It’s never too late to create a fave list, especially for Rahman. In the Ascending Order –
.01 Zikhr a.k.a Alah hoo – For the Rahman’s voice of sheer passion and the amazing piece of harmony that creates magic throughout the song. Usually you would humm a song for not more than two-three weeks. But I’ve been humming Alah hoo!! Alahhoo for more than a month now and the craze hasn’t still reduced. The tempo keeps increasing in mad pace, so no driving with this song on the disc. Rahman mesmerizes !!
.02 Ekla Chalo – I’ve never been a Sonu Nigam admirer. This one made me. Classy Vocals leading to a high pitch and you hear the quick run of piano keys as the pitch comes down. Though the tune seems very similar to a song which I couldn’t identify the mix of bengali lines by Nachiketa Chakraborty made it to the top.
.03 Azaadi – A Rahman solo. On the lines of Vande Matharam even the base tune resembles it constantly. He stops the music for a quick moment before he starts in high pitch saying Azaadi Paayenge!!. Grand Orchestration.
.04 Afghanisthan Theme 2 & 1 – This clandestine instrumental number reminds me of the yester year movies with the wind instruments opening the B & W screen in front of you. Can’t stop thinking Chandralekha or Vethala Ulagam.
.05 Des Ki Mitti – With the little Dilwale Kuch Dulhania Kuch Le Hota Jayenge Hai hindi I know, this one has a well written lyrics. Yet another Sonu Nigam gem. And there is also our Anuradha Sriram to accompany with a cute hindustani aalap.
.06 Hum Dilli Dilli Jayenge – The trumpets and the band march past as the synthesizer follows. So do you. A true independence song.
.07 Jana Gana Mana – The can make Rahman’s version as the official version of National Anthem. There is no modernisation or any kind of nonsense which can trigger political eruptions. Just the same tune with some nice synthesized music and surprising interludes. I remember my friend saying that Cho replied to a question on Rahman’s Vande Matharam that we don’t need an A R Rahman to induce patriotism in the people. I liked what he said then. Now it may seems pointless. This is really a neat version of the national anthem if you are open-minded.
.08 Hitler Theme – Haven’t heard the amount of violin used in a Rahman song before. Violin was always a speical instrument of Illayaraja. Can’t stop comparing here but Rahman does a great job with the violins. I think these aren’t computer generated violin sounds. Just true violins playing. I haven’t heard his violin composition for Vanessa Mae but this one rocks.
.09 Kadam Kadam – Yet another marching army song but this one has a good mix of female vocals. After few times you might turn it down for being repetitive.
.10 Ghoomparani – Before I could grap that this was a lullaby melody it put me to sleep. True. Though it has a very simple folk tune, its Sapna Mukherjee’s voice that gives the lift. Listen the water flowing through your ears as your hear it on the earphones. I bet you would sleep.
.11 U Boat Theme/War Theme – Even as your listen to one a war happens in front of your eyes. Would make for a good viewing on-screen just like the Sundari Kannal Oru Sethi interlude. I am sure Rahman loves the piano as he keeps dropping those easter egg piano bits inbetween songs.
.12 Nethaji Theme – The kind of theme for the movie with more silence than sounds.
.13 Emily Theme/Durga – For visual viewing. Good on the first listening but you may not listen as your proceed further.
Wondering why I named it as Top 13 Rahman hits ?? All these numbers are from Shyam Benegal‘s Bose – The Forgotten Hero, my current Rahman favorites. One of finest Rahman albums in recent times. All the numbers talk about Rahman’s maturity and sheer growth in his composition skills. Rahman can run for Prime Minister. Allah hoo !!
kirukkal.com 
26 responses to “Top 13 Rahman Hits”
That was a kick ass music review!:)
Yeah, the album rocks!
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eeh…no tamil songs??
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Gp !! Peace thaliva. I just wrote a music review of Bose with that title. Was just bored of writing reviews with the same title. Ofcourse they are my top Rahman songs as of now, playing repeatedly on media player 😉
Nithya, Thanks for that.
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Yes it is one of the real stunner album from ARR after “Meenaxi”. I am still listening to this album. Hope he gets national award for it but wait there is more to come “Water”, “The Rising” etc., are yet to be released this year. Btw, you have mentioned about Synths many times in the revu but i don’t think Synths were used. especially i am sure in “Jana Gana Mana” there were no synthesised sounds.
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Sureshkumar
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Sureshkumar
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hehehe…i cant seem to find the album here in Malaysia…and ok…ill have to dload it maybe…but AR remains the only artist that I buy original CD’s…hemm…dont you have this world…pirates everywhere…
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guys, checkout the update at http://www.anniyan.com looks awesome
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Kadam kadam,Ekla chalo aren’t originals by Rahman. Rahman just used the those tunes available already just like National Anthem.Have you not heard ‘kadam kadam’ before?it’s a timeless song sung in many national festivals,i think that’a a tune for INA.
//…turn it down for being repetitive..//
Oh gawd…
Ekla chalo is a bengali song originally written by Rabindranath Tagore during the creation of Bangladesh,tuned by Rahman For me, ‘Azaadi’,Zikr’ rock high.
