When one music reviewer of a film magazine asked R D Burman, while M/S Bappi Lahiri and others were at the peak in eighties, whom he considers a complete music director, he mentioned the names of Laxmi-Pyare duo which is a great tribute to the abilities of Laxmikant-Pyarelal from a master himself. When Jaikishen of S-J duo died Raj Kapoor who entrusted all most all his film music composition to S-J, looked to L-P who composed hit music for ‘Bobby’ and ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’.
Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar(1937-1998) and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma(Born. 1940) formed a team under music directors Kalyanji-Anandji, when Pyarelal joined K-A . Earlier they had worked as musicians and assistants to a few music directors separately. They got their independent assignment as music composers for the film ‘Parasmani’ released in 1963 and there after never looked back until early nineties.
L-P(Laxmi-Pyare), were the composers who excelled in all forms of film songs such as classical based, folk, qawwali, mujra, western, lori, bhajan and ghazal. They teamed with lyricist Anand Bakshi and Majrooh Sultanpuri for most of their films to compose evergreen songs.
Though they composed chart busters like Ek-Do-Teen(Tezab), Ilu Ilu(Saudagar), Choli Ke Peeche(Khalnayak), Chabi Kho jaye(Bobby) etc., my choices are folk and classical based songs as only these songs last for ever. The so called popular(pop) ones last as long as the films are in circulation and then die down. It is very difficult to select 20 best ones from innumerable best songs, but I present below my choice(not in order of merit).
Woh Jab Yaad Aye, bahut yad aaye [ Film: Parasmani, Lyrics: Asad Bhopali, Singers: Lata, Rafi]
Chahoonga main tuje [Film: Dosti, Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri, Singer: Rafi]
Mere nasib mein ae dost tera pyar nahin [ Film: Do Raste, Lyrics: Anad Bakshi, Singer: Kishore Kumar]
Sawan Ka Mahina Pawan Kare shor [Film: Milan, Lyrics: Anand Bakshi, Singers: Mukesh-Lata]
Suno sajna papihe ne . [Film: Aye din Bahar Ke, Lyrics: Anand Bakshi, Singer: Lata]
Man ki pyaas mere man se na nikli, aise tadapun ke jaise jal bin machhli [Film: Jal Bin Machhli, Nritya Bin Bijli, Lyrics: Singer: Lata]
Tum jao kahin tumko ikthiar, hum jayen kahan sajna, humne to kiya hai pyar … [ Film: Mere Hum dum mere dost, Lyrics: Majrooh, singer: Lata]
Main tere isqh mein mar na jaoon kahi, tu mujhe aajmane ki koshish na kar [Film: Loafer, Lyrics: Anand Bakshi, Singer-Lata]
Mere dil mein aaj kya hai [Film: Daag, Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi, Singer: Kishore Kumar]
Ek Pyar ka nagma hai [ Film: Shor, Lyrics: Santosh Anand, Singers: Mukesh-Lata]
Patthar Ke sanam are humne. [ Film: Patthar Ke Sanam, Lyrics: Majrooh, Singer: Rafi]
Chanchal sheetal nirmal komal sangeet ki devi swara sajnee. [Film: Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Lyrics: Pt. Narendra Sharma, Singer: Mukesh]
Jhilmil sitaron ka angan hoga, rimjhim barsata sawan hoga . [Film: Jeevan Mrityu, Lyrics: Anand Bakshi, Singers: Lata Rafi]
Ane se uski aye bahar [Film: Jeene ki Raah, Lyrics: Anand Bakshi, singer: rafi]
Main tulsi tere aangan ki. [Film: Main tulsi tere aangan ki, Lyrics: Anand Bakshi, singer: Lata]
Parbat Ke Us paar . [Film: Sargam, Lyrics: Anand Bakshi, Singer: Lata]
Tum gagan ki Chandrama ho …[Film: Sati Savitri, Lyrics: Bharat Vyas, Singers: Lata-Manna Dey]
Man Kyon Behka re behka aadhi raat ko. [ Film: Utsav, Lyrics: Vasant Dev, Singers: Lata-Asha]
Jaun tore Charan kamal par wari [Film: Sur Sangam, Singers: Lata-Rajan Mishra]
Ye galiyan ye chaubara, yahan ana na dobara [Film: Prem Rog: Lyrics: Anand Bakshi, singer-Lata]