Today, we celebrate the 91st birthday of the "Nightingale of India"; Lata Mangeshkar.

The great one was born on September 28, 1929.

Think it was writer/editor Dinesh Raheja who said, "In the pursuit of excellence only Lata Mangeshkar has fulfilled her journey."

One of the few singers on earth we can state has sung "innumerable" songs with a certain sense of accuracy, there is no hyperbola in that sentence. She herself has no idea how many songs she has recorded in all the Indian languages. There are too many contradicting fan and media reports online to verify the exact number hence, and ipso facto she has categorically sung innumerable songs!

Lata Mangeshkar held the Guinness record for years (only to be beaten recently by her younger sister, the formidable Aasha Bhosle) for having recorded and sung the most number of songs. I'm sure someone online will create the precise list of all by the Mangeshkar sisters one day, but until then, here's a list of just 10 songs that are perennial favourites of many.

Our list of Top Ten faultless, flawless, fabulous (was going for alliteration there!) Hindi film songs sung by Lata Mangehkar below.

Perfect lyrics, perfect composition, perfect orchestra, perfect sound, perfect emotions, perfect pitch... just perfect, perfect, perfect....

Not an iota of criticism for the songs can we fathom. The list is in no particular order as the favourite changes according to mood and moment...

Portrait of Lata Mangeshkar below by the late, great Gautam Rajadhyaksha. Wish we had talked to him about music; the man had encyclopedic knowledge on music, among several other subjects.

TOP TEN Lata Mangeshkar Songs...

Movie: Junglee (1961)
Song: Ehsaan Tera hoga
Music Director: Shankar-Jaikishan
Lyricists: Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra

Movie: Anupama (1966)
Song: Kuchh Dil Ne Kaha
Music Director: Hemant Kumar
Lyricist: Kaifi Azmi

Movie: Kabhi Kabhi (1976)
Song: Kabhi kabhi mere dil main
Music Director: Khayyam
Lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi

Movie: Silsila (1976)
Song: Neela Aasmaan So gaya
Music Director: Shiv Hari
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar

Movie: Kabhi Kabhi (1981)
Song: Kabhi kabhi mere dil main
Music Director: Khayyam
Lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi

Movie: Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960)
Song: Ajeeb Daastan Hai Yeh

Music Director: Shankar Jaikishan
Lyricist: Shailendra

Movie: Woh Kaun Thi? (1964)
Song: Lag ja Gale

Music Director: Madan Mohan
Lyricist: Raja Mehdi Ali Khan

Movie: Abhimaan (1973)
Song: Piya Bina

Music Director: S.D.Burman
Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri

Movie: Aandhi (1975)
Song: Tere bina Zindagi se Koi
Music Director: R.D.Burman
Lyricist: Gulzar

Movie: Kinara (1977)
Song: Naam gum jayega
Music Director: R.D.Burman
Lyricist: Gulzar

Movie: Razia Sultan (1983)
Song: Aye dil-e-naadan
Music Director: Khayyam
Lyricist: Jan Nisar Akhtar

Post Script:

As we completed this ad hoc list so many songs that were left out came into mind... Any number from from the film Mera Saaya (Sachin Tendulkar's favourite is the title song), Tere Mere Honton Pe from Chandni in 1989, well, any song in that film by Lataji or Lamhe... an entire treasure trove from RK Films, B.R.Chopra films... We really should do a Top 100...

One day...