Best Indian Indie Songs of 2012: Topiwalleh, Gorakh, Behosh and More

The best Indian indie songs of 2012 come from a scene that was getting bolder: folk-rock with something to say, Hindustani vocals over rock grooves, progressive metal recorded at home and a classic heavy metal band hitting its stride. This list picks twenty songs from 2012 that you can stream on Apple Music India today.

How we checked. Every song date below is the song's own date on Apple Music India (iTunes catalogue, country IN), checked on 28 October 2026, not just the album date. A song is only here if Apple dates the song itself to 2012. Where Apple shows a 1 January placeholder date, we say "dated 2012". Only released music is covered. For the full records, see albums list for the year. For the next year, see best Indian indie songs of 2013.

Quick answer: the 10 best Indian indie songs of 2012

• Swarathma – "Topiwalleh" (11 May 2012)
• Advaita – "Gorakh" (10 February 2012)
• Parvaaz – "Behosh" (feat. Jerome Mascarenhas) (12 July 2012)
• Skyharbor – "Illusion: Order 66" (20 April 2012)
• Kryptos – "The Coils of Apollyon" (21 September 2012)
• Sridhar/Thayil – "Punk Bhajan" (13 April 2012)
• Indus Creed – "Fireflies" (dated 2012)
• Agam – "Brahma's Dance" (11 October 2012)
• Barmer Boys – "Moomal" (1 December 2012)
• Swarathma & Shubha Mudgal – "Duur Kinara" (11 May 2012)

The 20 songs

1. Swarathma – "Topiwalleh" (11 May 2012). The title song of their second album and a crowd favourite at their shows. It opens the 10-track Topiwalleh. See the Swarathma band guide.

2. Advaita – "Gorakh" (10 February 2012). Track two on The Silent Sea, which Apple dates 8 October 2012 as an album. A strong place to start with the band.

3. Parvaaz – "Behosh" (feat. Jerome Mascarenhas) (12 July 2012). The title song of the Behosh EP. The EP itself is dated 12 June 2013, but all five songs carry a 12 July 2012 date. See Parvaaz songs.

4. Skyharbor – "Illusion: Order 66" (20 April 2012). From Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos (album dated 22 April 2012). Progressive metal with big, clean melodies. See the Skyharbor band guide.

5. Kryptos – "The Coils of Apollyon" (21 September 2012). The title track of the Bengaluru band's 9-track album. See Kryptos albums.

6. Sridhar/Thayil – "Punk Bhajan" (13 April 2012). Track four on the 13-track Std, from Suman Sridhar and Jeet Thayil.

7. Indus Creed – "Fireflies" (dated 2012). The opener of Evolve (album dated 5 April 2012; songs show a 1 January 2012 placeholder). See the Indus Creed band guide.

8. Agam – "Brahma's Dance" (11 October 2012). The opener of The Inner Self Awakens, the band's 6-track debut. See Indian progressive rock bands.

9. Barmer Boys – "Moomal" (1 December 2012). The opener of At Home. See Rajasthani folk singers.

10. Swarathma & Shubha Mudgal – "Duur Kinara" (11 May 2012). The only guest-credited song on Topiwalleh.

11. Parvaaz – "Dil Khush" (feat. Neil Simon Abel) (12 July 2012). Track four on the Behosh EP.

12. Advaita – "The Silent Sea" (10 February 2012). The title song, closing the album.

13. Skyharbor – "Illusion: Maeva" (20 April 2012). The last song on the "Illusion" half of the album.

14. Kryptos – "Serpent Mage" (21 September 2012). Track three on The Coils of Apollyon.

15. Sridhar/Thayil – "City of Sisters" (13 April 2012). It also appears on Std in an Audiopervert mix. See Mumbai indie bands.

16. Swarathma – "Yeshu, Allah Aur Krishna" (11 May 2012). The closing song on Topiwalleh.

17. Blakc – "Bitten" (3 June 2012). The opener of Motheredland, a 10-track alternative rock album. See Indian alternative rock bands.

18. Agam – "The Boat Song" (11 October 2012). Track four on The Inner Self Awakens.

19. Arjun Vagale – "Random Eye Movement" (23 July 2012). The title track of a 4-track EP. See Indian electronic music producers.

20. Kohra – "Dust Particle" (10 August 2012). The original mix from a 3-track single with two remixes.

Five more worth hearing

• Swarathma – "Naane Daari" (11 May 2012). A Dualist Inquiry mix followed as a single dated 6 June 2013.
• Advaita – "Meinda Ishq" (10 February 2012).
• Indus Creed – "Bulletproof" (dated 2012).
• Them Clones – "Jealousy" (dated 2012), from a 5-track EP with remixes.
• Euphoria – "C U Later" (single dated 2012). The same song appears on the 2011 album ITEM with an 11 October 2011 date. See Euphoria songs.

What is left out

• Film songs, including Avial's Second Show soundtrack and Vishal & Shekhar's 2012 film work.
• Songs Apple dates to other years, even on 2012 releases: Indian Ocean's Nostalgia is dated 21 November 2012, but its five songs are dated 1 March 2000.
• Thermal and a Quarter's 28-track 3 Wheels 9 Lives, where every song shows a placeholder date. See Thermal and a Quarter songs.
• Live recordings, such as Raghu Dixit's Unplugged (Live in York).

How to use this list

Start with the quick-answer ten for a one-hour playlist. For a heavier hour, put the Skyharbor, Kryptos and Blakc songs together, then go to the Indian metal bands guide. For the decade view, see the best Indian indie albums of the 2010s.

FAQ

What was the best Indian indie song of 2012? On this list, Swarathma's "Topiwalleh" (11 May 2012).

Is Parvaaz's "Behosh" a 2012 or 2013 song? The Behosh EP is dated 12 June 2013 on Apple Music India, but the song itself is dated 12 July 2012, so we list it under 2012.

Which 2012 songs have placeholder dates? Indus Creed's Evolve songs and the Them Clones EP show 1 January 2012 on Apple Music India, so we call them "dated 2012".