People wonder why radio TSL started going on a downward track in the late 80s, and the answer could be video games.
But there are fairly good statistics on the number of game devices and gaming consoles sold, and we know that generally it's not feasible to listen to the radio while gaming, so the dots definitely connect.
I wasn't serious about the Beach Boys and Supremes but I'm really surprised that a significant group of people, would want to hear music, from before they were born, on a regular basis. I sure don't!
Me neither, but as I said the age of the music isn't part of it. They just like the music. Reality only hits when the artists, such as Skynyrd or Seger, announce final tours. It's been interesting to talk with millennials who were never able to see Garth Brooks in concert in the 90s(he retired in 2000) until he did a comeback tour in 2016. They talk about it like a lifelong ambition.
Do you think it's temporary and they'll eventually tire of hearing songs to which they don't have a direct connection in time?
They have a direct connection to it in their own time. It's a different kind of connection, but it's very real (at least to them)