“In shadows dense, a circle forms around a darkened figure 
Whose cruel eyes gleam with a plot of subtlety and rigor.
This being once knew heaven’s best, but overcome with pride 
Was then expelled because he said, “I’ll be like the Most High.”
Now to his demons Satan speaks, his voice intense with hatred, 
“I have a plan that will destroy what God ordained as sacred.
But first mankind must be convinced to wholly sell his soul, 
I have the vice that will entice, we’ll name it Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Unprecedented in it’s reach, unhindered in it’s course, 
It will prevail around the world, destruction is it’s force.
The words will speak of mystic arts, rebellion, death, perversion, 
Hatred, lust—they’ll all be part of one great mass subversion.
It’s music will have equal power, strains which oft repeat, 
Sometimes ‘twill come in mellow form, sometimes with driving beat.
And thus we’ll smother wholesome thoughts with rhythms loud and pounding,
Thereby we’ll gain full-mind control with progress quite astounding.
We’ll stifle guilt, in homes sow strife, send Christian ethics reeling, 
Free love, drugs, and alcohol will seem much more appealing.
There are right now some young who will sell out at any cost, 
I’ll make them rich, and give them fame, but I will be their boss.
They’ll draw the masses, sing my songs, and introduce my ways: 
The body movements, make-up, lights, the flames and smoky haze,
The screaming guitars, drinking blood, the ‘signing’, and much more, 
Will crush the senses, rape the souls of young folks by the scores.
Then suicidal, murder demons, go in strength to reap 
The lives of dazed and driven young, and lay them at my feet!
I will as yet through Rock ‘n’ Roll gain worship and control, 
And even take from God those whom He says are in His fold.
Our strategies won’t need to change, nor even will our style, 
To get the church-folk we’ll just paint a new face with a smile.
We’ll keep it’s structure flexible, but all will have my blessing, 
We’ll use a method smooth that will keep napping Christians guessing.
But first some groundwork we must lay by raising up some idols 
Who will with smiling faces quote some verses from their Bibles.
We’ll lure with wealth, sidetrack with fame, this method seldom fails 
In changing goals from winning souls to boosting CD sales.
Contemporary they’ll first sing, and then with bait in tow, 
We’ll sway the minds and change the hearts with ‘Christian Rock ‘n’ Roll’.
We’ll use it like a drug that will grip young lives with addiction, 
And many peaceful homes will be destroyed because of friction.
Some parents will oppose the young, with God stand for awhile, 
But many will then compromise, and say, ‘It’s just their style.’
The pastors will let down their guard, they’ll want to keep their people; 
With force we’ll make a hit on those who cry out, ‘No, it’s evil!’
We’ll blind the eyes so most won’t know that I ordained all Rock, 
And with this mighty tool,” he hisses, “I’ll Jehovah mock!”
And thus was born the industry of selling God’s salvation; 
“It’s free to all,” they sing with gusto, “there’s no obligation.”
But then they post folks at the doors of concerts who will say, 
“I’m here to make sure that you don’t come in before you pay.”
And once inside, they hear of love, of Jesus, and salvation, 
Sprinkled here and there midst Satan’s driving syncopation.
“To help inspire you,” they say, “We’ll put in God some zap, 
By coming to you on your plane, we’ll help to bridge the gap.
We know of course, that most of you consider God as boring, 
But if you’ll listen to our songs, you’ll soon find Him adoring.”
And like the devil’s crowd, some use high volume, lights, and smoke, 
“While others say, “We’ll hold the crowds with stage antics and jokes.”
Then after songs with words that say, “We lift you up, oh, Christ”, 
They flaunt their posters, t-shirts, pins—the brainwashed pay their price.
They quote the Bible for their gain, supposing gain is godly, 
And as young souls slip into Hell, they pat their checkbooks fondly,
So has the church been mesmerized, by Satan rocked to sleep; 
The fields are white, it’s harvest time, and who’ll awake to reap?
But very soon God will arise in righteous judgment fury, 
There will be none to stay His hand, no case by trial and jury.
“You’ve tried to mix the white and black, your lives are gray,” says God; 
“You’ve put My name to themes of lust, your feet has Satan shod.
You’ve sung another Jesus and a gospel that’s not true, 
I’m not just love and mercy, I am wrath and judgment, too.
You’ve used My word to ravish souls and savagely deceive, 
But, know that I, the Holy One, have not your songs received.
And thus have many been seduced and used for Satan’s goal, 
I, God, am not the author of this thing called Rock ‘n’ Roll.””



