This course will first introduce students to various definitions and examinations of the term ‘popular music’, especially in relation to the various genres and evolutions that this kind of music took after 1945. We will examine first of all, the role that popular music took in the formation of youth cultural communities and the way those have been studied. Second we will unfold the role that popular music has had in various contexts to affirm national identities. In the third part of the course we will also address the role that popular music has had at the urban level.Each session of the course will be based first on a lecture, where we will examine both theoretical approaches and cases mostly but not exclusively in the European setting. Following the lecture, we will have a seminar, where we will discuss inherent literature, examine videos and documentaries and define possible storyboards for the final video assignment.