Lata Mangeshkar Death Anniversary: List of 21 Most Melodious Hindi Songs of Iconic Playback Singer, With Music Info and Videos (Watch)

Lata Mangeshkar Death Anniversary: Iconic Indian playback singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away on February 6, 2022, at 92 years of age in Mumbai. Known as the ‘Nightingale of India’ for her melodious and soulful voice, Lata Mangeshkar sang in multiple Indian languages, but primarily found success in Hindi cinema. Starting out as an actress, Lata Mangeshkar went on to become a legendary figure in Indian cinema. She was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, the Government of India’s highest civilian honour, in 2001. Earlier, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1969 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1999. She was also the recipient of the highest award in Indian cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, in 1989. On Lata Mangeshkar's death anniversary today, here is a look at 21 most melodious Hindi songs of the singer that are evergreen.

List of Most Melodious Lata Mangeshkar Songs in Hindi

Let’s listen to and know about the 20 most melodious songs by Lata Mangeshkar in the Hindi language. These include film songs from the late 1940s, ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s to early 2000s. From “Aayega Aanewala” to “Aaja Sanam”, “Lag Ja Gale”, “Tere Bina Zindagi Se” to patriotic songs in original form like “Ae Mere Watan Ke Logo” to “Are Re Are”, “O Paalanhaare”, “Luka Chupi” and more, give it a watch.

1. 'Aayega Aanewala' (Film: ‘Mahal’, 1949) – Watch Video:

Picturised on Madhubala and Ashok Kumar, this iconic haunting song from the classic black and white film Mahal was perfect for the film’s theme. Composed by Khemchand Prakash and written by Nakhshab Jarchavi, “Aayega Aanewala” in Lata Mangeshkar’s melodious voice is soothing and mysterious, decades after its release.

2. 'Aaja Sanam Madhur Chandni' (Film: ‘Chori Chori’, 1956) – Watch Video:

Black and white cinema with the Raj Kapoor-Nargis combination, and lovely songs follow. “Aaja Sanam” is a Lata Mangeshkar-Manna Dey song to be listened on loop. The Shankar Jaikishan composition has lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri.

3. 'Ajib Dastan Hai Yeh' (Film: ‘Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai’, 1960) – Watch Video:

Evergreen Lata Mangeshkar solo classic by composer duo Shankar Jaikishan, a song loved by one and all. Picturised on Raaj Kumar, Meena Kumari, and Nadira who are in a love triangle, “Ajib Dastan Hai Yeh” not only has Lata Mangeshkar’s calming voice but also female backing vocals as rhythmic chorus. The meaningful lyrics were by Shailendra.

4.‘Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya’ (Film: ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, 1960) – Watch Video:

The grand scale of K Asif’s Mughal-E-Azam was supported with 12 songs by composer Naushad Ali and lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni. "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya” by Lata Mangeshkar is easily the most melodious from the film, a song of rebellion yet so soft on the ears.

5. ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo’ (Lata Mangeshkar Original, 1963) – Watch Video:

Legend goes that this song brought Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to tears when Lata Mangeshkar performed it live on stage on India’s Republic Day on January 26, 1963. Composed by C Ramchandra with lyrics by Kavi Pradeep, “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo” was sung at a concert to honour the Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the Indo-China War of 1962. The song is revered by Indians.

6. 'Lag Ja Gale’ (Film: ‘Woh Kaun Thi?’, 1964) – Watch Video:

Just like Mahal, the suspenseful movie Woh Kaun Thi? also got a super-melodious Lata Mangeshkar number. Still considered one of the most difficult songs to cover and at music competitions, “Lag Ja Gale” was composed by Madan Mohan, with beautiful words by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan. The song featured Sadhana and Manoj Kumar. Lata Mangeshkar: ‘Lag Jaa Gale’ to ‘Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha,’ Top 8 Iconic Songs of Nightingale of India That Define Her Legacy – Revisit Her Timeless Melodies (Watch Videos).

7. ‘Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai’ (Film: ‘Guide’, 1965) – Watch Video:

“Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai” from the iconic Dev Anand film Guide has actress Waheeda Rehman’s dance performance aided by the joyful melody of Lata Mangeshkar, composed by the legendary Sachin Dev “SD” Burman, with meaningful lyrics by Shailendra.

8. 'Rahe Na Rahe Hum' (Film: ‘Mamta’, 1966) – Watch Video:

Another melody that haunts listeners with its beautiful sound quality, "Rahe Na Rahe Hum" sung by Lata Mangeshkar was composed by Roshan, with lyrics by the legendary Majrooh Sultanpuri. A duet version of the song has singer Suman Kalyanpur’s voice though, along with Mohammed Rafi. The song features Suchitra Sen and Ashok Kumar.

