Popular culture can be summarized on several different ways, depending on given perspective as well as numerous other factors. The best description would state that it is a culture available to everyone and is widely represented in mass media such as film, music, television, sport and others. It can be describe as something that is currently modern, something that people love, listen or read. Based on the given definition the popular culture can't be categorized in just one period of Croatian history, nor in one period in general. As the title of this work states, its fundamental idea will be based solely on one type of mass media, music. We will start the work by presenting popular culture as a general term after which ex-Yugoslav examples shall be given. Later throughout the text we will go further into details individually dissecting each of Yugoslav member states. Due to the fact that numerous cases of music in popular culture date in the 80's, this work shall concentrate on the examples from this specific period. Quite fascinating is the fact that many of the bands originating from that period are still active today in the same field and genre. Furthermore, we will present case study of three bands using their examples to portray the so-called "culture of defiance" that served the musicians of that time as a platform to express what was usually prohibited to say openly.