This class course examines the uses of music as a political communication, marketing and mobilization tool. The class will primarily focus on popular music from the 20th century forward. It will look at the way in which music informed American’s understanding of World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the 1950’s Civil Rights Movement, the 1960’s countercultural movements, the 1980’s and the 1990’s neo-liberal movement. The course will focus on how class, race and gender are communicated via popular music. It will also look at how music reflects the changing technologies with which it is produced and distributed.