by Editing Services

Created on: November 26, 2008

Firstly to be able to select the best Bollywood songs, one must think about what factors can contribute towards making a good Bollywood song? A Bollywood song can be defined by: its rhythm & beat, the melody & structure of the song (or sometimes the hook). Also, it's important to take a look at the song lyrics. Most Bollywood songs come from a Bollywood film, and thus we should look also at how well the lyrics of the song fit into the context of the film that it is taken from.

I have compiled a list of the some of the greatest Bollywood songs of all time, and have also given an analysis of what I believe makes these songs so great. There is a different reason behind my choosing each particular song on the list, and this just goes to show that it's not always the same aspect of a Bollywood song which can make it great. My list is of course, by no means a definitive one, simply a few of the greatest Bollywood songs.

SONG#1: Chalte Chalte
This is the haunting song from the film Pakeezah. The film gives rise to many great songs, but this one is particularly special. The greatness of the lyrics for this song is co-dependent on the storyline of the film. Without knowing the storyline, it would be hard to appreciate the high quality of the lyrics.

The song Chalte Chalte, tells the story of a young girl who meets a stranger and falls in love with him.
The words "chalte chalte" (which can be translated to mean "walking, walking") are repeated throughout the story in the song, always reminding you that this story took place while the girl was out walking/travelling. So no matter what else happens in the storyline of the song, you the listener, will always be haunted by the fact that this love story took place while the girl was out walking, walking.

SONG#2: Kora Gakaz Tha
This song is taken from the film Aradhana. What do I think is so great about this song? Well, by Bollywood song standards, the melody by itself is only mediochre, but with an echo in each line this mediochre melody is suddenly turned into a musical masterpiece. The echo of the last word in each line of the first verse, is sheer genius.

The echo is obviously meant to tie-in with the fact that the actor in the film is standing on top of a mountain, but it also achieves two other effects: 1) It makes the song sound great which is musically-enticing for the listener; 2)The fact that the last word of each line is repeated, places emphasis on that particular part of each line, and it has the effect of making each of those lyrics sound particularly heartfelt.

SONG #3: Chaiya Chaiya
This is from the Bollywood blockbuster Dil Se. The composers of this song have come up with an amazingly catchy hook, that has an extremely strong rhythm to it. Because the hook is so great, the songwriters have been able to repeat it again and again all throughout the song. The more you (the listener) hear it, the more it grows on you. "Chaiya chaiya chaiya chaiya, chal chaiya chaiya chaiya chaiya ." It is a simple, but yet effective song structure.

In true Bollywood style, a strong dhol beat also accompanies the catchy hook. Of course, the fact that the song is accompanied in the film, by scenes of Shah Rukh Khan and several other people dancing on top of a train, only add to the greatness of the song itself.

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