Van Halen's final album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," is no longer available on any music streaming platforms. You can't buy a digital copy of it. If you're just getting into the band now (or getting back into them) and want to check it out on a whim, you'll need to buy it on CD or vinyl, or sail the pirate waters.
THIS is exactly why I'm gravitating back towards physical media, and why I'm digitizing my existing collection to throw on things like Plex and my iPod.
My music, on my terms.
This is going to be the case for lots of music and video. It will be nonexistent in future decades because streaming services won't have it available and people will have disposed of their physical media. People should retain all physical media they have as well as purchase what they find at thrift stores.
Future generations will discover the one hidden gem of a movie on DVD in grandmas attic.
@MichaelBishop I agree with you. And I think people are slowly waking up to the fact that they own nothing when it comes to media, unless they can hold it in their hands.
We need to accelerate that realization, however.