AC/DC?

I am old enought for AC/DC to be about electricity not a pop group - in other words, very old indeed. The group performed last night. The noise, and there was no other word for it, could be heard some kilometres away and it went on for a very long time.
Why does 'pop music' have to be played at such extreme decibel levels? It seems to me that the noise level reaches a point where it is no longer possible to hear what is going on - or is that the point?
I have a friend who, at the tender age of 24, was told to avoid all noisy environments because her hearing had been damaged by being a drummer in a rock band. Do other performers perform with ear plugs? How do they preserve their hearing if they do not? I know there is an entire generation who are thought to be at risk because of their addiction to loud music and their intense use of personal music devices. They are seemingly unworried by this. The here and now is what matters.
There are also other people I know who have the radio on from the time they get up in the morning until they go to bed at night. One person I know actually sleeps with the radio turned on low. Others turn the television set on 'for company'. The radio almost never gets turned on in our house. Most people watch far more television than we do.
We had an extended power failure on Sunday. We were without power for over four hours. As we are on the same grid as two hospitals this was unusual. My father and I got on and did things that did not require power. I was frustrated at not being able to use the computer but it was not the end of the world for me. We did not need radio or television or some other mains operated electronic gadget to entertain us. We did not need the accompanying noise made by these things.
One of our neighbours was pacing in frustration. Another bemoaned the fact that the air conditioning was not working at her place and her children could not watch a television programme. Her children were happily riding their bikes up and down the street.
I prefer the 'silence' of children riding bikes.