In this book Simon Frith offers a wide-ranging analysis of pop music and the entertainment industry of which it is part. From the BBC in the 1930s to post-punk poseurs in the 1980s, from Gracie Fields and the Shangri-Las to Bruce Springsteen and the Pet Shop Boys, Simon Frith examines the contours and the politics of the modern pop music culture. Combining theoretical argument with detailed discussion of particular pop artists and groups, linking historical research with concert and record reviews, Music for Pleasure brings out the complex relations between music, romance, sexuality and class. Frith examines the development of the music industry in Britain and the United States and, against this background, addresses some of the perennial pop questions: why do songs have words? why do films have songs? what makes pop stars successful? what gives them sex appeal? This book is intended to appeal to a wide audience, from pop and rock fans to students in sociology and media and cultural studies.