I remember the bags. What I don't remember is hearing the sound of anyone using them, and I have crossed the Atlantic at least 50 times. And I would also say the flights have gotten quite a lot smoother since the DC-3 I flew on in the 70ies.
You'd be hard pressed to hear anything on a plane if it weren't happening right next to you. The background noise is very loud.
I once spent a transatlantic flight behind a poor lady who barfed every 5 to 10 minutes for 10 hours straight. Probably something she ate. Hope she’s alright.