One of my favorite bands growing up was Rush. I just got hooked on their instrumentals... Years later I discovered Jazz by groups like the Rippingtons, Spyro Gyra. etc. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I truly enjoy listening to good instrumentals over vocals because the music impacts you in a way that is long lasting - as it creates a mood as unique as your surrounding at the time you hear it....

Maybe it's not the masses so much as the industry. Gemstone's mentioning Rush reminds me of the music of 30-plus years ago and beyond. It wasn't just the large, jazz-influenced bands like Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago. But just about everybody in popular music had some kind of instrumental solo, however brief, in the majority of songs. A guitar here, a sax or piano there. I saw a band on Soul Train Classic program last weekend that dared to have a trombone solo during a song.
With the occasional exception of a group like Maroon 5, I'm not hearing much in the way of instrumental breaks in today's music. I think part of the reason we here at the Island are receptive to music that's all-instrumental is we grew up listening to bands - even small groups like the Beatles, The Police, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Genesis - even though they sang, a lot of their songs had instrumental breaks.
When you hear it a lot, you get used to it, and I think that makes for an easier transition to jazz in all its forms. But when you turn on the radio and every song is a non-stop vocal, it's much more of a challenge to appreciating anything without words.

Jazzwriter, your point is well taken. Peace.