Music explores the deepest experiences of the human condition - love, violence, religion, hedonism, protest and politics. This book takes common themes in popular music and analyses them through a harms-based critical criminology of music, while staying focused on its aesthetic and sensory elements.

It analyses the sexism, homophobia and heteronormative bias of the music industry, considering its harms and dangers to the people working within it. It also examines the influences of drugs and alcohol - on both musicians and fans. Taking in music from across the globe, the book considers its role in bringing hope, whether on a personal or political level worldwide.