Sometimes rejection is based in wrong headed stuck in the mud concepts.
ASCAP initiated the payola hearings because they no longer had the hits. They also refused to publish “hillbilly” or “race” music (BMI would) and when those two musical forms crashed together into a third form branded rock and roll ASCAP no longer had the biggest sellers.
The Beatles were told “the guitar group” sound was out. There was an audience for it. The labels wanted to push Bobby Darin, Bobby Vinton, Bobby Vee, et al.
The big labels didn’t like the small labels. 1990s were the last we saw big chart success from independent labels.
And radio/television/magazine coverage of music is horrible today again because the suits are dictating to the masses what they should listen to (Gaga Peas Spears et al).
The sales figures aren’t what they were in the hey day. Much of the smaller music sales are untracked (labels aren’t participating in the tracking and neither are the independent stores and the much need “radio airplay” factor in chart rating is completely shut out).
“...because the suits are dictating to the masses what they should listen to...”
I was just reading about the rock group RUSH, and their producer said that most (all?) bands have a “suit” that is either involved throughout production, or has the final say on the songs/album. I didn’t realize it was like that. (Rush doesn’t - they do the album, cover art, etc. with no interference.)