And since we’re not Youngs, how the music appeals (or doesn’t) is really not part of our experiences.
Pop music is a thing of the moment. Not to criticize, just an observation. Because of this, I don’t really get why an Old would want to try to stay hip with music. You’re not young during that time, not part of what the coming of age experience is like at the time. It’s not your time.
Plus pop music, by definition, appeals to the broadest group possible by being less complex - this is true of anything. I always use Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” (a massive avant-garde jazz hit in the 60’s), compared to something by the Beach Boys, Elvis, The Beatles, etc.
Everyone can grok what Elvis is singing, but even as someone who studied music theory, I find Kind of Blue challenging to grasp. And I hear/learn something new every time I hear it.