Bollywood Top 10 Genre-Based Songs

Ever since the first Indian sound film ‘Alam Ara’ released in 1931, the Hindi film industry has churned out thousands of films and lacs of songs till date. But there are certain special songs, each of a particular genre, which occupy a distinct place in our hearts. We bring to you the top 10 iconic songs of Bollywood, which were, are and will always remain close to our hearts:

Romance

 The ‘King’ of all genres, there are countless Bollywood songs of this category. Yet, when you hear the word ‘romance’, all you can think of is a rainy night, a guy and a girl standing under an umbrella, and singing ‘Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua Hai’. Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey, along with beautiful lyrics by Shailendra make this song from the film ‘Shree 420’ a classic piece of music. The Raj Kapoor-Nargis real-life love upped the passion of this number.

Heartbreak

Dil Ke Armaan Song Stills

There have been many lyricists who have penned down the saddest of songs, but the anthem of them all has to be ‘Dil Ke Armaan’ from B.R. Chopra’s superhit film Nikaah! Actress-singer Salma Agha’s debut film had this track sung by Salma herself. The pain and distress of a woman who is unable to enjoy her newly married life because her husband is too busy to devote time to her can be clearly felt in this track. Even till today, not just women, but also men identify with this song in times of heartbreaks or when upset.

Friendship

So you guessed ‘Yeh Dosti’ from Ramesh Sippy’s iconic film ‘Sholay’? Bang on! There can be no better track than this one when it comes to friendship! Although the title track of ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ was a close competition, the Jai-Veeru ‘dosti’ clearly triumphs over all others. The ‘dhamaakedar’ entry of Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra on their Bullet bike set the mood for the rest of the film, something which we can never be tired of watching!

Patriotic

Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon Song Stills

Without any doubt, the most iconic patriotic song is ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’. The song was written by Kavi Pradeep during the Sino-Indian War, in which many Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives for the country. The composition was later sung by Lata Mangeshkar on Republic Day in front of the then-President Jawaharlal Nehru. The depth of the words touched every Indian’s heart and moves them to tears every time they hear this song.

Comedy and fun

Did we hear Johnny Walker? The undisputed King of Comedy? Well, if it be so, then the most iconic comic track has to be none other than ‘Sar Jo Tera Chakraye’ filmed on him. The famous number from Guru Dutt’s ‘Pyaasa’ became a rage, especially among the barbers, who played this track repeatedly to entertain their customers. People probably cannot spend their Sunday-morning oil massages without this Mohammad Rafi classic.

Competition

Aa Dekhein Zara Song Stills

Our pick in this category is ‘Aa Dekhein Zara’ from the 1981 film ‘Rocky’. If you have Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar singing a duet, do you expect it to wrong? This hit number featuring Sanjay Dutt is a popular favorite in almost all dance or singing competitions, and even in television serials. And not just these, several remixed versions are also played by DJs at discotheques. Iss gaane mein hai bada dum!

Hope and inspiration

Here we have chosen ‘Aashayein’ from the film ‘Iqbal’. The ‘newest’ track of this list of top 10 genre-based songs, this Salim-Sulaiman track has a heart-warming feel to it, which is why we love it all the more. In a very filmy style, it plays in our background whenever we are close to achieving our dreams, or something for which we have waited for a long time! Even reality shows these days use this track to show the happiness of contestants when they get selected or move over to the next round!

Holi

Bollywood’s favorite festival has gathered a wide collection of songs over the years, but the most favorite of them all remains Amitabh Bachchan’s Rang Barse from the film Silsila. The colorful festival becomes more enjoyable when you have a large group of family and friends, splashing colors on one another, relishing glasses of ‘bhang’, with this iconic number playing in full volume in the background! Theme parties during Holi are incomplete without this track!

Sufi

There were many contenders for a position in this category, but ‘Piya Haji Ali’ from ‘Fiza’ emerges as the clear winner. Ever since A. R. Rahman composed and co-sung this soul-touching number in the film, there has been an upsurge in the use of Sufi tracks in other films as well. But the real essence of the song, quite relevant to the film’s story, makes it all the more lovable and a must-have in your music player!

Item Number

Monica...O My Darling Song Stills

How can we forget a sizzling hot Helen shaking her booty to this cabaret number in the film ‘Caravaan’? The suggestive orgasmic sounds made by singer Asha Bhonsle and the provocative moves by Helen made sure that this chartbuster oozed out lots of sex from each and every musical note. ‘Monica…O My Darling’ became a rage among people! We don’t need to say why, just watch the video and you will know!

These are songs that have carved a niche for themselves, and the moment you hear of the genres, these are the first songs that come to your mind! Let us know what your favorite tracks are…