I was in many minds to decide on the 5 best female singers… just 5??? Its really tough and this list will be highly predictable. I could have simply gone by popularity, critics ratings or my favourites…. I have taken a middle path, finding out singers who were equally acclaimed by critics and popular choice and then arranged them in my favourite order!!! However, I am sorry that I had to overstep by 1 singer as I could not decide who to leave out.

Also I have given the list of great singers who at least need a mention at the end of the list.

Joint 5. Asha Bhonsle

A singer who was hugely popular among the masses as well as the classes and has been there for more than 5 decades now, still going strong. The undisputed queen of cabarets and weternised songs, she did not get a fair share of songs when it came to serious singing. Nevertheless, she has a unique place in film music and there is no one who can match her in her speciality area.

Low rank because, she is not my kind of singer and like I mentioned earlier, I have arranged the 5 best in my favourite order.

My favourite 3:

Abhi Na jaao chhodkar (Hum Dono)
Yeh hai reshmi julfon ka andhera (Mere Sanam)
O Sathi re (Muqadar ka Sikander)


Joint 5. Samshaad Begum

This hugely talented lady from Punjab had a voice which was quite heavy and had a big impact. She again was cornered into singing a particular kind of song only, mostly of folk kinds. If the number of remixes is any indicator, then she is probably the most remembered singer with several of her songs coming as fresh albums now.

My Favourite 3:

Kabhi aar kabhie paar (Aar Paar)
Kajra mohabbatwala (Qismet - her last song)
Kahe koyal shor machaye re (Aag)

4. Geeta Dutt

This lady had a short and sweet career that had a bitter ending. However, in this short stint, she has given us numerous memorable songs. She had a voice, that could be equally good for funky numbers as well as for more serious songs. She had good control over both ends of the octave. Wish, we had heard moe of her!!!

My Favourite 3:

Waqt ne kiya (Kagaz ke phool)
Jaane kya tune kahi (Pyasa)
Babuji dheere chalna (Aar Paar)

3. Noorjehan

She is probably the only singer who has been held at the same esteem as Lata Mangeshkar. So much so that Lata had found it difficult to enter into the MD’s favourite list while she was aound. Noorjehan had a quite thick voice which was equally sweet. Her dominance over all kinds of songs, especially the sad and slow ones have been phenomenal. I have not heard much of her filmi songs after she moved to Pakistan, but her Gazals after that have been great.

My favourite 3:

Awaz de kahan hai (Anmol Ghadi)
Chandni Raatein
Diya Jalakar Aas bhujhaayaa

2. Suraiya

What a voice… I just can not stop praising the wonderful voice that this lady had. Again, a shot and beautiful career. Her voice was as sweet as her looks and it’s a sad thing that her career came to such an abrupt ending. I remember reading somewhere that after the movie Mirza Ghalib, Pt. Nehru (Prime Minister) had told her, “Beti, tune ek mare hue aadmi ko zindaa kar diyaa” (may not be the exact words). I will goi as far to say that, the voice of Suraiya duing the last few movies was the only voice ever to sound sweeter than Lata’s.

My Favourites:

Yeh kaisi azab daastaan ho gayee hai (Rustom Sohraab)
Nuktacheen hai gham-e-dil (Mirza Ghalib)
Tarari aarari tarari (Tarana)

1. Lata Mangeshkar

Don’t want to say much about her. Simple the greatest. BTW, I am talking abt the Lata between 1950 – 1980 only. I’ll discuss this in detail in my review on her.

My Favourites:

Woh raat din who shaam ki (Saiyaan)
Yeh zindagi ushiki hai (Anarkali)
Phaili hui hai sapnon ki baahein (House No. 44)

The singers who are worth a mention….

Pre-Lata Era (i.e. before 1950 till some part of 1950s)

Ameerabai Karnataki
Zohrabai Ambalawali
Rajkumari
Parul Ghosh

Lata Dominate Era (1050 – 1980)

Suman Kalyanpu
Sudha Malhotra
Mubaraq Begum

The New Era (1980 and beyond)

Alka Yagnik
Kavita Krishnamurthy
Sadhna Sargam
Anuradha Paudval