Top - 10 soundtracks of 2010
By Joginder Tuteja, January 3, 2011 - 13:03 IST
2010 wasn't a year when one evidenced a flurry of blockbuster
soundtracks. A few albums did very well, quite a lot didn't and then
there were a few which did make an impression but just about. Also,
there isn't a mighty fight out there for the place at the top as the
choices were quite obvious with quite a lot separating one from another.
Joginder Tuteja talks about those ten albums that won audience heart
over the year gone by.
1. Dabangg (Sajid Wajid - Lalit Pandit)
When the album released, it was perceived as one of those good
soundtracks and that's about it. However, the days of continued
promotion changed everything around for this 'masala' album which became
the spiciest flavour of not just the season but an entire year. Munni Badnaam' was a double hundred on comeback from Lalit Pandit while songs like 'Tere Mast Mast Do Nain' and 'Chori Kiya' were winners as well which made Dabangg
a complete album. No wonder, the songs found all around acceptance with
not a single soul having anything to say on the contrary. Sajid-Wajid
delivered yet again for a Salman Khan starrer and continue to find
themselves in the top rung of composers.
2. Tees Maar Khan (Vishal-Shekhar, Shirish Kunder)
For Vishal-Shekhar, 2010 was one of the busiest year of their career. Tees Maar Khan may not have been their best score ever but it was definitely their most successful of 2010 with 'Sheila Ki Jawani' leading the charge. The album had good ingredients (including tracks like 'Wallah Wallah')
to cover a far greater distance but that would have been possible if
only the film in totality would have found similar acceptance.
Nevertheless, Tees Maar Khan did find good popularity coming it's
way and along with Shirish Kunder composed title track, it ended 2010
on an energetic note.
3. Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai (Pritam)
For last few years it had almost become a trend for Pritam to lead from
the front. This time around he had to make way for item numbers like 'Munni Badnaam' and 'Sheila Ki Jawani'
and hence stepped back a little. However, if there was an album which
worked in totality amongst class as well as mass audience, it was Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai. A terrific score for what was actually a gangster flick, it boasted of songs like 'Pee Loon', 'Parda', 'Tum Jo Aaye' and 'I Am In Love' to make it a wholesome affair. As for the sole quintessential item number in the album, 'Baburao', it surprisingly went unnoticed.
4. Ishqiya (Vishal Bhardwaj)
This album grew and how. On its release, the songs seemed just about fine with 'Ibn-E-Batuta'
turning out to be the one which was expected to find good commercial
appeal for itself. However, as the film came closer to release and the
soundtrack found continued appreciation from masses as well as classes; 'Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji' became a rage. A classy feel notwithstanding, the soundtrack of Ishqiya
belongs to the kind which works in totality. Also, unlike numerous
other soundtracks which have a 'heard today forgotten tomorrow' appeal, Ishqiya will definitely be heard for many more years to come. Vishal Bhardwaj struck again with this score.
5. Anjaana Anjaani (Vishal-Shekhar)
This was one album which did well but could have done a lot better than
what it eventually did. A package affair, it had not one, not two but
close to half a dozen songs that worked individually. Of course this
Vishal-Shekhar soundtrack did find good popularity coming its way but a
pre-mature end of the film meant that the songs too didn't enjoy a
longer run. Though the composer duo found good success coming their way
through Tees Maar Khan, it would be Anjaana Anjaani that they would be more proud of. Songs like 'Tujhe Bhula Diya', 'Hairat' and 'Aas Paas Khuda' would be remembered for long.
6. Housefull (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy had a relatively quieter year when it came to delivering blockbuster score but they ensured that the film Housefull lived up to it's title, courtesy songs like 'Oh Girl You're Mine', 'Pappa Jaag Jaayega' and of course 'Dhanno'.
The music was hardly the kind that would have impressed purists but for
the masses there was enough ammunition here to catch hold of. The songs
were catchy, had a quick start to them and were instant coffee ready to
be served. A year down the line one may not remember the tunes but in
the season in which the soundtrack released, Housefull was grabbed with both hands.
7. I Hate Luv Storys (Vishal-Shekhar)
Vishal-Shekhar had an eventful year and that showed with three of their four releases (Break Ke Baad being the fourth) finding their way into the Top-10 charts. I Hate Luv Storys was one of the first rom-com scores to arrive this year (other than Aisha
and a couple of more) and it found fancy amongst the youngsters mainly
due to its title song. The song was a chartbuster and found an instant
way right up to the top. However, if there is a track which would be
remembered two years down the line, it would be a heart felt 'Bin Tere' which comes with a tag of 'evergreen' to it. The song showed once again what Vishal-Shekhar are truly capable of.
8. Prince (Sachin Gupta)
It is surprising that as 2010 came to a close; Prince was pretty
much unsung. Reason being that the film had taken a very good start at
the box office (notwithstanding it's eventual outcome) and that was due
to two major reasons - Terrific promos and two chartbuster tracks - 'Tere Liye' and 'O Mere Khuda'.
The songs were extremely well tuned, well picturised and well promoted,
hence ensuring that whenever they played, they fetched eye balls. Other
tracks in the album were high energy as well that made Prince
one of the few 'techno' scores that 2010 had to offer. If only the film
would have done better, the songs would have gone far higher. One would
want to hear more of Sachin Gupta from this point on.
9. Raavan (A R Rahman)
In a year when A.R. Rahman didn't have much to cheer about, he did come up with a very good soundtrack in Raavan.
Sadly the film as well as the music failed but this doesn't take away
from the fact that there was vintage Rahman at work here. One still
fails to understand why the best song of the album, 'Raanjha',
was picturised not on the lead protagonists but Abhishek Bachchan's
sister in the film? The song deserved a much better platform but it
couldn't. As for a terrific 'Beera', it was restricted to the opening credit rolls. Thankfully 'Thok De Killi' was aided by some terrific picturisation and choreography that ensured that Raavan didn't go away unnoticed.
10. Action Replayy (Pritam)
Pritam must be kicking himself for the forgotten soundtrack that Action Replayy
would turn out to be a couple of years down the line. He had a heavy
soundtrack in hand with more than half a dozen songs in store.
Unfortunately for him four of them (including 'Dhak Dhak Dhak' and 'Luk Chup Jaana' that deserved to be heard in entirety) got lost as a part of the medley. Thankfully for him 'Zor Ka Jhatka'
was an instant chartbuster though today it is restricted to marriage
processions and discotheques. Pritam also had a couple of love songs
like 'O Bekhabar' and 'Tera Mera Pyaar' which deserved a far better run but that wasn't meant to be.
Other albums that impressed: Aisha (Amit Trivedi), Band Baaja Baaraat (Salim-Sulaiman), My Name Is Khan (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy), Kajraare (Himesh Reshammiya), Veer (Sajid-Wajid), Karthik Calling Karthik (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)
Link: http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/features/2011/01/03/6981/index.html