10 Most Iconic Original Indian Rock Songs

With the nostalgia-laden Independence Rock festival or I-rock as it was popularly known, scheduled to make a comeback in November, social media is abuzz with tales of past experiences of watching live concerts at its original home, the legendary but now defunct Rang Bhavan in South Mumbai. And the conversation has invariably veered towards memorable performances and original compositions of   Indian bands, old and new.  

In keeping with the mood, we have compiled a list of 10 of the most iconic original English rock songs recorded by Indian bands. Some of them have been concert favorites, or have had their run on the music channels. Missing from the list are compositions of talented bands that flourished in the early efflorescence of Indian rock, a period that started in the late 1960s and lasted till the 1980s. Like so much of other music created in an era devoid of airplay and Youtube, their compositions are either lost or lying discarded in private collections of ageing rock fans from that era.   

In that sense, this collection of songs is not the most comprehensive one. We would, over a period of time, expand the list to 25 or even 50 Greatest Indian Rock Songs. If you, as a reader, would like to send us your suggestion, you are more than welcome. It will make the effort a community project.  

The songs here have been listed in rough chronological order of release or live performance. 

1. High – The White Knight’s Tale 

The album The White Knight’s Tale was composed by Kolkata-based Dilip Balakrishnan in 1971. It was inspired by the works of writer Lewis Carroll. Later, formed the popular band High with drummer Nondon Bagchi, bassist Lew Hilt and guitarist Adi Irani (later replaced by Subir Chatterjee). Balakrishnan passed away in 1990. There are no studio recordings of the album, but to mark 50 years of its creation last year, Hilt and Bagchi put together a record comprising remastered versions of the song from home archives. The title track is in two parts – the introduction and the main piece – and the album is available on streaming platforms. High was one of the two Kolkata bands to make waves in the 1970s, the other being Shiva, fronted by PC Mukherjee. 

2. Rock Machine/ Indus Creed – “Rock N’ Roll Renegade” 

From the 1988 debut album of Rock Machine (later renamed Indus Creed), this remains an Indian rocker’s favorite. Uday Benegal’s vocals are in prime form, and the guitars by Mahesh Tinaikar and Jayesh Gandhi add to the energy, along with Zubin Balaporia’s keyboards. The line, “I’m a rock n’ roll renegade, and I’ve abandoned the norm for the music, I hope I never get tired, you know I never wanna lose it” became a singalong favorite. The official video, directed by Mahesh Mathai in the form of a live concert, also featured bassist Mark Selwyn and drummer Mark Menezes. The group went to have other huge hits like “Pretty Child,” “Trapped” and “Fireflies.” 

3. Gary Lawyer – “Nights On Fire“

This song was both a concert favorite and a video sensation. Released in 1992, the video featuring Gary Lawyer and model Anu Kottoor was played five times a day on MTV during its peak. It was part of the Saregama India album The Other Side Of Dawn, and besides Lawyer’s clear vocals, was known for its incisive guitar lines. At shows, people sang along with the lines, “You set my nights on fire, heat of blazing red, you set my nights on fire, I’m caught in a sensual air, and I’m lost and found a hundred times a day”. The song was again released on the 2008 compilation album Nights On Fire: The Best Of Gary Lawyer. 

4. Agni – “Kashmir” 

Formed in 1985 by rhythm guitarist Pravin Bell, vocalist Bharath Swamy and bassist Juggie, Agni had its signature song in “Kashmir” with the lines: “And when I think of all the times bygone, she’s been just losing till the end of her life, can you turn around, give peace a chance, give me back this land of mine.” It was featured on the 1993 Virgo Music album Wind Dance With Fire. The group had a major setback in 1995, when Juggie and their manager Mandy were killed in a road accident. They returned with a new line-up featuring vocalist Uday Iyer on vocals three years later. 

