As much as we love these guys in music, there is no such a thing as unique anymore with 7 billion people. Not Elvis, not Prince, not Neil. Just go on Youtube and you will see kids 8-12 year old playing your favorite guitar or drum solo, down to the last beat or chord. These kids are going to be very talented (well, they already are) once they grow up. And yes, there are musicians with heart and feeling and originality or whatever is your favorite approach to music. So saying there will be nobody like X is just pure ignorance...
I agree that there are tons of talented musicians out there. However, just because someone can play the songs note for note with incredible technical skills, doesn't mean they can create music worth shit.
It's fine, you just have your terminology off a bit. "in a different league" means that he was better than the other three and that was just not the case.
Yeeeeaaah... but its always been that way. I mean at least regarding popular music as we know it. Professional studio musicians are a dime a dozen, and there is no doubt they can play their particular instrument as well as any "there'll never be another *******"; no matter the instrument or the style. You can go find a Jimmy Page clone in almost any city that can shred a guitar as well or perhaps even better than ol' Jimmy himself back in the day. So yes, you are 100% right. Here's the thing though... there are and there always will be prodigies in music. See, its what one does with the instrument that matters. Its the composition of music in a new and original way. It can take many forms and one should not confuse songwriting with a lyrical arrangement. Big difference. Lyrics are easy. You can find 1000 guitar players that can replicate a song (like you said) note for note in perfect time... but of those 1000, only a handful will be true songwriters. And sure, tons of them will have what they call "original" music that they came up with... but its not new... its the same stuff rehashed. The acid test for compositional genius(?).... the piano. Boil the song down, take out all the noise, all the fluff, all the electronics... and play it on a grand piano. If it has the power to move people there... the writer is a prodigy. You mentioned Prince. There will never be another Prince, but there will be other musical genius's. We will never reach a point where all the songs that can be written are written. Its like holding a dictionary in your hand and knowing that no matter what, someone will reach in and extract the right words and create a work that will stand the test of time for generations. Music's the same way. Creativity is infinite.
No, my terminology isn't off, that's exactly what I meant. Also, out of place in that group of the "fantastic four."