What is "real" music, what is good music? Everyone will come up with different opinions and suggestions, but great music will always be composed and recorded.
11 examples of songs from recent years and different genres I find brilliant:
The XX - Night Time, UK 2009
The Felice Brothers - Don't Wake The Scarecrow, USA 2008
Kaskade & Deadmau5 - Move For Me, USA/CAN 2008
Arcade Fire - Black Wave, Bad Vibrations, CAN 2007
Empire of the Sun - We Are The People, AUS 2008
David Byrne & Brian Eno - Strange Overtones, USA/UK 2008
Erykah Badu, Honey, USA 2007 (not just a great song, but also a great video which perfectly shows a musician's love for music) http://www.mtv.de/videos/17147549
Janelle Monáe - Faster, USA 2010
Radiohead - Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, UK 2007
Interpol - Rest My Chemistry, USA 2007
Sakamoto/Morelenbaum/Nelson/Santaolalla - Bibo No Aozora/Endless Flight (Babel OST), JAP/BRA/ARG 1996/2006
BTW: Songs never needed to have a deep meaning to be good. Just one famous example - actually two examples in one short live performance - where you can find the simplicity already in the song titles:
I think the difference between yesterday and today is that the mainstream (aka the songs which chart and get radio airplay) don't seem to appeal to as many people as in earlier decades. I have a feeling only few of the songs which are in the charts nowadays will be called classics in the future.
