Suraj Hua Maddham - Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham by Sandesh Shandilya, Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik

Few songs from 2001 have held their ground as well as Suraj Hua Maddham - Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, a track that keeps finding new audiences. The music, composed by Sandesh Shandilya, carries the song forward with a confidence that matches the performance.

Sandesh Shandilya, Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor Khan gave the film its soul, and Suraj Hua Maddham - Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is the song that most directly channels that feeling into music.

The song dates from 2001, but nothing about it sounds dated — the emotions it captures are not tied to a moment. It is the kind of track that works at full volume with friends and equally well in a quiet room alone — the mood adjusts without the song changing.

At 7:07, the track does not overstay its welcome — it says what it needs to say and leaves the listener wanting more. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Hindi in recent memory — and the numbers agree.