[mgmeyers]

I'd argue that this is more of a subjective terrible-ness. Technically, this song more skillfully crafted than a lot of pop music today. Even on a basic level, no auto-tune = you actually need to be able to sing (to some degree).

[logicfiction]

Songs used to require more skillful performers. That skill and complexity has in large part been reallocated to engineers and producers who actually have to program and edit on a much more sophisticated level these days to do things like make the auto-tune actually sound good (whether or not you subjectively like the effect).