We Will Rock You...
Perhaps the biggest unexpected success of an experimental song, however, was Sajjad Ali's street-wise 1995 hit "Chief Saab". Full of Karachi slang and tough imagery, the song, perhaps more than anything else signified the coming age of pop music. It showed that one did not necessarily have to remain within pre-determined saccharine-sweet boundaries to be popular, and that people liked hearing of issues other than puppy love.
Partly, as a result of this expansion of the pop market, established musicians from non-pop genres such as qawwali maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan were also drawn towards experimenting within it. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan gave numerous hits one after another. He was also known for composing music for Hollywood and Bollywood movies as well.
The pop band that most successfully seized upon this idea of fusion was, of course, Junoon, which used its success with the haunting "Saeein" to recast itself as a completely different band. Here pop was again intersecting with folk and vice versa.
In 1994, FM radio brought about another mini-revolution in Pakistani music. From Landhi in Karachi to Krishan Nagar in Lahore, Hadiqa Kiyani and Shehzad Roy suddenly became household names. Even iconoclastic recluse virtuosos like guitarist Amir Zaki (whose almost purely instrumental album "Signature" did well in the market) were receiving the kind of airplay which big bands of the '80s could have only dreamt of.
Pop industry had big turnaround when private channels came into the scene, Like IM which became the medium to introduce young talents in the pop industry. Names like Fuzon, Aaroh, noori, Aks, Ahmad Jehanzaib, Mizraab, Karavan, Ali Zafar, Jal appeared with catchy songs and good videos that not only rocked the Pakistani pop music but also made their names worldwide. These new arrivals made their presence felt through remarkable individual songs, even though full albums for now seemed beyond most new acts. Ahmad Jehanzaib's "Ek Bar Kaho", Fuzon's "Ankhon Ke Saagar" and Schehzad Mughal's "Bas Yunheen" each reflected the singer's individuality. The first two were carried by soulful, ardent vocals and the last shone through affecting lyrics. Hot on their heels, honourable mentions must also go to Aks stunningly understated "Neela Aasman", Noori's jangle-pop perfection "Tum Hans Diyae", Junoon's excellent "Garaj Baras", Sajjad Ali with "Teri Yaad", Aamir Zaki's insightful and incisive "People Are People", EP's pile driving "Hum Ko Aazma", Najam's catchy "Jaisay Chaho Jiyo", Ali Zafar's startling "Chanoo ki Ankh", Jal's
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