A comprehensive cultural, social and historical overview of post-war popular music genres, from rock 'n' roll and psychedelic pop, through punk and heavy metal, to rap, rave and techno. The author also examines the style-based youth cultures to which such genres have given rise. Drawing on key research in sociology, media studies and cultural studies, the book considers the cultural significance of respective post-war popular music genres for young audiences, with references to issues such as space and place, ethnicity, gender, creativity, education, and leisure. A key feature of the book is the departure from conventional Anglo-Americasn perspectives. In addition to British and US examples, the book refers to studies conducted in Germany, Holland, Sweden, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan, Russia, and Hungary, presenting the cultural relationship between youth culture and popular music as a truly global phenomenon.