This paper surveys theories of rhythm and meter that have been developed for Western art music and applied to pop-rock music, as well as more recent theories developed specifically for popular music. I also consider several broader temporal issues as they relate to popular music: the relationship between rhythm and meter in music with an explicit pulse layer, the apparent “binary default” demonstrated by the overwhelming prevalence of rock music in 4/4, and the role of the widespread drum backbeat and its common variants.