Music Review Lookback | Best of 2016
Welcome to the year of 2017. In a fresh start before we take the things forward, let us take a moment to look back on the year of 2016. Just like how our parents give examples of good deeds of our friends, ignoring the their bad deeds when giving life lesson, I am going to do the same. I'll be talking about just the best music of 2016 because that's what this blog is about 'In search of quality Indian Music that don't burn my ears'. The year 2016 was dominated by:
Top 3 Classical/Folk Songs:
Starting with what is the basis/inspiration of all the music in Indian cinema - classical music. There are variations added to classical songs to commercialize them however, this list comprises of the songs whose music defines the culture of India.
Top 3 Kids Songs:
Songs in this category are the most fun to listen to. It brings back all the childhood memories. Not only that such songs also bring out the talents among the younger generation to the world.
- 19 out of the 36 and 10 out of 36 music review posts I've written, Arijit Singh and Armaan Malik were the singers respectively in at least one of the songs
- Remakes of old Bollywood and Punjabi pop songs
- Multiple music composers contributing to a single albums
The below lists are selected from this list of albums: Music Review Roundup | Index to 2016
Just a heads up, I have a lot of unpopular opinions in terms of music. You are free to like or hate it but these are 'MY' Top lists of 2016. Songs that are in smaller fonts didn't make it to the Top 3 but were in consideration in that category.
Just a heads up, I have a lot of unpopular opinions in terms of music. You are free to like or hate it but these are 'MY' Top lists of 2016. Songs that are in smaller fonts didn't make it to the Top 3 but were in consideration in that category.
Top 3 Classical/Folk Songs:
Starting with what is the basis/inspiration of all the music in Indian cinema - classical music. There are variations added to classical songs to commercialize them however, this list comprises of the songs whose music defines the culture of India.
- Barsan Laagi (Sarbjit)
- Gori Radha Ne Kado Kaan (Wrong Side Raju)
- Mirzya Title (Mirzya)
Songs in this category are the most fun to listen to. It brings back all the childhood memories. Not only that such songs also bring out the talents among the younger generation to the world.
- Maths Me Dabba Gul (Nil Battey Sannata)
- Padhoge Likhoge (M.S. Dhoni - The Untold Story)
- Haanikaarak Bapu (Dangal)
Top 3 Feel Good Songs:
There are moments in life that makes me feel low and uninterested in things around me. Songs in this category helped me revive my mood with either their soulful singing, melodious music or lively lyrics.
- Love You Zindagi (Dear Zindagi)
- Cham Cham (Baaghi)
- Zara Si Dosti (Happy Bhag Jayegi)
- Tuk Tuk (Sultan)
Top 3 Experimental Songs:
A niche category but one of my most loved one. Songs in this category took the risk to try something different and clicked right. It doesn't matter if they were commercially successful or not, the fact the music composers kept that thought aside and made something unique makes this the most valuable category for me.
- Qatl E Aam (Raman Raghav 2.0)
- Aave Re Hitchki (Mirzya)
- Hoi Koi/Chalo Chalo (Rock On 2)
- Dum A Dum (Dhanak)
- Doli Re Doli (Mirzya)
Top 3 Unplugged/Reprise Songs:
It is not always that we want to be in the party mode, Sometimes we just want to chill and that's the reason some of the popular songs have an unplugged or a reprise version. Such songs sound completely different that their original counterpart but retain the essence.
- Qatl E Aam - Unplugged (Raman Raghav 2.0)
- Ikk Kudi - Reprise (Udta Punjab)
- Jag Ghoomeya - Female (Sultan)
Top 3 Viral Songs:
This category needs no explanation. The sole purpose of these songs is to get popular as soon as possible in order to get the required mileage for the movie. It doesn't matter if the movie is worth watching or not because some of these songs were released even before the launch of the trailer. As long as these songs get the crowd to movie theatres their objective is completed.
- Beat Pe Booty (A Flying Jatt)
- Kaala Chashma (Baar Baar Dekho)
- Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil)
Top 3 Songs by New Singers:
As I said Arijit Singh and Armaan Malik dominated most of the albums this year. It gets boring after a certain time to just hear the same voice every time. The new singers that come add refreshment in the music albums. They also add hopes that music in Indian cinema is going in the right direction. Although Amit Mishra has lent his voice earlier too but it was this year with Sau Tarah Ke and Bulleya that people have started noticing him.
