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A very interesting question, Guy, and many responses here, so you’ve created food for thought and great discussion. My answer is no, not at all, in fact, just the opposite.
Personally, I learned guitar to be able to play and sing songs. I never saw myself as a solo artist doing riffs and improvs. So for me playing songs has moved my progress along. I’ve learned to change chords smoothly (well, sort of) and strum and sing along. I’m now learning fingerstyle patterns, again, changing chords and singing. I’m also stepping up my game and playing songs with barre chords, and doing my best to incorporate fretting hand techniques and melody notes. So I have used songs to push my progress forward. If you want to use songs to create progress, you certainly can, but it’s up to you. 🙂🎵