I think it depends a lot on the radio stations that happen(ed) to be available in your listening area. When I was living in Tampa ~30 years ago, there were certainly a lot of "hot hits" type stations, but there was a great commercial AOR station I listened to more often -- and a few years later I discovered WMNF, an eclectic non-commercial community station that played virtually anything depending on which show you found.
Now, of course, my "listening area" is the whole internet. KCSN in Los Angeles is a rock-focused public radio station; KCSM up in San Mateo is a terrific Jazz station; Great Big Radio is an internet-only station that's technically oldies, but covers everything from the 1960s through the 2000s and likes to get into deep cuts. I do subscribe to a streaming music service and use it pretty frequently, but I suspect I find just as much new music through internet radio as I do through "discovery." (Although both curated playlists and algorithmic recommendations surface stuff I find interesting occasionally.)
Now, of course, my "listening area" is the whole internet. KCSN in Los Angeles is a rock-focused public radio station; KCSM up in San Mateo is a terrific Jazz station; Great Big Radio is an internet-only station that's technically oldies, but covers everything from the 1960s through the 2000s and likes to get into deep cuts. I do subscribe to a streaming music service and use it pretty frequently, but I suspect I find just as much new music through internet radio as I do through "discovery." (Although both curated playlists and algorithmic recommendations surface stuff I find interesting occasionally.)