There’s still some great, great Euro pop-rock out there — even electro-pop-rock (run, don’t walk to pick up some Kent). But Ricochet member Kennedy Smith was not lying when he held Eurovision up for special scorn. Somehow, something has gone horribly wrong. Rod Dreher plumbs the depths of the puzzle: 

How is it that a continent with such a rich musical and cultural history is so drecktastic when it comes to creating modern pop? You might also ask why it is that a country as rich in culinary resources as the US produced for so long Budweiser, Wonder Bread, Folger’s coffee and sliced American cheese as representatives of its mass culture. But look, we’re changing. Our people are learning to love good beer, good bread, good coffee and good cheese, and it’s getting easier to find all of that here. Within two blocks from where I sit now, in my Philadelphia home, I can walk out and buy beer, coffee, cheese and bread comparable to any I could buy on the Continent. We are discovering how to make great artisanal food. But can the Europeans ever learn how to make good pop music? If not, why not?