 The musical forms most associated with music hall evolved in part from traditional folk song and songs written for popular drama , becoming by the 1850s a distinct musical style . Subject matter became more contemporary and humorous , and accompaniment was provided by larger house @-@ orchestras as increasing affluence gave the lower classes more access to commercial entertainment and to a wider range of musical instruments , including the piano . The consequent change in musical taste from traditional to more professional forms of entertainment arose in response to the rapid industrialisation and urbanisation of previously rural populations during the Industrial Revolution . The newly created urban communities , cut off from their cultural roots , required new and readily accessible forms of entertainment . 
