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The question itself is rather circular and vague -- what is atonality? How does atonality die? Theoretically we can divide a string into infinite units so there is an infinite set of possible tonalities as long as there is something to produce sound and it is being perceived. And this means what is considered atonal by the perceptor may vary alot. For example, if you are used to classical Middle Eastern music, much Western bel canto opera sounds like screaming or wailing because the hearer is not used to the higher rate of vibrato. He or she may find much 18th - 19th century Western classical music very "square" and the reliance on the major minor system a bit tiring after awhile. In some ways this explains to a small degree the widespread popularity of some Western pop and its incorporation into other musics -- it uses the major/minor and modal scales, the singing has less vibrato and the rhythmns (of some pop) are less "square".
So, this illustrates one of facet of music that we organize it around -- psychological expectations and psychoacoustical limits. Every compostion created is a set of expectations to be met overturned explored or dissected. So examples -- sopranos who sing above the second f above middle c will lose the intelligibility of the text from that point and higher -- this is a psychoacoustical fact of human hearing. Many times this register is used for the climax of a song. So, you could compose a song wherein the text is introduced at the highest tessitura at all times but you are betraying one expectation and ignoring a psychoacoustical fact. You have a choice to have the text be intelligible later by another singer or you could choose nonsense text and explore the possibilities and work around limitations imposed.
When you aim to avoid "tonal" centers (eg using modal scales) you are encountering some of the problems in the above example. But there are rich possibilities and new expectations. Therefore things such as spectral music, minimalism, and musique concrete are results of one of the great "discoveries" of the early 20th century --- that our major/minor and modal scales used for the past 1000 years or more are pitch class sets that follow roughly certain mathematical models. SO if we rephrased the question has the trend to avoid consciously tonal centers passed. I would say for the most part yes but we are beginning to hear the fruits birne of this trend.
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