- Kho Gaye Hum Kahaan - Baar Baar Dekho (Jasleen Royal)
- Bulleya - Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (Amit Mishra)
- Gilheriyaan - Dangal (Jonita Gandhi)
- Dariya - Baar Baar Dekho(Arko)
- Love You Zindagi - Dear Zindagi (Jasleen Royal)
The next two categories are solely because of volume number of songs these two have sung this year. The songs in this list may not feature in other lists but these are the best sung songs by the two singers this year in my opinion.
Top 3 Songs by Arijit Singh:
- Bolna (Kapoor & Sons)
- Channa Mereya (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil)
- Ijazat (One Night Stand)
- Naina (Dangal)
- Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil)
Top 3 Songs by Armaan Malik:
- Besabriyaan (M.S. Dhoni - The Untold Story)
- Bol Do Na Zara (Azhar)
- Buddhu Sa Mann (Kapoor & Sons)
- Mujhko Barsat Bana Lo (Junooniyat)
Top 3 Song Lyrics:
Sometimes in search for good music we lose track of what the song is trying to convey. Lyrics helps us bind that connection with music as well as the overall theme of the movie. This category has most number of unexpected entries
- Ji Huzoori (Ki & Ka)
- Behooda (Raman Raghav 2.0)
- Udja Re (Rock On 2)
- Da Da Dasse (Udta Punjab)
- Masoom Sa (Madaari)
- Kaari Kaari (Pink)
Top 3 Sad Songs:
These songs feature when the story of the movie hits rock bottom. Such songs makes us live the moment from the eyes of the character. Even in such a setting these songs are loved by masses because they are able to connect with the feeling of the character.
- Dard (Sarbjit)
- Teri Khair Mangdi (Baar Baar Dekho)
- Agar Tu Hota (Baaghi)
Top 3 Romantic Songs:
Does this category even need any explanation? Isn't that the whole purpose of why songs started to feature in Indian movies, to express love.
- Bolna (Kapoor & Sons)
- Tere Sang Yaara (Rustom)
- Kaun Tujhe (M.S. Dhoni - The Untold Story)
- Yad Lagla (Sairat)
Top 3 Party Songs:
After a hard working year all we want to do is just let our hair loose and party hard. The key component to any party (apart from booze) is music. Arijit Singh and Armaan Malik melody songs cannot make people dance. It is the songs in this list that rocked the clubs and party scenes.
- Kar Gayi Chull (Kapoor & Sons)
- Kaala Chashma (Baar Baar Dekho)
- The Breakup Song (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil)
- Sau Tarah Ke (Dishoom)
- Zingaat (Zingaat)
Top 3 Albums:
This category comprises of albums whose songs featured the most in my other categories. The list could vary if I were to pick my favourite albums. But an album is said to be popular when it comprises of songs for everyone and all the moods. Just as different colors collectively form a rainbow, songs of different moods with common theme collectively form a music album of a movie.
- Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (4 songs in 4 categories)
- Baar Baar Dekho (4 songs in 4 categories)
- Kapoor & Sons (3 songs in 4 categories)
- Dangal (3 songs in 3 categories)
- M. S. Dhoni - The Untold Story (3 songs in 3 categories)
- Raman Raghav 2.0 (3 songs in 3 categories)
- Sairat (3 songs in 3 categories)
- Mirzya (3 songs in 2 categories)
This is it folks! With this post I am closing the books of 2016 and will be looking forward to another musically eventful year in 2017. I hope you found my content useful to some extent in 2016. If you did then feel free to share it. Let me know your lists of 2016 in the comments below. Until then, Ciao...!
Music Review Roundup | Index to 2016
You can also check out my Curious Thoughts where I questioned if musical covers on YouTube (India) are becoming monotonous? and if too many music composers in a movie are good or bad?
Music Review Roundup | Index to 2016
You can also check out my Curious Thoughts where I questioned if musical covers on YouTube (India) are becoming monotonous? and if too many music composers in a movie are good or bad?
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