Best Indian Indie Songs of 2016: 20 Tracks With Dates

2016 was the year Mumbai's gully rap went from YouTube clips to proper releases, Indian electronic producers put out their biggest records yet, and a handful of singer-songwriters wrote songs people still play. This list picks the 20 best Indian indie songs of 2016 that you can stream on Apple Music India today.

How we checked. Every 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 it to 2016. Film songs are left out, and only released music is covered. For the following year, see the best Indian indie songs of 2017.

Quick answer: the 20 best Indian indie songs of 2016

• DIVINE – "Jungli Sher" (18 March 2016)
• Dualist Inquiry – "Zero Hour" feat. Kavya Trehan (12 September 2016)
• Prateek Kuhad – "Tune Kaha" (12 February 2016)
• Nucleya – "Bhayanak Atma" feat. Gagan Mudgal (3 September 2016)
• Sandunes – "Honey Tree" (27 September 2016)
• Naezy – "Asal Hustle" (31 August 2016)
• Ritviz – "Jiti" (6 June 2016)
• Karsh Kale – "Shiva" feat. Benny Dayal (28 January 2016)
• The Ska Vengers – "Kick up a Rumpus" (1 July 2016)
• Kryptos – "One Shot to Kill" (14 September 2016)
• Skyharbor – "Blind Side" (9 June 2016)
• Aswekeepsearching – "At Long Last" (20 October 2016)
• Spud in the Box – "Bullet Points" (29 September 2016)
• Kailash Kher – "Vaari Vaari" (21 March 2016)
• Naezy – "Haq Hai" (12 May 2016)
• Raja Kumari – "Believe in You" (28 October 2016)
• Papon – "Saahil" (23 November 2016)
• Monica Dogra – "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" (2 December 2016)
• Su Real – "Turn Up" feat. Ritviz (26 September 2016)
• Kohra & SHFT – "Osiris" (8 February 2016)

The songs

DIVINE – "Jungli Sher" (March 2016). A Mumbai street anthem released as a stand-alone single. It showed that DIVINE could carry a song on his own after "Mere Gully Mein" the year before. See DIVINE songs.

Dualist Inquiry – "Zero Hour" feat. Kavya Trehan (September 2016). The vocal centrepiece of Dreamcatcher: a clean, glowing electronic pop song. See Dualist Inquiry songs.

Prateek Kuhad – "Tune Kaha" (February 2016). A short, quiet Hindi love song and one of his most streamed early singles. See Prateek Kuhad songs.

Nucleya – "Bhayanak Atma" feat. Gagan Mudgal (September 2016). The loudest moment on the Raja Baja EP and a festival staple for years. See Nucleya songs.

Sandunes – "Honey Tree" (September 2016). From Downstream: bright keys and a slow build that never tips into a drop. See Sandunes songs.

Naezy – "Asal Hustle" (August 2016). Naezy's Kurla story told fast and plainly, a year before gully rap reached the mainstream.

Ritviz – "Jiti" (June 2016). From the Yuv EP. The Indian-classical vocal samples and pop drops that later made "Udd Gaye" a hit are already here. See Ritviz songs.

Karsh Kale – "Shiva" feat. Benny Dayal (January 2016). The most direct song on Up: tabla, synths and a big vocal. See Karsh Kale albums.

The Ska Vengers – "Kick up a Rumpus" (July 2016). The opener of XX, all horns and attitude.

Kryptos – "One Shot to Kill" (September 2016). Released a week before Burn Up the Night: classic twin-guitar heavy metal. See Kryptos albums.

Skyharbor – "Blind Side" (June 2016). A stand-alone single that later landed on Sunshine Dust (2018). See our Skyharbor band page.

Aswekeepsearching – "At Long Last" (October 2016). A post-rock single between Khwaab and Zia. See Aswekeepsearching albums.

Spud in the Box – "Bullet Points" (September 2016). The catchiest song on Lead Feet Paper Shoes, dated six days after the rest of the record.

Kailash Kher – "Vaari Vaari" (March 2016). The heart of Kailasa Ishq Anokha: Sufi devotion with a band behind it. See Sufi rock bands in India.

Naezy – "Haq Hai" (May 2016). A harder, angrier Naezy single from the same year.

Raja Kumari – "Believe in You" (October 2016). The lead single from The Come Up EP.

Papon – "Saahil" (November 2016). From The Story Now EP: a gentle, Hindi-language ballad. See Papon songs.

Monica Dogra – "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" (December 2016). A stripped-back solo single from the singer best known for Shaa'ir + Func.

Su Real – "Turn Up" feat. Ritviz (September 2016). From Twerkistan: an early meeting of two producers who would both shape Indian dance music.

Kohra & SHFT – "Osiris" (February 2016). Deep, patient techno from the Osiris release. See Indian electronic music producers.

More 2016 songs worth hearing

• Naezy – "Tehelka" (23 December 2016)
• Naezy – "Tragedy Mein Comedy" (18 July 2016)
• Benny Dayal & Naezy – "Yaad Rakh" (The Dewarists, 27 October 2016)
• Skyharbor – "Chemical Hands" (23 September 2016)
• Dualist Inquiry – "Moongaze" (12 September 2016)
• Sandunes – "Crystal Pink" (27 September 2016)
• Nucleya – "Scene Kya Hai" (3 September 2016)
• Karsh Kale – "Snowflake" feat. Ranjit Arapurakal & Papon (28 January 2016)

Not 2016 on Apple

• Parekh & Singh's "I Love You Baby, I Love You Doll", "Newbury Street", "Hill" and "Philosophize" were released as singles in late 2016, but Apple dates each song 2013. They are in our Parekh & Singh songs guide instead.
• Karsh Kale's "Up" is dated 4 December 2015.
• The Ska Vengers' "Frank Brazil" is dated 16 August 2015.

FAQ

What was the biggest Indian indie song of 2016? DIVINE's "Jungli Sher" and Nucleya's "Bhayanak Atma" were the two that travelled furthest, one in hip-hop and one in electronic music.

Which Prateek Kuhad song came out in 2016? "Tune Kaha", dated 12 February 2016 on Apple Music India.

Is there an albums list for 2016? Yes — see our best Indian indie albums of 2016, and the best Indian indie albums of the 2010s for the whole decade.

How were the dates checked? Song by song on Apple Music India (country IN), on 28 October 2026.