Popular Music

Popular music is one of the defining cultural phenomena of the modern world. It has shaped social movements, created shared identities across generations, and generated enormous economic and artistic activity. Studying it at degree level means taking it seriously as a subject of historical, critical, and creative inquiry.

At the University of Liverpool, this programme treats popular music with the rigour and depth brought to any other musical discipline, while also engaging with its distinctive practices and contexts.

The programme combines critical and practical approaches across three years. You will develop an in-depth historical understanding of popular music repertoires, cultures, and practices, examining how genres have emerged, evolved, and interacted across different periods and contexts. Some modules address popular music from historical, sociological, critical, or philosophical perspectives, giving you analytical tools to write and think about music with sophistication.

Others focus on the music industry, its structures and economics, and how it shapes what we hear. Practical options in musical performance, song-writing, and creative music technology are available. The programme includes a sandwich placement year and a year abroad, alongside embedded work placement opportunities that allow you to engage directly with the professional music world.

Graduates with a background in popular music studies are well placed for careers in the music industry, including roles in artist management, publishing, radio, journalism, music supervision, events, and digital distribution. The critical and analytical skills developed through the programme are also valued in arts administration, cultural policy, education, and broadcasting. Many graduates pursue further study in music, cultural studies, journalism, or related fields, while others move directly into professional roles in the creative and cultural sectors.