1."The Times, They’re A-Changing" by Bob Dylan: One of the great lyrics of all time. Every single line and phrase is still so relevant today
2. "Hootchie Cootchie Man" by Muddy Waters: The most definitive blues number I’ve heard
3. "Imagine" by John Lennon: The most brilliantly written anthem for peace, ever
4. "Ek Chatur Naar" by Kishore, Manna Dey, Mehmood: Superbly composed, brilliantly sung and hilariously picturized
5. "Another Brick In The Wall" by Pink Floyd: It redefined rock for me
6. "Hey Jude" by The Beatles: My favourite song from my favourite band
7. "Chaudhvin Ka Chand" by Mohammed Rafi: One of the most evocative love songs ever written
8. "Doli Mein Bithayi Ke Kahar" by S.D. Burman: I’d give my right arm to be able to sing in that unique, rustic voice
9. "Chingari Koi Bhadke" by Kishore Kumar: Like an Indian version of the blues... Kishore Kumar’s voice is haunting, and the lyrics are beautiful
10. "Sara" by Bob Dylan: So much pain, so beautifully expressed
1 "Here comes the sun" by The Beatles: Never fails to cheer
2 "Ragupati Raghav" by Various: Always soothing
3 "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen: Romantic
4 "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (and everything else by Mozart)" by W H Mozart: Ultimate bliss
5 "My favourite things (Jazz Version)" Come Shine: The orginal song, yes, but the jazz version is something else
6 "Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si" by Kishore Kumar: Kishore da, there is quite no one like him
7 "Motherland" Natalie Merchant :Because it time we tamed in our greed, and for the kind of person NM is …
8 "Man Laago Yaar" by Abida Parveen: As Gulzar says, maula ko pukarti hai to lagta hai ki inki awaaz zaroor un tak pahunchti hai.
9 "We no speak Americano" by Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP: It’s addictive, and totally whacky
10 "What a wonderful world" by Louis Armstrong: All is well with the world, no?
1 "Imagine" by John Lennon/Beatles: Makes Utopia plausible
2 "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Freddie Mercury/Queen: Probably the most creative piece of anything I’ve ever heard.
3 "Alleluia" by Jeff Buckley: A voice that will make a heretic turn to God.
4 "All I wanna say is they just don’t care about us" by Michael Jackson: Visceral power
5 "Dharti kahe pukar ke" by Manna Dey/Salil Chaudhary: The smell of wet earth
6 "Fast Cars" by Tracy Chapman: Because she sings for the song
7 "Waqt ne kiya" by Geeta Dutt: The power of song writing
8 "Smoke on the water" by Deep Purple: Adrenalin shots
9 "Yeh jo halka halka suroor hai" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: The safest form of intoxication
10 "Where the streets have no name" by U2: Epic
1. "It’s a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong: Classic, always makes me smile
2. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen: Terrific song, tempo, mood
3. "Teach Your Children" by Crosby Stills Nash & Young: Great lyrics, singing, second
4. "Imagine" by John Lennon: Song, singing everything; perfect
5. "Kandisa" by Indian Ocean: First of the great Indian Rock Movement
6. "Blowin in the Wind" by Bob Dylan: Song, more than singing
7. "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits: The song, guitar riffs, singing
8. "Jagodharana" by M S Subbalakshmi: Carnatic music at its best, divine bliss
9. "Toongathe Thambi" by M S Soundararjan: Tamil song from yester years; lyrics with meaning
10. "Vatapi Ganapathim" by Chembai Vaidyanatha Bagawathar: All time great Carnatic song, energy, piety, mood
1. "Khwaja mere Khwaja" by A R Rahman (Jodhaa Akbar)
2. "Maula mere Maula" by Roopkumar Rathod (Anwar)
3. "Ektara" by Kavita Seth and Amitabh Bhattacharya (Wake up Sid!)
4. "Shukraan Allah" by Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghosal and Salim Merchant (Kurbaan)
5. "Arziyan" by Javed Ali and Kailash Kher (Delhi 6)
6. "Genda Phool" by Rekha Bharadwaj (Delhi 6)
7. "Ye Tumhari Meri Baatein" by Dominique Cerejo (Rock on!)
8. "Dil to Bachcha hai" by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (Ishqiya)
9. "Pankhon ko" by Salim Merchant (Rocket Singh)
10. "Bulla Ki jana" by Rabbi
1. "Dhan te nen" from the movie kaminey: Makes me go faster on the treadmill.
2. "I’ll do it my way" by Sinatra: Love the lyrics.
3. "I believe I can fly" by R. Kelly: Have heard a man on crutches sing this at the Library bar, That made the song really meaningful.
