Too much title! Simple idea, though.
As a spinoff from What songs really define their era? I’m wondering when was the last time a “new song” really got to you. If you’re older than 60, I’m really interested.
Starting with Top 100 Hits of 2013/Top 100 Songs of 2013 and backtracking as far as it takes (these pages go back to 1950!), identify (with a link if you feel like it) such a song and/or artist/group.
I have yet to locate my own entry, so I will be starting my own search now…
Royals, by Lorde, but primarily because of the clown & Pentatonix. Oh, and, Pentatonix.
Blow Me, by Pink
Jack Johnson
The newest of my ‘new’ music – the music I listen to – is from around 1996. Lots are older. Reel Big Fish, Sublime, The Lemonheads, Save Ferris, No Doubt… That sort of thing. Note that most of those are ska or ‘ska-ish’. These bands represent the end of my time in L.A. Before that, I listened to a lot of The Pogues.
The Killers showed promise, until they went all country and weird.
On my mp3 for gym are some current favourites:
Perfect Day by The Constallations (NSFW)
Cough Syrup by Young the Giant
Come A Little Closer by Cage the Elephant
Supermassive Black Hole by Muse.
…among others.
To give perspective, I’m from the generation that was defined by The Smiths, The Police, The Clash, Simple Minds, INXS, and contemporaries.
I don’t listen to the radio and haven’t heard most of those, but I really liked Get Lucky and Royals, and whichever one of those Macklemore songs was about treating gay people right. I’ll bet there are a lot of other song on the list I’d like if I ever got around to listening to them.
I hate it when old people bitch about “the music of today” because there’s lots of great music around in any era, just as there’s lots of bad music. Not all the great music makes it on the charts, and not every ancient listens to all the music that is on the charts. Bitching about a few song you’ve (general you) heard that you didn’t like and condemning the entire era is silly. It’s just embarrassing and stupid and old people-sounding.
Finally found one I really like, and liked at the time:
Suzanne Vega - Toms Diner (Official Music Video)
1991! Damn!
Sara Bareilles – I like nearly all her songs. Heres a few to get you started. She has a live concert dvd that is excellent.
Choose You
Love Song
Gravity
I am in love with Jack White’s music. His albums Blunderbuss and Lazaretto are amazing and never get tiring.
For perspective, my first concert was Kiss in 1975.
mmm
Yeah, Jack White. I like Jack White. He could be from back in my day. 
Age: 63
Most recent artist that etc: Hazmat Modine
Bit of a coincidence there… I hadn’t even heard of the Killers until a few days ago when I unexpectedly picked up an earworm from them. And it was that weird synth-country sound (or whatever you’d call it) that did it for me.
I guess that’s my answer to the OP as well. The particular song that caught my attention was Don’t Fence Me In, which was actually recorded for a commercial by the Nevada Bureau of Tourism. I was impressed that Brandon Flowers had taken a jaded old chestnut of a song and given it a respectful treatment and a really impressive makeover.
In the last 15 years or so, I’ve only heard two pop artists who’s work appealed to me enough to track them down and buy something. And in the spirit of sharing, I’ll show y’all the two songs that actually made my look up from doing something and ask “who is this?”
Adele - Rolling In The Deep
The Heavy - Short Change Hero
The Adele song caught my ear for a number of reasons. One, I was surprised that a kick-ass song clearly from the 1965-1975 era that I didn’t know was playing (yeah, I know; wait for it). Two, I loved her awesome-but-imperfect voice. And three, even as I was trying to figure out who in the hell it was, I realized that the production was way slick for a song from 35-45 years old (see? I told y’all to wait for it). I now have her 1st two albums (because she only has two albums) and throughout her catalog Adele exhibits the same knack for sounding like a soul singer from 40 years ago. But it’s her wonderful and wonderfully flawed voice that I love most; not only does it fit the material she writes and performs perfectly, it comports well with my own ideas about music and performers and so I get to enjoy her work on that level too.
The Heavy I discovered because of Borderlands 2. I got the game a because so many people here recommended it; it went on sale on Steam for like $6 so I picked up a copy. I’ve since found the game to be a boring hallway-style FPS and haven’t played more than an hour or so of it. BUT, I’ve listened to and watched the opening sequence like 40,172 times because this was the title song for the game. It fits the visuals perfectly and once again I loved the retro sound.
And in both songs, as always, I admire and love the restraint present in the performances. Both songs could easily turn into earth-rending barnstompers but are always reined in just before things explode.
I’m 67. As mentioned, I like Pink. Also Sara Bareilles and Sheryl Crow. I’m sure there are others, but radio stations tend not to identify the artist that’s playing, so I’m never sure who I’m hearing. That said, there is a huge amount of today’s music that is just plain boring to me, but that applies to a lot of the 80s and 70s music as well. I tend to go for strong voices and music that doesn’t noodle. Madonna’s voice always grated on my ear, for example, while Linda Perry and Annie Lennox instantly got my attention. I only listen to rock radio in the car these days, so am not in tune with what is current in that genre. At home, we have a jazz station on pretty much all the time.
I’m 68.
I wish I had an answer to this thread, but it’s been a long time since I listened to pop music. The only genre that comes close is musical theatre. I don’t know which show is most recent, but one that stands out is Wicked (now over 10 years old). The original cast, the songs, the message, even the sets and costumes . . . everything just resonates with me.
nm wtf double post
Older crowd, hmm… Does 45 count? I do not hear much new music unless a band happens to be opening for someone I want to see, or I happen to catch them on SNL, etc. I saw The Black Keys on SNL and thought they were quite good.
I’m 56. (Damn, I guess that’s the “older crowd.”) Really, really like Jack White and his previous incarnation as the White Stripes. Also love: Eminem, Nirvana, Marylin Manson, Pogues.
Top 20 or popular music seems to be a vapid wasteland these days; "popular music"stations rarely play anything I’m remotely interested in listening to so I don’t stay current. I love Gagnam Style and Lady Gaga’s Telephone though.
Lots of good stuff out there - oh, yeah, Adele and Amy Winehouse are/were wonderful, too.