‘Lag Ja Gale’ to ‘Luka Chuppi’, remembering ‘Queen of Melody’ with her iconic tracks

Dubbed the ‘Queen of Melody’ and the ‘Nightingale of India’, Lata Mangeshkar ruled the Indian music industry for decades and her contribution remains unbeatable. Born on 28 September 1929, Lata Mangeshkar passed away on 6 February 2022.

While today’s date marks her second death anniversary, tributary messages and homages from fans, celebrities, and eminent musicians from around the country have been pouring in all over the internet. However, what can be more honorary than remembering some of her unforgettable songs?

In a career spanning over eight decades, Mangeshkar sang around 25,000 songs in as many as 36 Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, and Tamil.

Today, on Lata Mangeshkar’s 2nd death anniversary, here’s a look at her top best songs:

Lata Mangeshkar Best Songs

1. Chandni Raatein Pyar Ki Baatein: A duet between Lata Mangeshkar and Hemant Kumar, ‘Chandni Raatein Pyar Ki Baatein‘ is about a woman missing her lover, the emotion which has been truly justified by Lata through her melodious vocals. The song also has a famous twin, a solo by Hemant Kumar.

2. Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya: One of the most easily recognisable Hindi songs from the 1960 film Mughal-e-Azam. Pictured on Madhubala, Lata Mangeshkar through her sweet vocals essentially captures the essence of fearless lovers, who are ready to rebel against the world.

3. Lag Ja Gale: Another of Lata Mangeshkar’s iconic tracks is Lag Ja Gale from the 1964 film Woh Kaun Thi? The song has beautifully aged over the years and is still enjoyed a lot by the younger generation. It has been also recreated by young singers in the present time. Penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and composed by Madan Mohan Kohli, Lag Ja Gale is one of the classic tracks delivered by the late singer.

4. Tere Liye: Packed with a lot of emotions, the song Tere Liye from Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta’s 2004 film Veer Zaara is been beautifully sung by Lata Mangeshkar with Roop Kumar Rathod. With lyrics written by Javed Akhtar, the song has a hauntingly beautiful feel to it which is further evoked by Lata’s vocals and also the strings used in the piece.

5. Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh: Said to be among the most celebrated songs of Lata Mangeshkar, Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh from Dil Apna Preet Parai has been renditioned several times by composers over decades. Originally composed by the duo Shankar-Jaikishan and penned by Shailendra, the song is remembered to date by fans as one of their favourites.

6. Tujhse Naraz Nahi Zindagi: While the original version of RD Burman and Gulzar’s Tujhse Naraz Nahi Zindagi from Masoom remains iconic to date, the female version of the song sung by Lata Mangeshkar is equally popular and is counted among the best music that Bollywood has produced till date.

7. Luke Chuppi: An emotional track depicting the bond between a mother and a child, the song Luka Chuppi from the 2006 film Rang De Basanti is also among the top songs by Lata Mangeshkar. The song is quite meaningful and is also rightly placed in the context of the film, which is truly heartbreaking. Mangeshkar’s vocals evoke a lot of emotions and perfectly reflects a grieving mother’s heart.

While these are just a few, the list of masterpieces delivered by the late singer is quite too long.