artistes who ruled the non-film music space

MAKE ’EM CRY

With them, it wasn’t just the voice, it was the entire package. These artistes who ruled the non-film music space with themes of love and the loss or longing that came with it, did so with music videos that still hits personal chords

    Rockstar’s Jordan (played by Ranbir Kapoor) had it all wrong. Songs on unrequitted love and/or rejection do go on to become massive hits. But you don’t have to put yourself through a lifetime of misery and substance abuse to actually do it.
    Take the artistes who sold the most records in any country for that matter. Not all had hard-knock lives. Some imagined experiences, others wrote from what they viewed in life. Not everybody wrote all their own lyrics. Or their own music. Not all of the time, at least. They usually hired the best in the business. Then, there were the music videos to take care of. Some hired music video directors who either understood audience tastes or who were filmmaking legends who knew better (don’t they always?). They’ve left something of a legacy, by that measure.
    There’s a song for every experience. Some songs mock the object of affection, others dig their talons deep and shred their scorner with sordid sarcasm. Others well... simply move on to the next experience.
    But writing a song and then singing it, is only part of the job, putting it on an album and getting that album to sell is a task in itself.
    Music videos, therefore, bring an added connect with listeners. In fact, most singles are promoted through innovatively shot music videos.
    Doing so, for songs of the heartbreak sub-genre is particularly difficult as one has to keep the original feel of the song intact.
    With Bollywood effectively demolishing the non-film music (the erstwhile Indipop) space,most of the artistes of the time made the move to Bollywood where they’re churning out tracks with every release.
    A different audience has emerged. One that loves music for different reasons. For purposes of simplification, we’ll generalise and say that we didn’t fall for and lose our love for these pathbreakers. There’s a possibility they had their reasons for changing track. Here’s remembering those that moved us to tears with their songs...

SONU NIGAM
READY RECKONER: Nigam may easily have been the earliest to have two very important elements in his music videos. Bollywood actresses/ top models and storylines that effectively humanised his lyrics. There is nothing to suggest that he did suffer rejection then (with chocolate-boy looks at the time, how could anyone, right?).
BIGGEST HITS: Acha Sila Diya, Chanda Ki Doli Mein

ADNAN SAMI
READY RECKONER: Before his divorces and weight loss, Adnan was big. And we don’t mean physically. When he made his debut on the Indipop scene, it was the voice, the charm and that effortless smile, being in the videos with starlets and crying his heart out that won him admirers. Bollywood beckoned and the videos stopped. With his return to non-film music after a long playback innings, is it too little, too late?
Biggest Hits:
Tera Chehra, Teri Yaad, Kisi Din, Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein, O Meri
Jaan

HIMESH RESHAMMIYA READY RECKONER: Sure, everyone remembers that HR has had an insanely good, long run in Bollywood as a musician first and as a singer later. What most people don’t recall is that he also put out two albums in which he featured in weepy songs opposite recognisable PYTs. It actually predates his acting debut by a year. In every video from these albums, he appears, cap firmly in place.
Biggest Hits:
Naam Hai Tera, Samjho Na, Aapka Surroor, I Love You O Saiyyoni, Vaada Tainu, Tu Yaad Naa Aaye

ALTAF RAJA READY RECKONER: He used to be the caliph of quawaalis despite not having the range or reach of the genre’s most popular names. But he made up for it with videos that touched everyone who had lost in love. So what if he did it formulaically? Now, he's at the fringe, at very best. But for a brief period in time, Altaf Raja actually lived up to his last name.
Biggest Hits:
Ja Bewafaa Jaa, Pehle Toh Kabhi Kabhi, Tum Toh Thehre Pardesi, Ghum Judaai Ka Yun, Aankhen Hi Na Royi, Yaaron Sab Dua Karo

SUKHWINDER
SINGH
READY RECKONER: His calling card may be his rendition of Chaiyya Chaiyya in AR Rahman’s soundtrack for Dil Se, but it was the heartwrenching one-hit wonder from his non-film music album of the same name Nasha Hi Nasha Hai’s video that caught everyone’s attention. In said video, the singer narrates the story of the star-crossed lovers in the capacity of a ‘friend’ to the ill-fated couple that decides to commit suicide when faced with the prospect of being separated.
Biggest Hit:
Nasha Hi Nasha Hai