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Must check out on the ‘Ekla Chalo’ tune.But am sure about ‘Kadam kadam’..cos i myself have sung it during my school days
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These are songs associated with Subash chandra bose and his INA…..so if the film is about him, it makes sense to use those songs…not include some romantic song in switzerland! And ekla chalo has been given a different tune in Bose…
and anyway rahmans job is to set things to tune not WRITE new songs! And boy! has he done a gr8 job or what!!
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While Rahman kicks ass with Bose, IR serves another disappointment for Balu Mahendra’s Adhu oru kanaa kaalam. Talk about an artist who can create something as complex as Thiruvasagam symphony and yet somehow deliverthe most lacklustre of products when it comes to Tamil films. Raaja is an enigma.
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Awesome album! Ekla Chalo is THE pick for me!
Sonu Nigam is probably the BEST singer Bollywood has produced in our generation. You shld hear him sing live on stage! Look at his songs for ARR – Sarfarosh Ki Tamanna, Khamoshiyan Gungunane Lagi, Satrangi Re, Kismat Se Tum, Bol Sajni and Saathiya (to name a few)! And listen to Poove Punnagai Kaatu from Parthen Rasithen! I rest my case!
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Wow. is it that good ? Will try to listen then..
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I know Urdu is a beautiful language. But to hear it thro Rahman’s vocals, simply mesmerizing!Allahoo rocks, and so does Rahman.
LG, Azaadi reminded me of VandeMataram + Putham Pudhu Boomi Vendum (the BGM that is).
Ekla Chalo is so beautifully sung.
Overall, another winner from A.R.R.
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Lazy,
Zikr absolutely rocks, I have been listening to it daily from the day the album released. At certain points in the song ARR hits such a high note that u have goosebumps..
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Only Two tamil Songs?
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Hey , am not complaining ..but the song ‘Ekla Chalo’ reminded me someother song which i was not able to recollect.It’s starting line resembles ‘Solai kuyil paadum solli kuduthadhu yaaru’ from ‘Anandha poongaatre’..remember the film starring Ajit,Meena, and Karthick in a guest role as music teacher…Am not saying Rahman xcopied/inspired….but writing this one as Lazy too has mentioned this…BTW who’s the MD of that film? i guess it’s Deva.
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hmmm was surprised to find the ‘zikr’ song at the top of your list (isnt it in descending order?)cause had been avioding listening to it, did not think too highly of it.(!)
but any hardcore rahman fan should realize that it takes time for the songs to grow on you………… so thanks for that great review! i’m gonna go back and listen to it again.
rahman rocks (as usual)
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not a sonu nigam admirer? well. rahman-sonu make deadly combo, always. do u remember legend of bhagat singh?
Ekla Chalo is awesome.
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Thala at his best in Azzzzzzzzzaaaaaaaaadddddddiiiiii
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Only the two Bengali lines in “Ekla Chalo” are re-used in the song. The rest of the song is ARR’s original composition. There’s not much of synthesizers used in Bose. Definitely not in the National Anthem, which has been rendered by Prague based Czech Fim Orchestra. In fact they’ve been used in a few of the themes as well. An excellent album from ARR.
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Suresh/Suni, Synth isn’t a sin. If not for Synth music, Rahman wouldn’t have been here. I hear synth in the background of Jana Gana whenever he needs the VishhhhhhhhhhhhhhhKKKKK sound. That’s what I was saying.
Anti, Poove Punnagai Kaatu was Sonu Nigam. Never knew until you told me so. Cool. Any news news on that Abhijeet who sang that Salman’s famous number. Nice voice he had.
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hi Lazy,
This is silly. It has been clealy mentioned in the credits on the Cd wrapper that the instrumental pieces are performed by Czech film Orchestra and i ams damn sure that there is no synth there. You might argue that ARR might have mixed it at a later point but actually he didn’t. Btw, i never meant that using synth in songs as something wrong, i just wanted to correct you that there is no synth used in this album.
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Sureshkumar
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Suresh,
Hey I was meaning to say that to sunil who said ‘There’s not much of synthesizers used in Bose’. Since i combined both the comments in a single one it was mis-communicated. Sorry about that. I am probably wrong but even when I went back and heard it sounded like synth being there 😉
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I haven’t watched TV for about 5 months now, no radio either and had no idea of the movie..unless I read the review here and what looks like , I should try getting hold of some site where I can listen to the songs online.
I would say, a neat review ! And …Rahman had always been my fav ! So, I can imagine him giving and getting the best scores !
🙂
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Kinda agree with Lazy in that Synth matter…that Vissshkk sound must be synth…this sound is being used by him right from the days of ‘Vidai Kodu engal naade’.I think that sound is ‘Beep loop’…guys into mixing,music overlays may know about this better.
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hi this is archana. i am a very great fan of u. i always hear ur songs a lot this is true.i wanna meet u its real i love every song of ur music not in tamil bcoz i dont know tamil.bye
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