An article in The New Yorker on apple varieties a few years ago explained that they all begin crisp, but gradually are bred towards the mealy to improve their storage and transport capacity. This turns them less popular, so new breeds are developed and the cycle begins again.

My tastes are similar to yours - I liked the Delicious some half a century gone, but haven't touched them for decades, went through Granny Smith and Pippin for a while, and now favor the Braeburn and Jazz, along with two other varieties often found here, Fuji and Honeycrisp.