Weaverland publications

I had to fully give up pop music as not only did I find it addictive, it turned my mind to sinful thoughts ...very strange 

Watch this for the Catholic perspective  -  

An oldie but a good one:
Hell's War Against Our Children From Massive Drugs ... Through Satanism ... to Rock'n'roll
Father John O'Connor, OP

Father O'Connor tells us in this highly perceptive book that "our children are in
the front lines of the greatest war of evil that has ever been waged against
the youth of the world."

"The aggressors are Satan and his demons," and youth are suffering terribly. The
weapons with which they are preyed upon include alcohol, drugs, promiscuity,
rebelliousness, ѕυιcιdє, and even the actual worship of Satan.

But the main weapon is rock'n'roll.

1. This book is from 1985.
2. Music changes from age to age. Not all Pop music is "rock & roll". There are certain traits in each classification of music. I've heard plenty of 90's pop music that does NOT have the typical 50's 60's syncopated rhythm of the Rock & Roll genre -- nor do the musicians match the description of all the evil "Rockers" discussed in various books against Rock & Roll. (Hint: most famous Rockers died young, of drug overdoses, and in general died bad deaths).

From my superficial study of the issue, Rock & Roll as such is indeed crap music, with very little melody and substance. Just a few chords repeated throughout the song. Lots of repetition, bad lyrics, bad lifestyles of the singers, etc. That doesn't mean everything on the radio is Rock & Roll, however. There are oldies (50's and 60's) and then the heavy metal sounding "Classic Rock" of the 70's. I hate those genres myself.

But if you turn the radio dial through various Pop songs, they are nothing like these genres. So the author(s) need to be precise in whatever they are condemning. And whatever you do, don't sound like an out-of-touch Boomer who thinks everything on the radio is still "Rock & Roll". This isn't the 1970's anymore!

How would St. Thomas Aquinas handle the issue? He would discuss the principles at hand. He would discuss what makes music fundamentally good, bad, or in between. He would be precise with his terms and definitions. And he would distinguish Church teaching from what is just "good, better, best" for human beings.

1. This book is from 1985.
2. Music changes from age to age. Not all Pop music is "rock & roll". There are certain traits in each classification of music. I've heard plenty of 90's pop music that does NOT have the typical 50's 60's syncopated rhythm of the Rock & Roll genre -- nor do the musicians match the description of all the evil "Rockers" discussed in various books against Rock & Roll. (Hint: most famous Rockers died young, of drug overdoses, and in general died bad deaths).

From my superficial study of the issue, Rock & Roll as such is indeed crap music, with very little melody and substance. Just a few chords repeated throughout the song. Lots of repetition, bad lyrics, bad lifestyles of the singers, etc. That doesn't mean everything on the radio is Rock & Roll, however. There are oldies (50's and 60's) and then the heavy metal sounding "Classic Rock" of the 70's. I hate those genres myself.

But if you turn the radio dial through various Pop songs, they are nothing like these genres. So the author(s) need to be precise in whatever they are condemning. And whatever you do, don't sound like an out-of-touch Boomer who thinks everything on the radio is still "Rock & Roll". This isn't the 1970's anymore!

How would St. Thomas Aquinas handle the issue? He would discuss the principles at hand. He would discuss what makes music fundamentally good, bad, or in between. He would be precise with his terms and definitions. And he would distinguish Church teaching from what is just "good, better, best" for human beings.

