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I just spent a few minutes looking at the history of hearing protection and awareness. It started in the 1890s, got a boost to protect soldier nearing in WW II, grew with the invention of silicones, gel-filled earmuffs, and later with compensating electronics. But, as you say, there were really no awareness campaigns and few low price consumer hearing protection products before the 80s and 90s. Nobody knew or, if researchers did know, they weren't widely published or acknowledged and their work didn't make it into the popular press.

Here is a 1979 Popular Science article How to Protect Yourself from Shop Noise.

OSHA (as much as we hate government intrusion) was responsible for beginning hearing protection in 1971. Unfortunately, that was too late for us -- it would have been nice growing up in an era when the hazards were understood.

Some interesting background on regulatory efforts:

Hearing Conservation in the US: A Historical Perspectiv

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Noise Exposure Regulation became effective in 1971.1 Since 1983, OSHA's regulation has included an amendment to require specific components related to hearing protection, audiometric testing, and training. This amendment has become known as the 'Hearing Conservation Amendment.'

How effective have these regulations been in preventing hearing loss in the workplace? There is no brief, or abbreviated way to answer this question. Simply, the complexity of the problem and the complexity of the solution, beg a detailed analysis.

In 1971, when the original regulation became effective, events and policies made the practice of hearing conservation a fuzzy notion to plant management - and a low priority to others! In 1971, OSHA's intention was to 'remove the hazard' or 'remove the worker' when noise exposure reached a time-weighted average (TWA) of 90 dB. Importantly, hearing protection (accomplished through the use of hearing protection devices, HPDs) was to be used only as an interim measure until feasible engineering or administrative controls could be implemented.

However, during the 1970s, the word 'feasible' became a significant point of controversy in the new regulations and the burden of proof to show technical and economic feasibility (i.e., cost-effectiveness) rested squarely on OSHA's shoulders. This new burden, combined with diminishing resources, compelled OSHA to change strategies and enforcement policies. This was the beginning of the problem.

The ink had hardly dried on the new OSHA regulations when NIOSH published its first criteria document in 1972 for occupational noise exposure. The agency - which is an advisory arm of the federal government - immediately called upon OSHA to lower the permissible exposure level (PEL) from 90 dB to 85 dB TWA and to make other proactive changes to protect hearing in the workplace.

In 1974, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its famous 'Levels' document which established criteria to protect the public health from the effects of noise - not just regarding speech communication and human comfort, but also on hearing.3 Based on this document, the EPA also called for OSHA to lower its PEL. Later that year, OSHA actually issued a proposed revision to make some of these changes. But the political climate was not right and the proposed changes 'fell on deaf ears.'