In the past 100 years of Hindi contemporary music – Mohammad Rafi’s name has come to be regarded is one of the most celebrated male vocalists in the mainstream.
The versatile singer has often been cited as one of the greatest and most influential singers of the country, having lent his gifted vocals to thousands of songs.
In a career spanning nearly 4 decades, starting from the 1940’s, Rafi Saab recorded 7405 songs and cemented his legacy as one of the pioneers of Hindi film music, popularly known as – Bollywood. He has also been called “Best Singer of the Millennium” by Stardust Magazine and has been voted “Greatest Voice in Hindi Cinema” in a CNN-IBN poll.
Certainly it isn’t easy picking just a few of his hits, from a string of classics that have influenced generations that have come after him.
But while there hundreds of hits recorded in his voice over the years, which all resonate with people in different ways, – there are some that have been ingrained in our memories more than the rest of them.
Listing down 20 of such classics, here are the great Mohammad Rafi’s 10 best songs
1) JO WADA KIYA WOH NIBHANA PADEGA
2) JINHE NAAZ HAI HIND PAR WOH KAHA HAI
3) KHOYA KHOYA CHAAND
4) YEH DUNIYA AGAR MIL BHI JAAYE TOH KYA HAI
5) DEEWANA HUA BADAL
6) CHURA LIYA HAI TUMNE
7) BAHARON PHOOL BARSAAO
8) ABHI NA JAO CHHOD KE
9) KYA HUA TERA WAADA
10) TERE MERE SAPNE AB EK RANG HAI
11) O MERE SONA RE SONA
12) JHILMIL SITAARON KA AANGAN
13) DIL KA BHANWAR KARE PUKAR
14) PUKARTA CHALA HOON MAIN
15) YEH DUNIYA YEH MEHFIL
16) MADHUBAN MEIN RADHIKA NACHE RE
17) SOU BAAR JANAM LENGE
18) TUMNE MUJHE DEKHA
19) SUHANI RAAT DHAL CHUKI
20) CHAHUNGA MEIN TUJHE
Honourable mentions for songs like –
Dost Dost Na Raha
Akele Akele Kahan Ja Rahe
Yeh Chand Sa Roshan Chehra
Woh Jab Yaad Aaye
Aane Se Uske
Gun Guna Rahe Hai