From sturtle comes this piece of news. I don't think the music industry wants you to actually hear music. They just want you to buy it.
There is a wealth of music out there in the world, you know. You don't have to confine yourself to just what the major radio stations play. You don't have to stick with only what you already know. You don't have to only consume whatever Clear Channel spoonfeeds you. The music industry has the general public by the balls because the general public has no idea how much choice there is.
Try this. Go to mp3.com and pick a genre. Try some stuff. See what you like. Yes, I know there are ads - click them away, it's ok. Right now I am totally rocking out to some smooth jazz.