The old year gives way to a new one and as Rajesh Iyer taps his foot at the many peppy numbers, he looks back and remembers every music note that was worth playing.

End of year invariably brings excitement at the prospect of the year ahead. It also whips up a certain amount of nostalgia (though becoming rare with the day with songs holding sway only for some time only) as one looks at the wonder moments we spent humming them.

Top Side
Quite a potpourri, one must confess as we look at the eclectic mix of hits that blared the stereos this year. One look at them and one wonders if we can bracket the youth’s likings into one category. For, if the audiences lapped up Spanish number that at the outset looked like for a niche audience, they also applauded retro number that transported them to the eighties.

Opening Notes

Ae Zara from Murder was one number that stood the test of time and appealed to both the classes and masses. While it commanded a sizeable presence, there were others vying for the top spot and boy did it get hot in the months to come. Pankaj Kapoor may have made a box office dub but with Mausam he gave some soulful songs, picturised oh-so-beautifully, especially the number ‘Rabba Main To’ which was soothing to ears, but also heartening to know that it was accepted well by the listeners. But, these two were among the few simple that ruled. Foot-tappers of all kinds ruled over the year.

The rather unconventional ‘Bhaag D K Bose’ from Delhi Belly stirred up quite a lot of issues, especially with many up in arms for its twisted usage of a common cuss word. But, like it always happens in show business, any news is good news. That’s exactly what it proved to be for the song. It went on to become more than just a rage, eventually for some months became a youth anthem of sorts.

For a generation that’s not known for its longevity of its likings, youth anthems changed hard and fast with the weeks, or rather new releases. While the middle of the year saw some run-of-the-mills making it big like ‘Laung Da Lashkra’ from Patiala House and ‘Teri Meri Prem Kahani’ from Bodyguard, it proved that star power also plays a vital role in making the song a hit. But, the surprise packet was ‘Senorita’, the Spanish-Hindi number from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Accepted it was foot-tapping for a generation that feels it can dance to, but it perhaps surprised the makers as it became bigger hit than most other songs.

In between these hits were some trying extreme hard to make it big. Some actually did. As if one item song has to symbolically represent a year, ‘Jalebi Bai’ from Dhamaal 2 did the duty this year. Not exactly as peppy or raunchy in the range of Munni and Sheila, it still managed to get enough ears to become a big hit. Of course, a sex symbol known as Mallika Sherawat has a lot to do with its success.

The peppy ‘Madhubala’ from Mere Brother ki Dulhan had many trappings of an anthem hit, though it somehow fell short of it. Imran Khan though seems to be following his uncle Aamir when it comes to “different” songs. What with D K Bose already there in his kitty this year. ‘Madhubala’ only added to the divergent repertoire.

The latter part of the year saw some really big hits, most prominent among them was ‘Chammak Challo’ from Ra.One. With Akon lending his voice to a new experiment of an international star singing in Hindi, the song raged the charts and continues to be a hit even as a new year dawns. There were some songs trying to give ‘Chammak Challo’ some competition, like ‘Desi Boys’, but eventually couldn’t stand the sheer star power of Shah Rukh’s song.

The year ended with a surprise package for both cinema lovers, as well as music lovers. Vidya Balan ran away with all accolades possible for her portrayal of Silk in The Dirty Picture, but the songs were equally big hits, more so as they were retro in effect. Bappi Lahiri bringing back all the memories of the Disco era with his ‘Ooh La La’ must have come as a surprise to both him and music directors, Vishal-Shekhar. A generation that had just about nothing to do with the films and songs of that era lapped up the songs that it became a rage, perhaps making Bappi Lahiri reminisce his golden days.

December also saw the emergence of a song that would continue to be a rage in the months to come in 2012. After her Sheila success, Katrina Kaif dancing voluptuously to ‘Chikni Chameli’ had already started scorching the charts. As 2011 bid adieu, giving way to many more hits in the coming year, we can only wonder at the new sounds that were not just made by talented musicians, but accepted whole-heartedly by the audience all over the country.

Flip Side
But, as we remember and acknowledge the hits songs, the year in music also had some sad losses. There were some really prominent players who bid adieu to us. While the classical music scene was left with a big void after the sad demise of Pandir Bhimsen Joshi, ghazal king Jagjit Singh’s sudden death was a big jolt for many who grew up listening to his silky voice. The ghazal world can never be the same again.

While the music lovers mourned these two deaths, they were also alarmed by the drop in health of the iconic Bhupen Hazarika, who eventually succumbed to his illness, leaving behind a legacy of over six decades. The year ended on a somber note with the passing away of Ustad Sultan Khan.

As we look back at the year that was, it wouldn’t be wrong to call it a turning point in music, in more ways than one. We might miss 2011, but some of the songs that left indelible marks would create many repetitions and cronies for us to remind what a wonderful musical year it was.