Peter: I for one, believe the real golden era of music & radio, was in the 1970s - The later Beatles material from the 1960s, was great - but they split up sadly. But I believe the 1970s groups that came along, built on the beatles ideas & made good use of the improved technology as time went on. An obscure group that Nigel Harris, also likes, was KLAATU. He often plays their songs on Friday afternoons. They wrote "Calling occupants of interplanetary craft" that the Carpenters, made ito a hit song.
I think the talent, rather struggled in the 1980s & originality seemed to get lost in the technology.