9. ‘Kaanta Laga’ (Film: Samadhi, 1972) – Watch Video:

Yes, the original “Kaanta Laga” is sung by Lata Mangeshkar, in a singing style and genre of song normally attributed to Asha Bhosle, her equally legendary singer. Composed by Rahul Dev “RD” Burman (Asha Ji’s late husband), the song penned by the legendary lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri (although some records say it was Anand Bakshi). The song was picturised on Asha Parekh. Raksha Bandhan 2025: Saira Banu Shares Throwback Pics of Dilip Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar With Heartfelt Note on Their Endearing Sibling-Like Bond.

10. ‘Raina Beeti Jaye’ (Film: Amar Prem, 1972) – Watch Video:

A song of longing and love featuring Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna, this Lata Mangeshkar track was again composed by RD Burman and written by Anand Bakshi for the film Amar Prem.

11. ‘Tere Mere Milan Ki Yeh’ (Film: Abhimaan, 1973) – Watch Video:

A love anthem for newlywed couples, “Tere Mere Milan Ki Yeh” from Abhimaan featured Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri (Bachchan) and showed the conflict the couple is going through in contrast to the words. Although the song begins with the part by legendary playback singer Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar’s singing just lifts it to another level. Composed by SD Burman, the song had words by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

12. ‘Piya Bina Piya Bina’ (Film: ‘Abhimaan’, 1973) – Watch Video:

From Abhimaan again, Lata Mangeshkar delivers a melancholic gem in this SD Burman composition, with lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

13.'Tere Bina Zindagi Se' (Film: ‘Aandhi’, 1975)  – Watch Video:

Talking about melancholy, longing and conflict between couples yet again, this RD Burman song perfectly conveys it with the singing by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar and the lyrics by Gulzar.

14.‘Yeh Galiyan Yeh Chaubara’ (Film: ‘Prem Rog’ 1982) – Watch Video:

This song by music director duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal is one of the most popular by Lata Mangeshkar. Picturised on Padmini Kolhapure and Rishi Kapoor, the song has lyrics by Santosh Anand.

15. ‘Jab Hum Jawan Honge’ (Film: ‘Betaab’, 1983) – Watch Video:

A song of young and first love, rendered by Lata Mangeshkar and Shabbir Kumar, composed by RD Burman with lyrics by Anand Bakshi. Betaab was the debut film of Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh.

16. 'Mitwa’ (Film: Chandni, 1989) – Watch Video:

Like for many heroines across decades, Sridevi’s iconic performance in the Yash Chopra film was aided by Lata Mangeshkar’s playback, too. The male singer, voicing for Rishi Kapoor, was Babla Mehta. Mitwa was composed by Shiv-Hari (Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia), with lyrics by Anand Bakshi.

17. ‘Are Re Are’ (Film: ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’, 1997) – Watch Video:

By the nineties, Lata Mangeshkar was singing less. With “Are Re Are”, she just made a splash yet again and reminded connoisseurs of her effortless singing. This Uttam Singh song was picturised on the iconic actress Madhuri Dixit and “King Khan” Shah Rukh Khan, with the male voice being that of Udit Narayan. The lyrics were by Anand Bakshi.

18. ‘Jiya Jale’ (Film: 'Dil Se’, 1998) – Watch Video:

In the Mani Ratnam film, this melodious AR Rahman track is picturised on Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta. By the late 1990s, Lata Mangeshkar was singing fewer songs, and this is one of her gems. With accompanying vocals by MG Sreekumar and Hindi lyrics by Gulzar (Malayalam lyrics by Girish Pulthenchri), “Jiya Jale” remains a fan-favourite.

19. 'O Paalanhaare' (Film: ‘Lagaan’, 2001) – Watch Video:

A song of hope that moves you to the core, “O Paalanhaare” from Aamir Khan’s Oscar-nominated film Lagaan is the go-to prayer irrespective of your faith. A prayer to Lord Krishna in the movie, the Lata Mangeshkar and Udit Narayan song has been composed by AR Rahman and written by the legendary Javed Akhtar.

20. ‘Tere Liye’ (Film: ‘Veer-Zaara’, 2004) – Watch Video:

Madan Mohan’s tunes were used posthumously in Yash Chopra’s film Veer-Zaara, and “Tere Liye” is one of the gems on the soundtrack. Picturised on Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta, the melody by Lata Mangeshkar and Roopkumar Rathod is timeless.

21. ‘Luka Chuppi’ (Film: ‘Rang De Basanti’, 2006) – Watch Video:

In a gentle AR Rahman composition with words by Prasoon Joshi, Lata Mangeshkar’s voice in “Luka Chuppi” portrays a mother’s deep anguish at the loss of her young Air Force pilot son (R Madhavan). The grieving mother was played by Waheeda Rehman.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 06, 2026 11:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).