Decoding ‘Saiyaara’s Record-Breaking Success

More from The Indian Music Charts Podcast

1. 

   7 Oct 2025 · 33 min

   Revisit: How did Taylor Swift do what no other international act has done this year?

   Welcome to the Indian music charts podcast, a show where we breakdown the hits and allays the trends in the Indian music industry. Taylor Swift’s latest album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ is out and it has….mixed reviews. Hardcore fans and some music publications claim she hits the marks with it while on the other hand short format platforms are filled with reels about how the album doesn’t cut it compared to previous works with some claiming ‘she is too happy’ to produce the kind of music she has historically been known for. Whatever side of the argument you fall on, you can’t deny that Taylor…

2. 

   23 Sep 2025 · 39 min

   How is it easy for acts to have cross-genre success?

   These days, several artists shift between genres and enjoy parallel careers both within and without the film music industry. Some enjoy an equal amount of success in multiple fields, while for others, their pop careers don’t quite match the numbers generated by their soundtrack work. In this episode, we examine why this is the case and if things will change over time. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey dated September 18, 2025.

3. 

   2 Sep 2025 · 32 min

   What should artists do when they misstep?

   As societal norms evolve and the realms of acceptable behaviour are consistently being redefined, it’s not uncommon for artists to falter. But how should they react when they’re called out? On this week’s episode, we discuss the controversy around Punjabi pop star Guru Randhawa’s music video for his hit “Azul”, how he and those involved in the making of and marketing of the track have responded to it, and how such missteps could and should be dealt with. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on August 29, 2025.

4. 

   1 Jul 2025 · 45 min

   Half Yearly Special 2025: The year in charts so far

   If it’s July, then it’s time for our half-year special in which we look back at the last six months on the charts, and discuss the top genres, languages and labels. We talk about why there have been fewer hits so far in 2025, what got an English-language track to No.1 after almost four years, and how the top tracks on Spotify and Apple Music have been differing more than in the recent past. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on June 27, 2025. Resources mentioned in the episode:…

5. 

   17 Jun 2025 · 34 min

   What Would An Indian Independent Music Chart Look Like?

   Because of the way music is distributed and marketed these days, it’s hard to precisely define what qualifies as ‘indie’. In this episode, we attempt to lay out the degrees of ‘independence’ most releases fall under, imagine what an Indian indie music chart might look like, and discuss how far it would help or harm musicians working outside of the major label ecosystem. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on June 13, 2025.

6. 

   20 May 2025 · 38 min

   How Does A New Artist Land A No.1 These Days? ft.Nikhil Dwivedi

   With thousands of tracks being released every week, it’s become increasingly hard for even established acts to score a chart-topping hit. It’s even harder for relatively new artists to make it all the way to No1. There are always exceptions, such as “Finding Her” by upcoming singer/songwriter Kushagra. On this week’s episode, we speak to Nikhil Dwivedi, the founder of EYP Creations—the label and management company behind the smash—to find out what it takes. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on May 16, 2025.

7. 

   28 Jul 2026 · 25 min

   How sequels are driving streams of the originals’ hits

   Every time a song from a sequel to a hit Bollywood film is released, it draws intense--and often--unfavourable comparisons to the original's tunes. More recently, these sequels’ new and remixed songs are also drawing listeners back to the older tracks and returning the classics to the charts. In this episode, we show evidence of this relatively new trend, examine why it’s happening, and what it says about the current state of Hindi movie music and the economics of industry as a whole.

8. 

   1 Jul 2026 · 30 min

   How can we shake up stagnant charts?

   The charts have been unusually static this year so far. The big hits have been sticking around for several months while catalogue tracks are increasingly making their way into the top ten, leaving little room for newer music to break through. Should India then follow Australia with a chart that only showcases frontline releases? In this episode, we discuss why there might be a need for such a chart, what other countries have done to fix the issue, how open our music industry would be to such a survey, and more

9. 

   19 May 2026 · 30 min

   What does the loss of Spotify’s viral charts mean for India’s music industry?

   Last week, Spotify shocked the music industry by discontinuing its Viral Songs chart. In India, it was among the few places that put a spotlight on upcoming music acts, and served as a discovery tool for both listeners and A&Rs. In this episode, we discuss the role the chart played, the possible reasons behind Spotify’s decision and whether it’s good or bad for the Indian music business.

10. 

    14 Apr 2026 · 33 min

    Has BTS’ ‘Arirang’ underperformed in India compared to overseas? ft. K-Pop in India Podcast

    Last month witnessed the long-awaited return of BTS with the release of their new album ‘Arirang’. While the comeback effort broke streaming records globally, lead single “Swim”, somewhat surprisingly, did not follow earlier hits such as“Dynamite”, “Butter” and “Permission To Dance” to the No.1 spot in India. The album, meanwhile, debuted at No.2 on Spotify’s chart for the country. For any other international release, that would be a remarkable achievement but given BTS’s chart history, it feels like the LP has underperformed here. How far is this true? And what are the reasons for it? On…

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