if you call pop everything that is not metal,
it's hard to give a simple answer, but
definitively there are good musician everywhere.
Pop has no defined rules, but maybe be dance-able or
romantic ballads. Usually good vocal are a must.
Today's shitty disposable pop (or poop

) music is
mostly made by teen artists in the last two decades:
every boy band or teeny-girl superstar fall in this category.
Sometimes they use good session players,
but the music is crafted to be easy listening,
so there's no interesting work on that.
In the other hand:
Pop music used to be well crafted in the sixties and seventies.
Take, by example, Motown hits and the godly James Jamerson.
Some good songs and good playing there.
Stevie Wonder has some really nice records.
There was disco music that had interesting rhythms,
and some good bass lines.
Take ABBA, the ultimate pop music prom Sweden.
The music they did is beautiful, well crafted and played.
(there's a heavy metal tribute to ABBA that's ranks really high
in the bizarre stuff I've got, but good)
Funk players are rhythm/groove masters: Tower of Power
(Rocco Prestia rocks!). Funk has influenced dance pop
since then.
Michael Jackson 80's works were also good.
And he used to play with really good players
(half of the band Toto played with him, they were good too)
A couple of months ago I was listening
a Paula Abdul song, the bass line was kick ass funky,
but I'm not sure it it was synthesized or played.
These days, Bjork's work is really interesting,
with elements of pop & electronica & everything else.
But again, some people says she's not pop.
(there's a Carcass remix of Isobel that's awesome)
Conclusion:
To know if there's good music or good musicians in pop
music is a case by case problem.
That were my two cents.
Cheers,
Hakkikt