Hardly any other European country has such a continuous, lively, and multi-faceted tradition of politically and socially committed popular song as Italy. From the 1970s to the present day, Italy's singers and song-writers have been a social barometer, reflecting new tendencies and acting as a mouthpiece for old and renewed concerns and protests. The volume seeks to provide a panorama of the last 30 years in this respect, with special reference to rock and rap. One striking feature is the return in the 1990s to central themes from the politically much more obviously 'stormy' 1970s: social justice, humanity versus materialism, etc. At the same time, a central contradiction inherent in the position of the singers themselves appears to defy resolution. Successful singers with a committed 'message' have no choice but to operate within an economic market for their songs. Once they do so, the contradiction between their social/political message and their own economic success becomes evident.