As composers and ad-makers revisit and remix music from the 1980s and 1990s, this generation of teenagers is becoming aware of the sweet voices that inspired their elders to dance, fall in love, and grieve lost love. This series will pay homage to Bollywood music luminaries while also chronicling their struggles in the following weeks.
Alka Yagnik found her first mentor in her mother, Subha Yagnik, a trained classical singer, who was an avid Lata Mangeshkar devotee and a passionate music enthusiast who began singing at the age of four. She began singing in AIR Kolkata at the age of six, and by the age of ten, she had traveled to Mumbai with her mother to begin her career as a child singer. After meeting Raj Kapoor, she was introduced to Laxmikant (of the composer pair Laxmikant Pyarelal), who offered her two options: a quick start as a dubbing artist or a later break as a vocalist. She went with the latter option.
Alka Yagnik’s major break came with the song “Ek Do Teen” from Tezaab (1988), which featured Madhuri Dixit. This was the beginning of a thriving profession in playback singing, which included songs from films such as Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dhadkan, Taal, Refugee, and Pardes, among others.
On the YouTube music chart, Yagnik remains the most popular artist. In Tamasha, the two-time National Award winner sang “Agar Tum Saath Ho.”
Here is a list of top 10 Alka Yagnik songs that you can revisit anytime:
Ek Do Teen – Tezaab
Dil Ne Yeh Kaha Hai Dil Se – Dhadkan
Aapke Pyaar Mein – Raaz
Gazab Ka Hai Din – Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak
Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai – Khalnayak
Gali Mein Aaj Chand Nikla – Zakhm
Kitni Bechain Hoke – Kasoor
Agar Tum Saath Ho – Tamasha
Tauba Tumhare Yeh Ishare – Chalte Chalte