Are you a 90s kid whose evenings would be incomplete without catching up with our favourite Bollywood song videos? After all, what is Bollywood without its music?
Ever wondered what we would have done at our school events and birthday parties had there been no Bollywood chartbusters for our company. Sangeet ceremonies or antakshari sessions would have been boring had there been no Hindi film songs. Songs are an integral part of Bollywood movies. So much as the music album comes before the movie is released. The music industry has seen enough in terms of changing trends and refined itself, over years to suit the taste of listeners. Be it of any age, Bollywood picturization of songs has been integral to the music and the glue that made it stick to our memories for ages.
Here’s looking back at the journey of Bollywood music, how it changed with times and was woven in the screenplay bringing a plot development or celebrating romantic moments.
1950s, When western instruments made inroads to music
The newly independent India embraced the western culture of music. Instruments like the saxophone, trumpets were used, and rock rhythms were introduced. Numbers like ‘Ina Mina Dika’ and ‘Shin Shina ki Boobla Boo’ gained fandom. Pairs like Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Shankar-Jaikishan happened. Songs were also all about intense emotions shot in static frames where all action happened through expressions.
1960s, the era of RD Burman’s evergreen melodies
This decade witnessed the influence of rock-n-roll and jazz even more as RD Burman and Kishore Kumar became the singing heartthrob of the nation. Fast music and pulsating beats gained prominence as youngsters thronged discotheques. Actors like Waheeda Rehman, Vyjayanthimala brought dance to picturization and songs like ‘Honton Mia Aise Baat’ happened.
1970s and 1980s; the age of blooming romance
This has been called the golden phase of Bollywood for its legendary songs. Piercing eyes and body movement. They were more melodious and often had a humming quality. Soft romantic music won our heart, thanks to the likes of Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle.
1990s and 2000s, when Rahman popularized keyboard
Romance and longing for loved ones were the main themes of the music in the 90s. The Mozart of Madras, AR Rahman, was instrumental in popularizing keyboard music in this era. Also, new age contemporary ghazals were introduced by like Pankaj Udhas and Jagjit Singh.
2010 and onwards; the era of remixes
The starting of this decade saw the emergence of youth-oriented songs. However, soon experimentation took a back seat and remixing and recreating old classics found its course to Bollywood music industry.
Be it any age, party songs or soulful romantic music, dance numbers on ghazals, originals or recreations, songs have always been the soul of Bollywood music.
