Barfi! (soundtrack)

Barfi!'s soundtrack received positive reviews by critics. Hindustan Times-based critic rated the album 4.5 out of 5 stars and stated that "the soundtrack is a joyride sans flaws". It further wrote "Pritam has given many hits, but like his tunes in Life in a... Metro, this one will be remembered for breaking the monotony in his sound. There are no foot-tapping numbers or remixes here, but the simplicity that makes this album a winner."[23] Shivi of Koimoi gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars and stated, "Barfi! is excellent music on all counts. Very rarely does one get to hear an album where you can hear a complete soundtrack without skipping tracks; this is one of them."[24] Joginder Tuteja of Bollywood Hungama rated the album 3.5 out of 5 stars and stated "Barfi!'s soundtrack is quite good and is easily one of the best quality creations by Pritam. He has totally reinvented himself with this album which defies Bollywood norms and boasts of a sound of its own. However the biggest challenge lies in the fact that the album has hit the stands really late in the day. What further distinguishes the album from other 'ready to serve' chartbuster scores is the fact that it carries its own distinct (and very good) sound that requires time to grow and register itself with the audience."[25]

Suparna Thombare of Bollywood Life gave 4 out of 5 stars, saying "The music of Barfi! is as sweet as its title and creates a beautiful world of music and poetry that is intrinsic to subject of the film. But its best quality is that it remains simple, innocent and honest, and that's exactly why it touches your soul. That's why it makes your heart sing."[26] Indiatimes-based critic Anand Vaishnav wrote "Like Kapoor's Rockstar, Barfi too is a high-quality album. But while Rockstar's music wowed us with its complexity and layered sound, Barfi's strength lies in its subtlety and simplicity [...] And though initially, the music may come across as a bit inaccessible, in terms of its sound and flavor; every song feels like it's a part of the story."[27] Indiaglitz gave 4 out of 5 stars to the album, saying "Pritam is sure to win awards galore with `Barfi' the combinations are unique and impeccable it's a sure shot winner."[28] Jaspreet Pandohar, in his review for BBC, stated with a verdict: "The creative arrangements and beautiful lyrics make for a standout soundtrack which is an easy listening fit for both world cinema and music-loving audiences".[29] Karthik Srinivasan of Milliblog said "Much like his earlier combo with Anurag Basu in Life in a Metro, Pritam delivers a whopper, again!"[30] Vipin Nair of Music Aloud gave 9/10 to the album saying it as "the best soundtrack of Pritam, who has been in good form this year".[31]

The commercial response to the album led to feature in several year-end and decade-end lists regarding the "Best Bollywood Albums". In 2017, Film Companion listed the album in the 57th position regarding the Top 100 Bollywood Albums,[32] and also listed in the 6th position, in the 10 Best Hindi Film Albums of the Decade.[33] Akshay Manwani of Firstpost too hailed it as one of the Best Hindi Film Albums of the Decade; calling it as a "delectable treat", he further wrote " Music composer Pritam, though, merits the biggest pat on the back as he imbues every composition in Barfi! with feeling, a quality sorely lacking in so many contemporary film albums".[34] On the special edition released on World Music Day (21 June 2021), Devesh Sharma of Filmfare who wrote for the column, titled "World Music Day Special: Best Bollywood albums of last decade" included Barfi! as one of the list.[35] Tatsam Mukherjee's column for Huffington Post about "Top 20 Bollywood Albums Since 2000" (ranked in non-chronological order) listed the album.[36]

"Main Kya Karoon" was listed in the Top 10 Bollywood Songs of 2012, by The Times of India.[37] "Ala Barfi" was listed in India Today's Chartbusters 2012, where it was featured in one among the 25 Bollywood songs.[38] All the tracks in Barfi! were featured in the Top 100 Bollywood Songs of the Decade by Mumbai Live.[39] "Aashiyan" and "Kyon" from the album, were listed as one among the Best of Hindi Film Music in 2012 (in #2 and #13), by Milliblog, which further included the album in the second-most position.[40] Four of the tracks from the album were featured in Music Aloud Playback – Top 25 of 2012 in Hindi film music.[41] The album in its entirety topped the first position in iTunes upon its release.[42] A report from Ormax Media, had included the album along with Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani among the Top 10 Best Bollywood Albums of the decade.[43][lower-alpha 1]