5. Millennium – “Twist Of Fate” 

One of the earliest Indian metal bands, Millennium was formed in Bengaluru in 1988, with vocalist Vehrnon Ibrahim at the helm. Despite a few line-up changes, the band was popular on the campus circuit because of its Iron Maiden covers and the song “Peace Just In Heaven.” The song “Twist Of Fate’ is from the band’s self-titled album released in 1995. Composed by Sunil Jaiswal with lyrics by Vehrnon, it was a favorite at most rock shows. The band went into hiatus for a while, but returned to open for Megadeth in 2008. 

6. Parikrama – “But It Rained“

Though it first made a mark as a cover band, New Delhi-based Parikrama has had many original hits like “Tears Of The Wizard,” “Vaporize” and “One.” Their most popular creation is “But It Rained,” which was inspired by the kidnappings in Kashmir. Vocalist Nitin Malik is in fine form as he begins, “Wrapped in a polythene tucked away safe in my mind, A little goodbye maybe or just a passing smile; The clouds are all beside me to see through all the good times, maybe he’ll come back again, make up for the forsaken time”. The song was first released in 1996, but a remastered version was put out as a tribute to guitarist Sonam Sherpa, who passed away in 2020. The new version, titled “But It Rained (For Sonam),” has additional time of Sherpa playing a guitar solo. 

7. Brahma – The Dead Don’t Die

Formed in 1993, Brahma has been at the forefront of the Indian thrash metal scene. Vocalist Devraj Sanyal, now head honcho at Universal Music India & South Asia, had a powerful voice and good stage presence. “The Dead Don’t Die,” which talks of the afterlife, is from the band’s 2002 album Reborn. The guitarwork of John Ferns, bass by Vincent Thevor and Cyrus Gorimar’s drumming all added to the song’s beauty. 

8 Thermal And A Quarter – “Paper Puli” 

Bengaluru band Thermal And A Quarter completed 25 years last year, with founders vocalist-guitarist Bruce Lee Mani, and drummer Rajeev Rajagopalan still around. They have often been dubbed as ‘Bangalore rock’, as many songs have been inspired by the city. “Paper Puli” is from their third album Plan B, released in 2008. It was inspired by a journalist who had come to ‘interview’ them but ended up talking more than the musicians. The song begins with a Frank Zappa quote taking a dig at rock journalism. Mani’s scat intro and the funk guitar lines give this song an edge. The lyrics, filled with sarcasm, are, “Aren’t we just all in the same game, you need a rag to write for, and I need one to shine up my guitar, but tell me do I really have to talk to you.” 

9. Motherjane – “Broken” 

Formed in 1996, Kochi band Motherjane released its debut album Insane Biography in 2001. Their second album Maktub, released in 2008, confirmed their position as one of the finest progressive rock acts in India, with tracks like “Fields Of Sound,” “Chasing The Sun” and “Broken.” Influenced by both progressive rock and Carnatic music, “Broken” remains a fan favorite. Vocalist Suraj Mani and guitarist Baiju Dharmajan, both of who eventually quit, shone on this track, which begins with the lines, “We’ve all been broken, shattered, left mute with regrets unspoken; We’ve all loved and lost, been forsaken, repented our deepest trust”. The band, now fronted by Niranj Suresh, released their album 111 this May, and the track “Awoke” had a warm reception. 

10. Pentagram – Nocturne 

Led by vocalist Vishal Dadlani, Pentagram was one of the most popular bands in the two decades starting in the mid-1990s. They tasted success first with their debut album We’re Not Listening with Plus Music in 1996. Starting off in the rock and alternative space, it changed sound to include more electronica over the years. Dadlani of course went on to even bigger success as one part of the successful Hindi film music duo Vishal-Shekhar. The track “Nocturne,” from the 2011 Pentagram album Bloodywood, gives a taste of their vintage sound. It talks of insomnia in Mumbai, and how the noise of the city pervades one’s mind even when it’s quiet. The song’s video was directed by the drummer Shiraz Bhattacharya. Later, the band recorded a fresh version for MTV Unplugged.