What a decade Bollywood has had when it comes to music albums – a true roller coaster ride. There were highs and lows, but the past decade has undoubtedly brought forward the true potential of Bollywood albums. Some brought out the party animals within us while some soothed our hearts during difficult times. Take a look at the 7 best Bollywood albums of the past decade.
It certainly has been an interesting decade for Indian music albums. Composers flared up their ingenuities, lyricists embellished the deep-rooted tradition of adorning music with poetic metaphors and mesmerizing storytelling, and new voices, styles and genres found their place in the Indian music industry, leading to global recognition. Let’s take a look back at the 7 best music albums Bollywood gave us in the past decade.
1. Rockstar – 2011
The decade began with A. R. Rahman presenting us with the power and beauty in Sufi music and old school rock. With every song striking a different chord in your heart, the songs of Rockstar are those rare tunes that get better every time you listen to them and you find new dimensions to them each time.
2. Gangs Of Wasseypur – 2012
GoW is one of those standout Bollywood albums in the sense that if you compare it with the others in the list, it would definitely stand out – and for all the good reasons. With non-conventional tunes and out of the box lyrics making singers achieve the unthinkable, the songs themselves became characters of the movie. Just listen to “Hunter” or “Chhi-Chba Lader” to get a taste of the experience that Bollywood had never brought forward before.
3. Raanjhanaa – 2013
The music of Raanjhanaa takes you to a whole different era of heartwarming Indian music. From the title track to the sweet melody “Banarasiya”, the album is reminiscent of signature Rahman elements – a remarkable harmony struck by the musical instruments, a stirring musical experience and a touching story being woven in the background.
4. Highway – 2014
For a movie that’s shot on the road for the most parts, only A. R. Rahman would have managed to bring in the emotions and flavors of different regions and stages that the movie goes through. From lyricist Irshad Kamil weaving magic with his imagery to Alia Bhatt, making her singing debut, Highway is undoubtedly one of the decade’s best Bollywood albums.
5. Bombay Velvet – 2015
While the movie may have tanked in the box office, its album is undoubtedly among the best to have happened in the past decade. With a refreshing and bold take on the Indian jazz scene of the 50s and 60s, it’s the result of massive amounts of hard work put in to produce authentic music and not play them on a synthesizer (yes, the drums, violins, clarinet, accordion, and more were all played by master musicians).
6. Udta Punjab – 2016
A movie that highlighted the severity of the drug problem in the state of Punjab, the music and lyrics of the songs raised as much awareness as the story itself. Artists like Diljeet Singh and Kanika Kapoor redefined their versatility while Amit Trivedi continued to awe the audience.
7. Gully Boy – 2019
Gully Boy certainly classifies as one of the best Indian albums in the past decade and all time. It set the Indian hip-hop scene on fire and took Indian rap music to unimaginable heights, driving budding rappers’ hopes and aspirations across the country. From “Apna Time Ayega” to “Mere Gully Mein”, the tracks of this album are nothing short of brilliant.
The past decade has truly seen the Indian music industry in a light that was never witnessed before. Numerous albums couldn’t make this list but are equally moving (such as Bajirao Mastani, Barfi!, Haider and more). Install the Flutin app to listen to them all for free and share it with your friends and family.