My past self would've fought tooth and nail for the merit of rock as a musical style (see: metal), citing the technicality, proficiency, clarity and complexity of a lot of modern metal music. Yet, as I've grown spiritually and put aside these things, I came to realize just how vain and empty almost all modern music is. Yes, I still have some "profane" artists I'll listen to, but by-and-large it lacks all spirit that you would find in "higher" forms of music.

For example, I decided to listen to a metal song I haven't for years to compare it to the excellence of classical guitar. I used to have such a high esteem for the artist as one of the best technical guitarists ever. But, upon this listening, I found it to be extremely shallow and boring. Yes, he can play a lot of scales and notes cleanly and quickly, and he has incredible technical proficiency. But, compared to classical guitar pieces, he has nothing on them on basically all fronts.

This is a cover of the guitar solo from the song referenced as not to scandalize anyone with the song itself:



It's impressively technical. But lacks real substance and true beauty in its cacophony of notes. Yet, in comparison with the following (pick really anything in the compilation), it pales:

In addition to the beats, rock and metal music is often filled with satanic, pagan, or sɛҳuąƖly immoral lyrics. Just listen to any random song by Metallica, Manowar, Motorhead, AD/CD, etc, and you will see that this music is not suitable for a Christian.

For example one of the most famous songs of one of the most famous metal bands:



Anyway, rock and metal are out of mainstream, it still exists but it's not mainstream anymore. Now the mainstream is reggaeton, rap and trap, which is like rap but spoken with a very strange voice. These genres also have a lot of immoral lyrics, especially sɛҳuąƖ immorality.

For example one of the most famous reggaeton singers:



https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-daddy-yankee-dura-english-translation-lyrics

I judge music more on the basis of individual pieces of music than on a very broad category.  Example, Simon and Garfunkel is considered soft rock. Insane Clown Posse is known as horrorcore rap, derived, way back over 60 decades, from rock and roll.  There’s a world of difference between the two!  The first, I like.  The second?  Demonic.  
A problem with many rock artists, is the idolaters gathered around them, the early Beatles’ fan(antics) being a case in point, or Deadheads who for all practical purposes, followed the Grateful Dead like disciples.  This isn’t limited to rock and roll.  Look at sports fans, televangelists, actors and so-called celebrities…
If one puts aside the idolater factor and just listens to their music, there are rock bands that have both good and bad songs.  I’m not speaking only of musical talent as most big name artists do have talent, whether it’s used for good or bad. A few examples from my past would include individual good songs by “bad” bands.  One that comes to mind is a song called Angie by The Rolling Stones. Other songs are Please, Please Me and I Feel Fine, early, pre-drug addled Beatles’ songs. (Not Yesterday! Even as a child, it was too sickly sweet!). 
My adult judge of a song is for its effect on my spirit.  Do I like the melody?  The rhythm?  The words?  Does it uplift me?  Make me feel happy?  Joyful?  Conducive to prayer and meditation?  Help me to mourn when mourning is necessary?  (Different from being depressed.). Does a song motivate creativity, spur me on to do necessary work that I’d prefer to avoid?  De-stress or help me sleep?  Get me out of bed in the morning?  Then those are songs I listen to regardless of whether they fall into the category of Rock and Roll or something else.  The same goes with other categories of music.  
One excellent thing about modern technology is that it makes parental (and adult!) oversight of music listened to much easier.  One can now easily create personal playlists instead of listening to albums where we had to be on the alert to skip over “that song!”  Even albums are things of the past. Playlists can center on themes with songs ranging over centuries and dozens of artists.  
Regularly listening to or playing along with good music is scientifically proven to improve mood, intellectual acuity, and physical well-being.  Music is all over the Scriptures and many of the Saints were accomplished musicians or just enjoyed music.  While Protestants have historically dug more in depth into contemporary music and it’s evils than Catholics, let us, as Catholics, enjoy music, not shying away from it because some of it is evil.  Heaven is full of music and singing, so I have to wonder if those condemning nearly all of it will enjoy Heaven?
Use the Prot. books if no good Catholic books are available, but move on!