Rhythm is at the center of popular music, as it engages listeners both mentally and physically in the sound experience. This material-rich study presents the characteristics of rhythm construction in numerous popular music styles, including ragtime, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, rock, funk, disco, techno, rap music, and drum and bass. By linking perception psychology, music theory, and musical analyses, the study lays the conceptual foundations for a research approach to popular music that takes the sonic structures of popular music seriously. The book is aimed at music and cultural scholars, as well as musicians and music fans.