Apparently Keith Richards has

just made an appearance on Desert Island Discs. If I lived in the UK I might have made a point of listening. (Yes, I know that will surprise a couple of people who read this.)
Let it be said that I am no fan of the Rolling Stones but I do know who they are (or were). I am not a Beatles fan either - but I can recognise a lot of their songs. 
I am not really a "pop music" fan. There are, very occasionally, individual songs that appeal to me. More often there are songs I recognise - usually from the 60's and 70's. (The Whirlwind informs me that "they are so old they are almost classical".) By the time you reach the 80's and 90's I am lost. This century is a wipe out.
I have two nephews here. They were (perhaps still are) a pop duo. They called themselves Redice (not Red Ice) and they did "cut" a couple of songs. They also performed early on but school, then university and other professional careers took over. They might have "made it" but they didn't really care for the smoky venues laden with alcohol and, as they admit themselves, they lacked that last all consuming passion for that and nothing else.
I don't know enough about their sort of music to judge what they wrote. Their mother, Middle Cat, believes it is good - but she is their mother. It was considered good enough to be played on national radio. I suppose that's an indication.
And yes, they did learn music. They can read music. They can  use a keyboard - piano or electronic device.
I doubt though that they know Mozart or Vivaldi well enough to choose any for a Desert Island Discs programme the way Keith Richards has reportedly done. They don't know Bach or Beethoven either. 
The Whirlwind's father is a 60's and 70's man. He also knows and likes some classical music. She has grown up hearing that sort of music. At her school she has also been taught about music from earliest times. She sings in the school choir and they do a wide range of music - quite deliberately. It is, perhaps, one advantage of a fee paying education. Parents expect it - and the students don't seem to object if the Whirlwind's reporting is accurate.
The Senior Cat sometimes worries that classical music and other music will be lost to the next generation. Yes, it is an issue.
Music performance at that level takes time and commitment. It is much more than "strumming a few chords" on a guitar. But there are music students out there who are putting the time in. I don't think it will all be lost. 
I would really like to think that, in twenty years time, Desert Island Discs will still be around and that the guest will be choosing Bach and Telemann along with McCartney and Richards.