Subah Hone Na De, by a mile... if you put it to a majority vote by the music industry
Foot-tapping tracks are the secret weapons in the arsenal of Bollywood’s composers. Dance/Club songs invariably become hits or have a better shelf life than other kinds of songs on a soundtrack. It’s not difficult to analyse their appeal. Singers and composers get the most demand for these tracks on tours and during live gigs, DJs get the most requests for these numbers, RJs give the listeners what they want, too. And labels, well... they supply as per demand, too.
We spoke to the music industry in general -- record labels, composers, singers, disc jockeys and radio jockeys. And the question we put to all of them was this... What has been the biggest club anthem of the decade?
Not surprisingly, it was the latter half of the decade that sprung the most names with few naming songs that dominated dance floors in the first half. By and large, across the board, Desi Boyz’s Subah Hone Na De emerged as the big favourite, with far more recent hits like Ragini MMS 2’s Baby Doll, RA.One’s Chammak Challo, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’s Badtameez Dil, Yaariyan’s Sunny Sunny and Roy’s Sooraj Dooba Hai Yaaron among others making it to the top tens of several lists. Of the earlier half of the decade, most felt Bunty Aur Babli’s Kajra Re had staying power.
Here’s how they picked their favourites...
Pritam Chakraborty, Composer
His pick: Subah Hone Na De
Why: At the outset, nobody had any faith that this song would work except director Rohit Dhawan and me. Obviously, Ranbir (Kapoor) and Varun (Dhawan) were all rooting for it, but in song promotions, it came third. I was sad when it did not become a superhit when the movie released in November that year, sandwiched between Rockstar and The Dirty Picture. I rued the opportunity lost. By December, it picked up and it kept growing and growing as a hit. It counts as one of the most unique points in my life where a song has grown stronger and stronger much after the film’s release.
Shefali Alvares, Singer
Her pick: Subah Hone Na De from Desi Boyz
Why: It has a funny effect on the audience. I don’t know what it is, but I still hear people humming and singing it, going crazy to it. People of all ages — from three-year-olds to grannies — bob their heads to it. It’s amazing how a song can do that.
DJ Akhtar
His pick: Subah Hone Na De
Why: It’s the song with the most clubby feel of all tracks released within the past 10 years. Subah Hone Na De has it all. It’s about four years old, but is still going strong at parties and clubs. Great club tune and has a high threshold type of swing to it.
DJ Kiran Kamath
His pick: Subah Hone Na De
Why: It’s evergreen! Also, if I had to pick something from way back it would have to be Woh Lamhe’s Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai.
Amaal Malik, Composer
His Pick: Subah Hone Na De
Why: I just love the way Kumaar has given such fresh lyrics! It is the first of those songs which actually have fun, simple words that youngsters would love to say all the time! And Pritam sir has composed and produced it really well!
AND THE RUNNERS-UP ARE...
Manmeet Singh Gulzar, (for Meet Bros Anjjan), Composer
His Pick: Baby Doll
Why: It’s the only song which still plays in all the clubs that never play hindi music including many other countries. Also no other Hindi song with the letter B, has gone as global in the past one decade other than Baby Doll.
RJ Alok, Oye 104.8 FM
His Pick: Baby Doll from Ragini MMS 2
Why: It’s the most requested track of recent times. There have been other several hit numbers in the genre, too, like Munni Badnaam, Chikni Chameli et al. One thing to note is that they all have great beats and feature female vocalists.
Bhushan Kumar, CMD, T-Series
His Pick: Sunny Sunny from Yaariyan
Why: The song released last year and is still my favourite party track. If you look around. It is still the most played song everywhere. This track is very young and makes you start dancing immediately.
RJ Malishka, Red FM 93.5
Her pick: Sunny Sunny from Yaariyan
Why: It stayed in the top three positions on our charts consistently for around eight months. That is rare for a song to do. They usually move between numbers 1 to 10. This kept going between one to three only. Also Honey Singh has a way with kids and youngsters and adults alike. Almost anyone at any point gets on the dance floor when this one plays.
DJ Aqeel
His pick: Chammak Challo from RA.One
Why: It’s the first time a collaboration with a Western singer (Akon) happened in a Bollywood movie. Also, the song was a rage and is still playing till today.
DJ Khushi
His Pick: Chammak Challo from RA.One
Why: It not only changed my life, but everyone who was associated with this song. With Akon singing in our language and the kind of promotion that went behind this song by Shah Rukh and the entire team of RA.One. This song became an anthem, not just for the elders but kids who couldn’t even speak. This song is there to stay for a long long time to come.
Anushka Manchanda, Singer
Her pick: O Pardesi from Dev.D
Why: It’s such a sick song! The composition, the lyrics, the singing, the production of the track... everything is so cool! The video for it with the Twilight Players was really killer and it made me want to be in the club dancing with them.
Jigar Saraiya (for Sachin Jigar), Composer
His pick: Badtameez Dil
Why: For its groove, riff, singing by Benny Dayal. And along with the lyrics, its unbeatable
Deepak Bali, General Manager, Music Business (Eros Music)
His Pick: Gandi Baat from R... Rajkumar
Why: Gandi Baat is a sureshot across-all-mediums song (as opposed to only TV and the internet), not just at clubs or parties, everywhere it has been the biggest song and it will have staying power. We still have demands for that song.
Sanujeet Bhujabal , Marketing Director, Sony Music India
His Pick: Saturday Saturday from Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
Why: It is a full-blown party anthem that cuts across all age groups. The incredible range of Indeep Bakshi’s voice and the cool rap by Badshah makes this a huge party hit. When we approached Dharma to place this song in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, they instantly loved it as it was also apt for the film plot.
RJ Sidhu, Fever 104 FM
His Pick: Chaar Botal Vodka from Bhoot
Why: It’s got the ‘feel’ of the youth. They think it’s their story.
Ramesh Taurani, TIPS Music
His Pick: Lat Lag Gayee from Race 2
Why: Because it’s our song.
RJ Rohit, Radio City 91.1 FM
His Pick: Kajra Re from Bunty Aur Babli
Why: It’s ideal for Indian hand movement and pelvic thrusts. Men and women can’t stop dancing when this song starts playing. In fact, I have some Brazilian friends who surprisingly are extremely fond of this number.
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