The course explores popular culture in Italy, starting from the Italian historical awareness of popular culture that emerged in the 19th century foundation of the nation up to the present day. The course focuses especially on popular culture in the 20th century using a variety of approaches, from lectures to readings, from the screening of video material to the study of audio recordings. By the end of the course, students will have attained a significant understanding of the variety of popular culture in modern Italy and will have mastered an analytical framework for understanding these phenomena. The course carries up to contemporary times with an exploration of the impact global trends have had on popular culture, making particular reference to contemporary popular music.