4. "Yeh jo mohabbat hai" by Kati Patang: Just love it for that intense mood of romance.
5. "Dum maro dum" by Asha Bhosle: It was anthemic for my generation.
6. "Rise Up" by Yves larock: Love to dance on it
7. "Somewhere over the rainbow" by Judy Garland: Like happy songs
8. "Chura liya" by Asha Bhosle, Mohammad Rafi: The most evergreen tune
9. "Imagine" by Lennon: It makes me believe it’s a happy world.
10. "To all the girls I have loved before" by Julio: In love with the man’s voice.
1. "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin
2. "Hotel California" by Eagles
3. "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd
4. "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
5. "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits
6. "Sweet Child O’ Mine" by Guns N’ Roses
7. "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams
8. "Beat It" by Michael Jackson
9. "Smoke On the Water" by Deep Purple
10. "We Will Rock You" by Queen
1 "Time" by Pink Floyd: It represented a new kind of ethereal sound for the eighties. But what got me was the lyrics. It frightened the hell out of me ‘then one day you find 10 years have got behind you... no one told you when to run you missed the starting gun.’ I didn’t want to be left behind. The song shaped my energy and readiness for anything.
2. " This is the End" by The Doors: It was dark and deep, and was the title track of the movie ‘Apocalypse Now.’ And, in the eighties, it defined the way music and imagery could complement each other for greater impact. The song, along with the images, gave me fresh perspective. In a sense it was my first music video.
3. "Us and Them" by Pink Floyd: The free flowing sax and piano and the backup singing feels hypnotic even now. The words resonate with meaning and spit on the face of war “Forward he cried from the rear and the front rank died. And the general sat and the lines on the map moved from side to side.” And the line that made me join advertising, “Haven’t you heard it’s a battle of words the poster bearer cried.”
4. "Mountain Hare" by Krishna Das and Sting: An invocation to Lord Krishna using Sanskrit and western verses. It takes the gospel song ‘Amazing Grace’ and gives it Indian roots. I listen to it every morning. It fills me with pure wellbeing. A perfect anti-dote to a night of heavy drinking.
5. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd: Everytime I feel down or anxious, this song lifts me up. It’s a 10 minute personal therapy. I listen to it before important presentations. “You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon. Shine on you crazy diamond. Come on you raver, you seer of visions, come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!”
6. "Via Dolorosa" by Marie Paul (Latin for Way of Grief or Way of Suffering): The song is a mix of Spanish, Latin and English. A heart wrenching, tear-shedding song of pain and love as Jesus walks the streets of Jerusalem carrying his cross, on the way to his crucifixion.
7 "Chura Liya" by Bally Sagoo (remix): Zeenat Aman lives forever in this brave interpretation. World music with Indian sensuality. Makes me want to fall in love again, and again!
8. "Give peace a chance" by John Lennon: Pushes me into action. Music that makes you want to change the world. Simple powerful lyrics. Brilliant use of crowd chanting. Brainwashes me into embracing higher ideals!
9. "Jai Dev Jai Dev" by (various artists): I love the strong sense of worship and the nostalgia of a beautiful Maharashtra. Grew up on this song as it played along side church music. The frenzied chant, with its powerful human sound of hope and goodness, gives me a sense of community joy.
10. "Manushyan Mathangale Srishtichu" by Yesudas, from the Malayalam movie ‘Achanum Baappayum’: A powerful humanitarian song it was the first song of the first LP that I was gifted when I brought my first music system (the Philips turntable.) Later I discovered that it was the first song that made Yesudas famous and turned out that the film was produced by my father in law. All a grand plan!
1. "Ye nayan dare dare" by Hemant Kumar: from Kohra A truly intoxicating song...it’s drunk with love.
2. "Namak ishq ka" by Rekha Bhardwaj, composed by Vishal Bhardwaj: As rustic and naughty as it gets.
3. "Arziyan" from Dilli 6 by AR Rehman: A beautiful prayer.
4. "Tashan mein" from the movie Tashan: An underrated song. A brilliant composition with a unique sufi-rock fusion. Phenomenal singing.
5. "The theme" from the movie ILPostino: I get transported to Italy at the touch of a button
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6. "Have I told you lately?" by Van Morrison: The say if Van the Man read a telephone directory it would be music....so true.
7. "The Sidewinder" by Lee Morgan & the band: The groove in this piece and the way it builds is fabulous.
8. "Ripple" by The Grateful Dead: Brings back college memories
9. Absolutely anything by Ustad Rashid Khan.
10. "Baby I love you" by Aretha Franklin: I am convinced God is black woman.
