This book introduces the music's cultural background, how it was composed, the studio production techniques and the performance styles of the artists involved in order to enhance the listening experience. Hit songs have been unpicked to explain the different components that come together to form a pop song, to demonstrate the evolution of the various musical styles over the decades, and to inform your own music-making. iTunes, Spotify and YouTube playlists have been created to accompany the book, and original video is available on a companion website to illustrate the various techniques and musical elements discussed. Accessible and engaging, this book will be an invaluable resource for musicians writing their own songs, and will prove a fascinating analysis of the genre for students and teachers of music, performing arts, and music technology courses that include popular music.

This fully-revised and updated second edition includes the latest significant releases and new insights are featured, including the film blockbuster Atonement. There is a brand new chapter on world film, and the book has been illustrated in full colour throughout. As well as a guide for the general reader who has an interest in the genre, this book will be of great value to arts and humanities students of a range of subjects from music to media studies on A level, Diploma and undergraduate courses.