How Music Taste has changed through Generations in Bollywood

The Golden Age (1950s-1960s)

Bollywood’s golden age was when the best Hindi movies and songs were made. The music taste of this generation was shaped by composers such as Naushad, Shankar-Jaikishan, S.D. Burman, and R.D. Burman, mixed different kinds of music, like Indian classical, folk, and Western, and made songs that were sweet, romantic, and patriotic. Singers, like Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar, and Asha Bhosle sang for the famous actors and actresses, who were the stars of Bollywood.

The music of this generation showed how they felt happy, nostalgic, and proud of their country after getting freedom.

The Masala Era (1970s-1980s)

Bollywood’s masala era was when the movies had a mix of action, comedy, and drama. The angry young man was the hero who fought against the bad guys. Music composers such as Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji, Bappi Lahiri, and Jatin-Lalit, experimented with new kinds of music, like disco, rock, and pop, and made songs that were fun, lively, and made you audience dance. Singers, like Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, Shashi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Rekha, and Sridevi, sang and acted with their charm, style, and energy.

The music of this generation showed how they felt angry, hopeful, and happy about the socio-economic changes in their society.

The Romantic Era (1990s-2000s)

Bollywood’s romantic era saw a revival of the musical genre and the emergence of the NRI and the multiplex audiences. Movies began to have a lot of songs and music. Music composers such as Nadeem-Shravan, Anu Malik, A.R. Rahman, and Javed Akhtar, used different kinds of music, like ghazal, qawwali, and Sufi, and made songs that were touching, emotional, and spiritual. The music taste of this generation was also influenced by singers such as Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, and Shreya Ghoshal, who sang for the actors and actresses, who were the heart of Bollywood – Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Kajol, Madhuri Dixit, and Rani Mukerji.

The music of this generation showed how they felt love, romance, and nostalgia for their country in the modern world.

The Remix Era (2010s-2020s)

Bollywood’s remix era was when the movies had different kinds of genres, and people watched them online and on their phones. Music composers Vishal-Shekhar, Pritam, Amit Trivedi, and Tanishk Bagchi, took the old songs and added new music, like EDM, rap, and reggaeton, and made songs that were cool, catchy, and viral. Singers, like Arijit Singh, Neha Kakkar, Badshah, and Honey Singh, sang for versatile and dynamic stars on the screen, such as Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, and Alia Bhatt.

The music of this generation showed how they were diverse, creative, and innovative in digital and streaming India.

Fall of Remix Era

However, in this remix, the essence of originality was lost. It shows a lack of creativity and also ruins the original songs.

• We love Madhuri Dixit in “Ek Do Teen” (Tezaab, 1988) and it has been etched in our memories forever. We haven’t forgotten this great number. But a remake of it in Baaghi 2 has ruined it for us.
• The remake of Masakali referred to as “Masakali 2.0” came in 2020 featuring Siddharth Malhotra and Tara Sutaria was an absolute bummer.
• “Leja Leja Re” from the album Ustad & The Divas is an all-time favorite of many people. Tanishk Bagchi recreated this song which was sung by Dhvani Bhanushali and titled it “Leja Re”. The magic of the original song couldn’t be recreated.

Nevertheless, some remixes became popular. Famous lyricists like Javed Akhtar, Sameer, Gulzar, etc, all have performed greatly in the industry and have given many evergreen masterpieces. However, considering the taste of today’s audience, people are finding those old songs with a mist of remixes and DJ’s work more trending.

Songs like “Gal Ban Gayi”, “Kala Chasma”, “Sara Zamaana”, “Enna Sona”, and “Laila Main Laila”, have all been heard before and also appreciated as well. So, getting into the lyrics and with the flow is easy for us. Remixes provide opportunities for cross-genre collaboration, blending different musical styles and bringing diverse audiences together.

Music taste is not only a matter of personal preference but a reflection of generational identity and experience in Bollywood. It keeps changing over time, as new genres emerge, old genres fade, and existing genres mix and merge. Music taste is thus a dynamic and diverse phenomenon that reveals the similarities and differences among generations and the continuity and change of Bollywood music itself.

Saba Parveen Ansari is a student pursuing English Literature from Jamia Millia Islamia

Edited by: Sania Parween