Best Indian Indie Songs of 2019: 20 Tracks, Song-Level Dates

These are the best Indian indie songs of 2019, picked from what you can stream on Apple Music India today. It was a year when rap went mainstream, when bedroom producers found festival crowds, and when singer-songwriters kept proving that a simple song in Hindi or English could travel a long way. The list covers rap, folk, post-rock, electronic music and pop, in no strict order of rank.

How we checked. Every date below is the song's own release date on Apple Music India (iTunes catalogue, country IN), checked on 28 October 2026, not just the date of the album it sits on. Songs dated 2018 that later appeared on 2019 albums are left out and saved for a future 2018 list (we note the main ones at the end). Only released music is covered.

Quick answer: 20 Indian indie songs from 2019

• DIVINE – "Kohinoor" (13 September 2019)
• Peter Cat Recording Co. – "Floated By" (7 June 2019)
• Anuv Jain – "Riha" (28 July 2019)
• Ritviz – "Liggi" (23 December 2019)
• Ritviz feat. Seedhe Maut – "Chalo Chalein" (23 December 2019)
• Seedhe Maut – "101" (11 October 2019)
• Taba Chake – "Aao Chalein" (25 April 2019)
• Lifafa – "Jaago" (1 January 2019)
• Parvaaz – "Kun" (18 October 2019)
• Aswekeepsearching – "Aas Paas" (27 September 2019)
• Blackstratblues – "Tiny Bit of Sky" (12 September 2019)
• Sid Sriram – "Eyes Open" (6 February 2019)
• Gauley Bhai – "Thupari Udi" (5 June 2019)
• Ankur Tewari & The Ghalat Family – "Aainda" (8 October 2019)
• Sanjeeta Bhattacharya – "Shams" (3 January 2019)
• When Chai Met Toast – "Hop Stomp" (30 January 2019)
• Thermal and a Quarter – "Leaders of Men" (8 April 2019)
• Sandunes feat. Landslands – "Eleven Eleven" (21 August 2019)
• Dualist Inquiry – "Life Forms" (15 November 2019)
• Arivu & ofRO – "Kalla Mouni" (25 June 2019)

The songs

DIVINE – "Kohinoor". The title track of his debut album came out as a single first, on 13 September 2019. It is a proud, booming statement of arrival. More in our DIVINE songs guide.

Peter Cat Recording Co. – "Floated By". From Bismillah, released 7 June 2019. A slow, swaying song that sounds like an old dance hall at closing time, and the band's most-loved track. See Peter Cat Recording Co. albums.

Anuv Jain – "Riha". A soft, guitar-and-voice Hindi love song, released as a single on 28 July 2019. It is one of the songs that built his huge young audience. See Anuv Jain songs.

Ritviz – "Liggi". Released 23 December 2019, it became one of his biggest hits: a bright, bouncing electronic song with a hook everyone knows. On the same day he put out "Chalo Chalein" with Seedhe Maut. See Ritviz songs.

Seedhe Maut – "101". The Delhi rap duo's single, dated 11 October 2019, hits hard and fast. See Seedhe Maut songs.

Taba Chake – "Aao Chalein". From his debut album Bombay Dreams (25 April 2019). A gentle, fingerpicked song about setting off together, and his best-known track. See Taba Chake songs.

Lifafa – "Jaago". The title track of the 2019 album, dated 1 January 2019. Hindi synth-pop that feels both old and new. See Lifafa songs and albums.

Parvaaz – "Kun". The opening and title track of the band's second album, dated 18 October 2019. Long, slow-building psychedelic rock in Urdu. See Parvaaz albums.

Aswekeepsearching – "Aas Paas". From Rooh (27 September 2019), a sung, softer song from a band known for instrumental post-rock. See aswekeepsearching.

Blackstratblues – "Tiny Bit of Sky". The opener of When It's Time (12 September 2019). A clean, sunny guitar instrumental. See Blackstratblues albums.

Sid Sriram – "Eyes Open". The first track on Entropy (6 February 2019), his own English-language soul album. See Indian R&B artists.

Gauley Bhai – "Thupari Udi". The opener of Joro (5 June 2019), a Nepali-language folk-rock song with a big chorus.

Ankur Tewari & The Ghalat Family – "Aainda". Released 8 October 2019. A warm Hindi folk-pop song from the songwriter who also worked on Gully Boy. Later in 2019 he released "Upar Neeche" (14 November) and "Dhuaan Dhuaan" (21 December). See Ankur Tewari songs.

Sanjeeta Bhattacharya – "Shams". Dated 3 January 2019 on Apple, a soft, soulful single that set up her later work. See Sanjeeta Bhattacharya songs.

When Chai Met Toast – "Hop Stomp". Released 30 January 2019, a happy, stomping folk-pop song from the Kochi band. In August they followed it with "Nee Aara" (8 August 2019). See When Chai Met Toast songs.

Thermal and a Quarter – "Leaders of Men". A single dated 8 April 2019, from one of Bengaluru's oldest rock bands. "Stone Circle" followed on 6 September 2019. See Thermal and a Quarter albums.

Sandunes feat. Landslands – "Eleven Eleven". Released 21 August 2019, ahead of the 11:11 EP. Gentle, glowing electronic music. See Sandunes albums.

Dualist Inquiry – "Life Forms". The title track of his November 2019 EP, dated 15 November 2019. See Dualist Inquiry albums.

Arivu & ofRO – "Kalla Mouni". The opener of Therukural (25 June 2019). Tamil rap with something to say. See Tamil indie hip-hop artists.

Also from 2019

• Seedhe Maut & Sez on the Beat – "Saans Le" (11 April 2019)
• Ahmer & Sez on the Beat – "Galat" (5 July 2019)
• Aswekeepsearching – "Chasing Light" (27 September 2019)
• Easy Wanderlings – "My Place to You" (single, 27 September 2019)

Saved for 2018

• Sid Sriram – "It Isn't True" (dated 17 October 2018, on the 2019 album Entropy).
• Most songs on Nucleya's Tota Myna EP, such as "Mirza" (15 October 2018) and "Lori" (22 October 2018).
• Ritviz – "Jeet" (29 October 2018) and "Barso" (15 November 2018), both on the 2019 EP Ved.
• Raja Kumari – "SHOOK" (16 November 2018), on the 2019 EP BLOODLINE.

More lists

For albums of the decade, see the best Indian indie albums of the 2010s. For the following year, see the best Indian indie songs of 2020.