the missing ingredient in today's music

Many music lovers that came of age any time from the 50s to the 90s will lament the state of pop/rock music today. It's almost as if it doesn't exist anymore. People keep listening to the same ol' songs on light rock and classic rock stations while almost nothing is being added to the canons of music. I think the problem is that artists don't play the music anymore. For instance American Idol is just vocalists. In the past those vocalists were also accomplished musicians.

When you listen closely to some of the greats it's easy to hear the guitars and drums, and a little harder to pick out the bass. The instrument that gets missed the most but is arguably as important as guitar is the piano. So many of the greats wrote and played piano: Brian Wilson, Lennon, McCartney, Elton John, Billy Joel, Freddie Mercury, Eddie Van Halen, and Prince are just a start. Even those Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd had a cool piano solo at the end of Sweet Home Alabama. Next time you're listening to a classic see if you can hear some piano. Chances are you will.

So what's a way to get music going again? Has it all really been done already as some say? I think it's possible. There are still great songs to be written. But to really make those songs great the right music has to be made to accompany it.
The game Guitar Hero gives me hope. Hopefully in the future there will be Piano Hero so that there are some pianists to go along with all the guitarists.

For an example of some good piano in a Bob Seger song check Beautiful Loser. It starts at about the 2 minute mark.