The aim of this course is to provide a basic understanding of the 20th century western music and its conceptual progression throughout the century. The course concentrates on contemporary musical trends in relation with the changing social, political and economic issues of 20th century. The course emphasizes representative works from avant-garde to mainstream. The content of the course is not limited with the art music but also focuses on different aspects of popular traditions. These popular trends will be examined in relation to social and cultural context.