fairly simple pop songs but the nuance in popular recorded sound (like the man said), has gone. Dumbed down? I’m not so sure. A lot of pupular music in 50’s, 60’s and 70’s was in an experimental stage of poetry, melody and use of rhythm - doo wop, rock, and pop - The Wall of Sound and so on. Even Country Music was shifting. Rockabilly, Blues-Rock, Rock-Jazz Fusion, Electronic and so we’re all making strides - the cultivation of FM Music Radio and alternative sound opposing the AM Pop culture.
Cross over styles became the norm by the 70’s developing sounds like The Romones.
Dumbing down wasn’t really an overt thing until the disco era began. Not that producers weren’t looking for simpler catchy tunes.
Corporate rock culture like Journey, Toto, AirSupply, even Asia, the second coming of Chicago, Metallica, AC-DC, Aerosmith, the Scorpions, Kiss, (not in any order) jammed the air waves creating their own AM - FM stations competing with Disco, soft pop, light Jazz and next the RAP and soon to be Hip-Hop. Not all of it bad, just not much good. MTV, corporate record stores helped in the destruction of contemporary music. Flashy sales gimmick bands, sounds and easy to advertise stars with little to no talent became the norm - Madonna and more - Even Elton John wrote crass and horrid music, just for the financial gain.
So dumbed down isn’t quite that simple.
Link: https://youtu.be/LWdJ7Dy-3iY