The sound of the Music

In the yesteryears the music used to be loud of about 0 decibel level. With coming of technology people started comperssing the sound waves to convert it into more uniform and less varying upto -18 decibels levels. But people say that the previous method of mastering sound or songs was better than that is being used now. Cool but antithetical or counter speakers say that loud music causes fatigue and may sound better for a short duration but if you hear an I-POd from beginning to end for hours together your ear-drums will pain.Well this is wrt to US Industry in India we are happily ignorant and happy , complacent and smug with whatever we have.