After a while it’s just sounds.

Simple - Bad sounding Great Music is... BAD Sounding. 

Until recently, old Columbia LP pressings (6-Eye, 2-Eye) sounded thin/sharp, yet very clear. The Columbia 'house sound' was harsh in the upper frequencies. It seems their particular use of the RIAA curve was deliberately skewed to 'Spectacular' end of things.  

The past 6 months a new cart and some cables have somewhat tamed it.

Still it nearly ruins many great performances.

On the other hand, even unpleasant music (for me Bartok) that was well recorded & produced has something to offer.

It's all just sounds until I say it's music!  :)

I like listening to music,if I'm cleaning the house I put on a cd and play...listening to music .It helps my move faster lol.

Since I have no room treatment (my religion doesn’t allow it), I only listen to room refections as I feel those truly represent actual music in a meaningful way.

OP your post do bring something to make me realize during my early years being an audiophile? Yes it’s a learning process , you get good sounds but no music.As you grow in this hobby your listening skills change from loving the sound to switching to loving the music. My opinion is that  Rock is more for sounds than music, classical and jazz is more for music. Though I still listen to rock once a month. I have a system that is good for classical, and my other system is good for jazz , pop and a bit of classical, my Tektons does the rock for me.Once you have good sounds it does not mean it’s musically involving. So the next task is I calibrate my system to sound musically involving.