10 best Kishore Kumar songs: From Pal Pal Dil Ke Pass to Yeh Shaam Mastani

Legendary singer Kishore Kumar has sung several classic and iconic songs in his celebrated career. Here's a curated list of ten of his best songs.

Updated on Jan 26, 2024  |  02:05 AM IST |  479.8K
10 best Kishore Kumar songs: From Pal Pal Dil Ke Pass to Yeh Shaam Mastani
Image Credit: Kishore Kumar - IMDb

Kishore Kumar’s songs list cannot be measured on a single piece of paper. He was an Indian playback singer, musician, and actor. The legendary singer was and still is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential, and most dynamic singers in the history of Indian music. Kumar was one of the most popular singers in the Indian subcontinent, notable for his ability to sing songs in different voices. 

Besides Hindi, he sang in many other Indian languages, including Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam, Odia and Urdu. He also released several non-film albums in multiple languages, especially in Bengali, noted as all-time classics. It is hard to choose the top songs of Kishore Kumar in his vast and celebrated career. Let’s have a look at 10 songs by Kishore Kumar.

Here are 10 top songs of Kishore Kumar that are still alive in people’s hearts

1. Aanewala Pal 


  • Movie: Gol Maal (1979)
  • Music: R. D. Burman 
  • Lyrics: Gulzar 

Aanewala Pal is a pure classic from the 1979 film Gol Maal. The film casts Amol Palekar, Utpal Dutta, Bindiya Goswami, Amitabh Bachchan, and others. The music is directed by RD Burman. This song of Kishore Kumar in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s laugh-riot was uncharacteristically restrained and profound in its meaning of life and love.

2. Mere Sapno Ki Rani 


  • Movie: Aradhana (1969)
  • Music: S. D. Burman 
  • Lyrics: Anand Bakshi 
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Mere Sapno Ki Rani is a popular Hindi song from the 1969 Bollywood movie Aradhana. The song was composed by Sachin Dev Burman and performed by Kishore Kumar. In the film, Rajesh Khanna, the male protagonist, sings the song atop an open jeep and virtually chases the heroine, Sharmila Tagore, who was aboard the toy train in Darjeeling.

3. O Saathi Re 


  • Movie: Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978) 
  • Music: Kalyanji Anandji 
  • Lyrics: Anjaan 

O Saathi Re is one of the most popular songs of Kishore Kumar. The film, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar was picturized on Amitabh Bachchan as he sang this song about lost love and the terrible fate he had endured all his life.

4. Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 


  • Movie: Amar Prem (1972)
  • Music: R. D. Burman 
  • Lyrics: Anand Bakshi 

Amar Prem featured Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna in the lead roles. The song Kuch Toh Log Kahenge by Kishore Kumar is still alive in people’s hearts because of its lively lyrics, apart from its soulful voice. 

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5. Yeh Kya Hua 


  • Movie: Amar Prem (1972)
  • Music: R. D. Burman 
  • Lyrics: Anand Bakshi 

Yeh Kya Hua is also from the movie Amar Prem, starring Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna. The specialty of this song is how it is built on various short questions. The song is still a top choice for today’s generation. This is considered as Kishore Kumar’s one of the best songs of all time.

6. Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas 


  • Movie: Blackmail (1973)
  • Music: Kalyanji Anandji 
  • Lyrics: Rajendra Kishan 

Blackmail is picturized by legendary actors Dharmendra and Raakhee Gulzar. The song Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas is a romantic one. Speaking about the plot of the film, Professor Ramakant Khurana, an eccentric scientist, discovered a formula for generating electricity from sunlight. This discovery makes him very popular, and his sources are in high demand, while local businessman Mr. Mehta feels threatened, which could mean losses and eventual bankruptcy.

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7. Humein Tumse Pyar Kitna 


  • Movie: Kudrat (1981)
  • Music: R.D. Burman 
  • Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri 

One of the most popular Kishore Kumar songs is Humein Tumse Pyar Kitna. The song never gets old, no matter how many times you listen to it. The powerful lyrics perfectly blended with the soulful voice of Kishore Kumar. As for the film, it is a 1981 Hindi language drama. It was written and directed by Chetan Anand. The film stars Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini in lead roles, while supporting roles are played by Raj Kumar, Priya Rajvansh, and Vinod Khanna.

8. Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si 


  • Movie: Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) 
  • Music: Sachin Dev Burman
  • Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri 

Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si by Kishore Kumar is one of the evergreen songs of the legendary singer. The song is from the Indian musical comedy film Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, directed by Satyen Bose. Starring Madhubala with the Ganguly brothers —Ashok Kumar, Anoop Kumar, and Kishore Kumar— The film revolves around a middle-aged man who, due to some misunderstanding, annoys women and forbids his younger brothers from getting married.

9. Gaata Rahe Mera Dil 


  • Movie: Guide (1965) 
  • Music: Sachin Dev Burman, aka S.D. Burman 
  • Lyrics: Shailendra 

The song Gaata rahe Mera Dil will never get old due to it's lyrics apart from Kishore Kumar's heavenly voice. Based on R. K. Narayan's 1958 novel The Guide, the film narrates the story of Raj (Anand), a freelance tour guide, and Rosie (Rehman), the repressed wife of a wealthy archaeologist. 

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10. Yeh Shaam Mastani 


  • Movie: Kati Patang (1971) 
  • Music: R.D. Burman 
  • Lyrics: Anand Bakshi 

Yeh Shaam Mastani is one of the popular songs from the film Kati Patang. The film stars Asha Parekh as a woman who pretends to be a widow and her subsequent trials and tribulations opposite her charming neighbor, played by Rajesh Khanna.

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FAQs

What type of music did Kishore Kumar learn?
According to Wikipedia, although Kishore Kumar was not formally trained in classical music, R. D. Burman often had Kumar sing semi-classical songs, such as Humein Tum Se Pyaar Kitna from Kudrat and Mere Naina Saawan Bhadon from Mehbooba.

What was Kishore Kumar's voice type?
According to Telegraph India, keeping in mind the actor he was singing for, Kishore Kumar had the unique ability to tweak his voice quality and tone — from a baritone to a soft voice.

How many languages did Kishore Kumar sing in?
Kishore Kumar could sing in as many as 10 Indian languages, including Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Assamese, Malayalam, Oriya, and Kannada.

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About The Author

Arpita Sarkar has 3 years of experience in content writing and editing in the

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Credits: YouTube, IMDb
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