5 Songs that will convince you Rockstar was the best thing out of 2011.

2011 gave us many things, the Japan tsunamis, the Cricket World-Cup (that we finally won), to Osama being killed AND THE IMTIAZ ALI MASTERPIECE Rockstar! Mostly good things.

What Rockstar meant to a generation of teenagers and even the Indian film industry is by no means, explainable at all, at least in one page. The music album was a masterfully combined showcase of musical prowess that we knew only AR Rahman and Mohit Chauhan could come up with. The album had a variety and a range of genres that had not been compiled in a single album in India ever.

The variable EP had something for everyone with songs ranging from Nadaan Parindey to Kun Faya Kun. We tell you about 5 songs that will definitely get you on the Rockstar Hype-train.

1. Kun Faya Kun

This soulful piece was mostly sung by Chand Nizami, who became an overnight sensation at the Hazrat Nizaammudin Dargah with Mohit Chauhan complementing him with additions of his own. It became an instant classic and you can still hear it being sung by local artists at the Delhi Dargaahs.

2. Sadda Haq

Breaking barriers, that’s what this song was about. The rock and roll vibe to this song was perfected by the hundreds of covers that college bands that covered the song relentlessly. The song was marred by a number of controversies surrounding the Tibetian Independence movement, but was a hit with the angsty rebellious teenage audience of India.

3. Tum Ho

The timeless ode to love, this song was perfect for really any sort of love interest anyone had during their young-adulthood. Mohit Chauhan sung this one to heartbreaking proportions before a certain Arijit Singh took over the realm, which was proven by the numbers of records it broke and its consistency in the Indian music charts, where the song ruled for weeks with no competition from any song other than-

4. Jo Bhi Main

If you asked the husky-voiced Mohit Chauhan what was the most fun song for him on this album, it was definitely “Jo Bhi Main”.  Of course it was, songs that required this nuanced taste were his forte and his go-to in tours and shows, with the audience a sucker for them too. The lyrical masterpiece was penned by Irshad Kamil and he earned a lot of well earned praise for this soulful number.

5. Hawa Hawa

Arguably the most pepped up and groovy track on the EP, this was an experiment for Mohit Chauhan but AR Rahman had basically built his career on numbers like this, a perfect combination for both. The song was a story being sung, with theatricals to match and a star-cast of Ranbir and Nargis to own the song.

A 5 song list is never going to be enough to justify the masterpiece and cult of the Rockstar album. We may never hear an Indian music so complete and varied again, so we may as well savour it while we still can, from time to time. A heartfelt sorry to every song we missed and if you were a fan of Katiya Karun (A classic in itself) or the beauty of Phir Se Ud Chala, I understand your pain.

If you think other songs deserved a place on this list, then please do chime in with your responses in comments!