Most young people these days enjoy listening to music. It may well be their main interest and one of their favourite pastimes. Some may express a preference for classical music, others for minority interests, such as folk, country, blues, jazz, or big band. For the vast majority, however, it is likely that their taste will be partly, if not exclusively, for pop, i.e. that brand of music which originated with Bill Haley'1956 recording of ‘Rock Around The Clock’, and which now applies to all music loosely associated with the Top Forty charts. In this article the author describes a course, with 10 and 11 year old pupils, which examined the history, styles and social significance of pop music.