We were reminded of the appeal of the sitar during a celebration of the New Year, when the Monophonics’ cover of “California Dreaming” hit the speakers. The song was immediately added to our playlist of sitar-featured singles. The list is 22 songs strong, although we are aware that there are many more singles with sitar. These are 22 tracks that we most look forward to hearing when the sitar is raised during a discussion.
Like all of our rankings, personal preferences play an important role in determine the order. Still, there are objective factors. A song is more likely to be near the top if it has historical significance. For example, there are two Beatles’ songs, because it was George Harrison who was most influential in bringing the sitar to the attention of Rock enthusiasts. George’s connection to Ravi Shankar brought credibility to the Indian sitarist. As another example, one reason “Paint It Black” is at the top of list is its lasting effect on the Rock world.
The prominence of the sitar in a song is another factor in determining the order. A song that only uses the sitar during the bridge is pushed down the list.
“Paint
It Black” by The Rolling Stones
“Norwegian
Wood” by The Beatles
The playlist is 22-songs long at the time of this post (but may expand over time):
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