Made in Italy serves as a comprehensive and rigorous introduction to the history, sociology, and musicology of contemporary Italian popular music. Each essay, written by a leading scholar of Italian music, covers the major figures, styles, and social contexts of pop music in Italy and provides adequate context so readers understand why the figure or genre under discussion is of lasting significance to Italian popular music. The book first presents a general description of the history and background of popular music, followed by essays organized into thematic sections: Themes; Singer-Songwriters; and Stories.

"Taken together, the chapters in this book present a fine introduction to major topics in the field of popular music in Italy since the 1950s... Readers whose knowledge of popular music in Italy is only partial or superficial, and certainly readers who are novice and seeking to learn about it, will greatly benefit from this book. Clearly written, the chapters provide a wealth of information, both at the factual and at the interpretive level." - Motti Regev, Open University of Israel, Journal of World Popular Music