TV serials and musical scores go hand in hand as they do in movies, because sound adds drama to the plot. It's the soul of the story, and it conveys hidden truths to the audience that allows them to follow its development better. For example, in a crime thriller, the lead can say convincingly that he is fine, but the audience will know that he isn't or he won't be, because of the accompanying music that is being played. Regardless of the choice of songs being mainstream or orchestrated, it is clear that they are important to television production.
In recent years, Hindi songs have found their way into television sitcoms with their rising popularity. Thanks to the marriage of Bollywood and Hollywood concepts, American shows today have not only embraced cultural fusion in its casting, but also applied a variety of cultural music to make the experience more genuine. Shows like Weeds, Community, Human Giant, House and Big Bang Theory have paved their way with the incorporation of Indian characters in the main billing. Going beyond that, Indian music has also taken over all forms of visual media, from film to scripted, unscripted and informational show genres, with crossover hits like Jai Ho and Chammak Challo.
Ever since 1955, foreign acts began incorporating Indian music influences and instruments into their hits. But, in the 1980s, the fad died down, leaving a few die-hard immigrant fans with no other option but to entertain underground Asian compositions. In the year 2000, Indian music slowly began to re-establish itself, like "Indian Flute" and "Don't Phunk With My Heart" (sampling Asha Boshle's "Yah Mera Dil").
As of the moment, Bollywood movies are the second most watched films in America with a built-in audience of 3 million. Imports such as Slumdog Millionaire, 3 Idiots and Ghajini earned accolades from American audiences and critics, which incited the creation of the foreign (Sony) funded Bollywood film Saawariya.
Hindi music, however, has yet to achieve a substantial following due to the fact that it is inaccessible in the area. Unlike movies, Indian songs are not mass marketed in retail stores like Walmart and Best Buy. They are also not given substantial radio airplay. Therefore, people who are interested have to look online in order to appreciate what they are all about.
Some of the most popular hindi songs for 2011 were "Teri Meri Prem Kahani" by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, "Ooh La La" by Bappi Lahiri, "Laung Da Lashkara" by Mahalakshmi Iyer and "Sadda Haq" by A.R. Rahman (Funfact: He won an Oscar for Jai Ho). But frankly speaking, there are plenty of other must-hear Hindi artists aside from those that have been mentioned, that are not yet featured in TV serials in films. There are a lot more to appreciate about Indian songs with seven types of folk music genres and of course hip hop, dance, rock and raga rock interpretations.