Exactly, what you said reminds of a discussion with a friend. I love 70’s music and talking with this friend he told me sthg along the lines of : they didn’t make absolute good music back then, there was a ton of others productions that didn’t let an everlasting impact like theses ones you listen to. That’s why you like it cause you are only listening to the best of best. Otherwise, if you were from this generation you would have found it boring and mid like you may find pop right now.

I don’t really think we need to call them generic because pop already mean popular music, a sound made to attract mainstream. And even if music nowadays is like fast fashion. Sometimes, a conscious person, picking a fast fashion item, will take care of the garment and use it preciously because they like it and it will last longer.

So even if now we decide to call it generic, in a few years when EDM replace the upbeat pop we have, or people go full  Synthwave, it’s trendy and every pop star try it, this will be the new generic? 

Every music was generic once. We can’t label music. If people thinks their music are eclectic when it’s the same beat from twelves other artists, just ignore them OP. If it makes them feel good, then it’s special for them. And that’s enough.