Alan Baumler, over at Frog in a Well, has a post up on Xunzi (who I really need to pay more attention to) and music.  Great stuff.  Xunzi (or Hsun Tzu) would definitely banned Eliv Presley:

The influence of music and sound on man is very profound, and the
transformations they produce in him can be very rapid. Thus, the
Ancient Kings were assiduous in creating proper forms. …. If music
spoils and seduces toward wickedness, then the people will become
dissipated and indolent and will be mean-spirited and base. Where they
are dissipated and indolent, there is disorder; where they are
mean-spirited and base, there is conflict. Where there is disorder and
conflict, the army is weak and the city walls are broken through, so
that enemy states can threaten the existence of the state. When this
situation prevails, the Hundred Clans feel insecure even in their own
homes, are discontent with their native villages, and are dissatisfied with their
superiors. Thus, casting aside ritual and music and allowing evil songs
to develop is the root of danger and territorial encroachment for the
country and of insult and dishonor for the ruler. Thus, the Ancient
Kings esteemed ritual and music and despised evil songs. 

Rock and Roll causes war! You can see how Xunzi has that Legalist paranoia (even if he's not a Legalist): you've got to keep society ordered and people under control or all hell will break loose!

But here's a question: what happens when "bad" music, like Rock and Roll, becomes ritualized?  Of course the routinization and commodification of an art form, which happens under capitalism, is not quite what Xunzi would define as "ritual".  But, in fact, whether he would like it or not, Rock and Roll has taken on certain ritual qualities.  How many newly married couples use Rock or popular songs at their wedding receptions to represent certain aspects of their relationship and commitment?  And how many people my age (50+) relate Rock and Roll songs to key life transitions: graduation from high school and/or college, marriage, the birth of children, family connections of all sorts?  It's the way in which "bad" music gets knit into family relationships that might pose a problem for Xunzi.  Could he agree that what was "bad" music at one moment, or in one context, might be transformed into "good" music in another?

But, then again, some music seems beyond the reach of Confucian ritualization (or is it?):