Saidas M. Ranade
Houston, Texas
On January 7, 2012, I launched this research project to find the top 24 Bollywood Songs of All Time. The main motivation was curiosity and the goal was to have fun along the way. Today is December 31, 2012. The voting for the final round is now closed and I am very happy with the outcome.
I am indebted to Prakash Lakshmanan, Sanjeev Deshpande, Tej P Kabra, Gauri Joglekar, Sandeep Joshi, Professor Patrick Hogan, Professor Philip Lutgendorf, Srinivas Krishnamachari, Mahesh Biradar and Pradeep Gavankar for their unwavering support for this project.
In case of a tie, I used validation from other sources to break the tie. The songs that almost made it to the top 24 are listed below as Honorable Mentions. I will post my complete research findings soon. Until then, as promised, it gives me great pleasure to announce the list of TOP 24 BOLLYWOOD MOVIE SONGS OF ALL TIME (in no particular order).
TOP 24 HINDI FILM SONGS OF ALL TIME ARE (drum roll please!):
Yeh dosti, Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Sholay, R.D. Burman, Anand Bakshi
Mere desh ki dharti, Mahendra Kapoor, Upkaar, Kalyanji Anandji, Gulshan Bawra
Mainzindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya, Mohammad Rafi, Hum Dono, Jaidev, Sahir Ludhianvi
Dola Re, Kavita Krishnamurti, Shreya Ghosal, Devdas, Ismail Darbar, Nusrat Badr, Sameer, Pandit Birju Maharaj
Piya tose naina lage re, Lata Mangeshkar, Guide, S.D Burman, Shailendra
Dil cheez kya hai aap meri jaan lijiyeâ, Asha Bhosle, Umrao Jaan, Khayyam, Shahryar
Abhi na jao chhod kar, Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Hum Dono, Jaidev, Sahir Ludhianvi
Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko, Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Yaadon Ki Baarat, R.D Burman, Majrooh Sultanpuri
Ek chatur naar karke singar, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Mehmood, Padosan, R D Burman, Rajinder Krishan
Aage bhi jaane na tu, Asha Bhosle, Waqt, Ravi, Sahir Ludhianvi
Dum maro dum, Asha Bhosle, Hare Ram Hare Krishna, R D Burman, Shibu Pintu, Anand Bakshi
Piya tu ab to aaja, Asha Bhosle, Caravan , R D Burman, Majrooh Sultanpuri
Raat akeli hai, Asha Bhosle, Jewel Thief, S.D Burman, Majrooh Sultanpuri
Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayaal aataa hai, Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar, Kabhi Kabhi, Khayyam, Sahir Ludhianvi
Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hai, Mohammad Rafi, Guide, S.D Burman, Shailendra
Teri meri prem kahani hai, Rahat Fathe Ali Khan, Shreya Ghosal, BodyGuard, Himesh Reshmaiya, Pritam, Shabbir Ahmed
Kuch to log kahenge logon ka kaam hai kehna, Kishore Kumar, Amar Prem, R.D Burman, Anand Bakshi
Pyaar kiya to darna kya, Lata Mangeshkar, Mughal-E-Azam, Naushad, Shakeel Badayuni
Jaane kahan gaye who din, Mukesh, Mera Naam Joker, Shankar – Jaikishan, Hasrat Jaipuri,
Kahin door jab din dhal jaaye saanj, Mukesh, Anand, Salil Chowdhury, Yogesh
Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam, Geeta Dutt, Kagaz Ke Phool, S D Burman, Kaifi Azmi
Aane waala pal jane wala hai, Kishore Kumar, Golmaal, R D Burman, Gulzar
Zindagi kaisi hai paheli, Manna Dey, Anand, Salil Chowdhury, Yogesh
Aye Malik tere baande hum, Lata Mangeshkar, Do Ankhen Baara Haath, Vasant Desai, Bharat Vyas
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The list below includes songs that almost made it to the top 24 list. And, could in principle, occupy one of the top 24 songs slots along with a song from the list above.
O Saathi re, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Kalyanji – Anandji, Anjaan
Aye mere pyare watan, aye mere bichchde chaman,Tujhpe dil qurban, Manna Dey, Kabuliwalla, Salil Chawdhury, Prem Dhavan
Chammak challo, Hamsika Iyer, Akon, Ra.One , Vishal Shekar, Vishal Dadlani , Niranjan Iyengar
Ek pal ka jeena, Lucky Ali, Kaho Na Pyar Hai, Rajesh Roshan, Vijay Akela
Ay meri Zohra jabi, Manna Dey, Waqt, Ravi, Sahir Ludhianvi
Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga, Kumar Sanu, 1942 A Love Story, R.D. Burman, Javed Akthar
Gumnam hai koi, badnam hai koi, Lata Mangeshkar, Gumnaam, Shankar Jaikishan, Hasrat Jaipuri
Hoton pe aisi bat, Bhupinder, Lata Mangeshkar, Jewel Thief, S.D. Burman, Majrooh Sultanpuri
So gayaa yah jahaan so gayaa aasamaan, Nitin Mukesh, Shabbir Kumar, Alka Yagnik, Tezaab, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Javed Akthar
Choli ke piche, Alka Yagnik, Ila Arun, Khalnayak, Lakshmikant Pyarelal, Anand Bakshi
Munni badnam, Aishwarya, Mamta Sharma, Dabangg, Sajid Wajid, Lalit Pandit, Lalit Pandit
Jo wada kiya woh nibhana, Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Taj Mahal, Roshan, Sahir Ludhianvi
Woh shaam kuchh ajeeb thi, Kishore Kumar, Khamoshi, Hemant Kumar, Gulzar
Musafir hoon yaro, Kishore Kumar, Parichay, R D Burman, Gulzar
THANKS:
I am grateful to all those who supported this fun project, allowed my weekly e-mail intrusions and cast their ballots. I am eager to hear your comments and feedback. Your writing here will mean a lot to me. Thanks.
I have to doff my hat to you, Sai. For your sheer persistence and selfless dedication to this project. It’s a job well done, although few people would acknowledge that fact.
What is noteworthy is that almost all the top songs in the list are from the Golden Era. Hardly two or three songs from modern-day Bollywood have made it to the list.
I suppose that could be because many youngsters either did not vote, or even they prefer Rafi/Kishore to Himesh/Supriyo. I think the latter is probably true!
Once again, well done, Sai.
Cheers … Srini.
That was quite an effort and certainly a good list. I have liked a number of songs by Sunidhi Chauhan:
“Sajna Ve Sajna” (Chameli)
“Bhage Re Mann” (Chameli)
“Dhoom Machale” (Dhoom)
“Deedar De” (Dus)
“Crazy Kiya Re” (Dhoom 2)
“Desi Girl” (Dostana)
These are the main ones which come to mind.