Early British popular music Beginning in the 16th century, printed broadside balladswere the first genre of British popular music. These were lyrics transcribed and eventually printed (after the invention of the printing press) and meant to be sung to some well-known tune. They were popular until the early 20th century, when a combination of newspapersand recording technology made them obsolete.After the industrial revolution, bars that provided musical entertainment arose, fuelling demand for popular songs and professional songwriters. These bars were called music halls.