Indian Pop
tagStarted 1990Peak 1995-2003Last big hit still active
Non-film 'Indipop': independent Hindi and Punjabi pop singles built on bhangra dhol grooves, tabla, harmonium and filmi melody fused with house beats and Western pop. Bright, hook-driven and video-led, ranging from Punjabi dance ragers to soulful acoustic pop, distinct from Bollywood by existing as standalone albums rather than movie soundtracks.
History
The 1990s liberalization, MTV India and Channel V created a non-film pop market. Alisha Chinai's 'Made in India' (1995, five million sold) and Daler Mehndi's 'Bolo Ta Ra Ra' detonated the boom; Lucky Ali, Colonial Cousins, Shaan and Sonu Nigam broadened it. Indipop's album market faded in the 2000s as film music and YouTube singles reabsorbed the audience.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://scroll.in/reel/942185/press-play-and-wipe-away-the-tears-the-ultimate-1990s-indipop-songlist
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_pop
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Made_in_India_(album)
- https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/bollywood/4059170/25-indipop-artistes-from-the-90s-who-we-terribly-miss