Initially, I saw this discussion thread and several questions popped up. Should this list consist of the’Best’ singers, or the’Most Popular’? One answer to that question can be:’Well, the’best’ should be the’most popular?! Is that true? I mean, does the best singer always become the most popular? The issue bothered me, and I guess, will continue to bother me in the years to come.
Another issue was whether this list should consider the’All-Time Bests’ or just the current singers. Looking at the title, I decided to list the best all-time great(in my opinion, of course) singers. I will try to avoid getting swayed by the popularity ratings or issues related to number of hit songs in popular movies.
Before I start my list, I would like to inform you of the criteria, which I used to judge the singers. Again, I acknowledge that this is only my opinion and others could think differently.
Let?s start from the basic criterion. When playback singers sing a song, their voices should exactly match those of the general pitch of the music instruments. This is a basic rule taught in any of the music classes. This is not followed when you sing in a’Chorus’, harmonically. For example, take the mild humming by Alka Yagnik on the background, when Abhijeet sings’Main Koi Aisa Geet’, in Yes Boss. Their voices are in different pitches, and it is a technique usually used in western music to produce that unique harmonic sound. Otherwise, when the singers sing regular songs, their pitch should exactly match. That is obviously the first and the most basic criteria I used. Let me inform you(sadly) that a few singers were out.
The second criteria is’Gamakam’ or’Sliding-Ability’ or note-flexibility. Indian Music uses extensive sliding of notes to produce the unique signatures of the different Raagas with a final goal of producing an emotion or conveying a message. Some examples are: Dhoop: Yeh Dhoop; Dil Se: Jiya Jale; Pardes: Jahan Piya etc. This ability is, in my view, very difficult to acquire and which could easily make a singer unique.
The third criterion is versatility. This is related to the previous(and the following) criteria. Asha Bhosle is an example. She can, quite effortlessly sing’Rangeela Re’(Rangeela) as well as’O Bhavre’(Daud).
The fourth criterion I used to evaluate the singers is emotion/feeling(or Bhaava). For example, you could appreciate the feelings expressed by Lata Mangeshkar in Lagaan:’O’ Paalanhaare’ and in Dil Se: Jiya Jale as devotion and love/lust respectively.
The last, but not the least criterion is the voice. To appreciate this, you will have to hear the singer sing plain notes, in a sustained manner. Slow songs also serve as a window to gauge the quality of a singer?s voice. Some people compromise this criterion with the emotion. In short, they believe that feelings are more important, even if they overwhelm the voice quality. I acknowledge that decision and appreciate their choice.
Now that we have gone through the five criteria, we can start thinking about the five best singers. Ah, how could one ever select the?best? from the best. Years of natural selection has groomed, discarded and improved several of these talented ladies.
Rank 1: Lata Mangeshkar
Let me remind you readers that I am not talking about her songs in the current context alone, but through the years. She has won three National awards, and several Filmfare awards and was conferred India?s highest award, the Bharat Ratna in 2001. She has sung in more than 10 languages, a total of more than 20, 000 songs. As I said before, it?s not the number that makes her No. 1 in this list, it?s her ability. I would need more words to describe her singing talent.
Hearing to?Beeti Na Bitai Rahna?(Parichay: National Award, 1972) could still nudge you into seventh heaven. Her voice is perfect, flexible, emotive and nothing short of a wonder. When you hear her song?Is Mod Se? &?Tere Bina Zindagi Se?(Aandhi, 1975) clearly demonstrates her flexibility in terms of handling classical notes. Her association with the latest trend in music took a new turn, when A.R. Rahman invited her to sing Jiya Jale. A unique track, it was handled so skillfully the result was a masterpiece. Well, I could go on and on about this phenomenon. Now, it is time to move on.
Rank 2: K.S Chitra
The only singer who has won FIVE national awards. She has sung over 10, 000 songs in 9 languages. This singer, in my view, is the epitome of versatility, talent and impeccable flexibility. She graduated with a degree in South-Indian classical music, went on to impress Ilayaraaja. This lead her to her first National Award(Sindhubhairavi: Paadariyen, 1986). Then, She went on to win her 5th National Award for?Payalein Chunmun?(Viraasat, 1997). She has bagged 11 Kerala, 3 Tamil Nadu, 4 Andhra Pradesh and one Karnataka State Award, in a span of 10-12 years. Isn?t this feat amazing? Chitra shot into limelight with the song?Kehna hi Kya? from Bombay. The most difficult part of the song, is the second and the third paragraphs(anupallavi & charanam). Another song which is a must-hear is?Jahan Piya? from Pardes. The song starts at a moderately high pitch(which by itself is difficult to hold for most of the singers). The notes travel some complex routes to produce an intense effect(Hear the crescendo in the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs).
Rank 3: Asha Bhosle
A winner of two National Awards, Asha Bhosle holds the distinction of being the ONLY Indian vocalist to have received a Grammy nomination. From the techno-style yelling at the start of the song?Rangeela Re?, to the smooth rendering of?O Bhavre?, she has seen it all, done it all. The amazing fact about this singer is that she sang this mix of songs(intensely fast and intensely slow) all through her career. For example, the song?Kya Dekthi Ho?(Qurbani) &?Raat Baagi?(Namak Halal) of the slow/melody genre and Yeh Hawa(Sadma) of the fast genre, all happened in the 80s. If we go back and check the 70s, 60s or 50s, you will see the versatility of this talented celebrity. One of the slight drawbacks she has suffered is her voice, which could not catch up with Lataji?s(Some of you may disagree). However, that drawback helped her to be more emotive and enthusiastic-sounding for the unconventionally tuned songs.
In other words, her voice is stronger, and when the fast numbers are sung, it is this strength that keeps her pitch from swaying with the complicated tunes and rhythm. To give you an example, hear the song from Rangeela, ?Tanha, Tanha, Yahan Pe Jeena?. After each word, the singer has to stop abruptly, then start the next line. To a regular singer, this type of complex pattern will make the notes falter. I really think her flexibility is the supreme example of talent. Her name will be etched in the hearts and minds of people in India and abroad for years to come.
Rank 4: Shreya Ghoshal
This one has a sea of talent, and I am thrilled that Bollywood has instantly noticed her. After hearing the songs from Devdas, I did wish that this singer become the next Lata or Asha. She went on to win the National Award for her performance in Devdas. Then, I got instantly addicted to her numbers in Jism & Dhoop. The latest one that showcases her talent is Main Hoon Na, where she has sung a slow(Main Hoon Na) and a fast(Tumhe Jo Maine) number. She has good flexibility, a sweet sound(resembles Lataji?s earlier voice, and Chitra?s voice in the late eighties and early nineties).
Rank 5:_
To admit frankly, I struggled with some names here(Given in the comments section).