Maddy, if you had said that Swades would figure in the top five of *many* fans then there would be no quibble but you said *any* fan he he.
Otherwise, your PoV is perfectly fine with me. What made me recall vandha naal mudhal is that bit that follows after the first and second interludes. I will stand by it and we (you and Vijayr versus me) will disagree amicably. To see whether we are on the same page, what is your take on the A ah song Aararai kodi pergalil oruvan and the Nenjil oar Aalayam song that goes varuvai ena naan thanimayil nindren vandhadhum vandhai thunaiyudan vandhai? I think the former is an exact rip off.
Vijayr, first of all, I never said I didn't like the songs, just that they did not sound awesome to my ears. They are good songs still. As to what Shahrukh’s acting has to do with the song, I offer the explanation that I heard the song first when it was shown as a trailer across Hindi channels. This is not unlike songs becoming hits as soon as a movie hits the jackpot. Only in this case the song had a not-so-great impact on me when it was viewed first rather than heard! The main point is about our respective emphasis on the type of songs that an album should contain to be deemed among the top five. Your focus is on classy music even if the numbers may not be as energetic or peppy while many others like me may have a different take on what constitutes the top five. For me, I liked Tehzeeb more than Swades and would rate it higher, while I have heard many who felt Tehzeeb music was a big letdown.
That Lagaan was hyped before its release is news to me. Because, although Aamir is a top star, AG was a much unknown figure who had then directed a failed film Baazi (?). Anyway, I am willing to take your word that Swades was less hyped than Lagaan before its release.