There has always been a gulf between “serious” music and popular music. There was some godawful pop in the 30s and 40s, too.
Oh, and here’s the lyrics to In the Hall of the Mountain King:
Slay him! The Christian’s son has bewitched
The Mountain King’s fairest daughter!
Slay him!
Slay him!
May I hack him on the fingers?
May I tug him by the hair?
Hu, hey, let me bite him in the haunches!
Shall he be boiled into broth and bree to me
Shall he roast on a spit or be browned in a
stewpan?
Ice to your blood, friends!
Yup....music was soooooo much better then.
And even in those portions you stated there were not swears.
I saw one of those rock musicians at an awards show and he talked about the need to f... up the system (read without the ellipses). Edvard Grieg and Henrik Ibsen never said anything like that.
Even Igor Stravinsky with his noisy "Rite of Spring" only said he wanted to give music new life -- not f... it up or f... up society (read without the ellipses)!