is.

They had the same kinds of reaction to Ozzy and his ilk.

It might be helpful to understand your perspective on this, but a quick sampling of the top albums of 1994-1996 shows almost all modern classics. The singles and one-hit wonders, maybe that's a different story.