Other song types include those that glorify local heroes. Ramakrishnan of the Government Arts College, Ponneri, map twenty types of gaana songs.

marana gaana – an elegy exploring the philosophy of death.

deepa gaana – compositions from the past, some of which are ballads that run for hours.

jigil gaana – songs focused on intoxication and intoxicants.all gaana – songs with the major elements – tune, beats, lyrics – all created by the same artist.

attu gaana – popular film tunes adapted with original lyrics.The genre's spread to campuses has led to criticism from gaana singers that its essence, 'angst and melancholy' based in life's struggles, had been replaced by 'themes of fun and romance.' This newfound exposure led to the genre's popularity in college campuses. Composer Deva was instrumental in bringing gaana to blockbusters like Kadhal Kottai his songs are still popular today. In the 1990s, Tamil film composers brought gaana-inspired songs to movies. With the arrival of recording technology, gaana artists have been able to record their songs for posterity and earn income from them. Other strands of influence come from migrants from rural Tamil Nadu. Kunangudi Masthan Sahib's songs are still sung by gaana singers today. The art form can trace its descent from the siddhars (tantric adepts) of ancient Tamilakam, to the compositions of early nineteenth-century Tamil Muslim Sufi mystic Kunangudi Masthan Sahib, to Samuel Vedanayagam Pillai, popularly known as the first Tamil novelist. Gaana singers have performed in the city for the past two centuries. The genre arose in the slums and burial grounds of Chennai. In literary Tamil, the word Gaanam (கானம்) means 'tune', and in modern Hindi–Urdu gānā means 'song'. The term 'gaanaa' is the colloquial word in Madras for 'music', which is of Hindostani origin. Contemporary gaana bands are bringing the genre to new audiences while using it for social activism, especially against caste discrimination. Its popularity rose when it was brought to the music of the mainstream Tamil film industry. It is rap-like 'collection of rhythms, beats and sensibilities native to the Chennai people.' It evolved over the past two centuries, with influences ranging from the siddhars (tantric adepts) of ancient Tamilakam to rural Tamil folk music to Tamil sufi mystics. Gaana (or Gānā) is a genre of Tamil music, which is sung in the Madras Bashai dialect of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Tamil Sufi songs, siddhars of ancient Tamilakam, music of rural Tamil Nadu

Gana song