15 Best Bengali Songs You’ll Want To Listen Again & Again

Much like love, music has no language. It hardly matters if you know the language the song is sung in or the lyrics are written in. A good melody always soothes the soul and can convey the emotions the lyrics are trying to portray. Similarly, you don’t need to know Bengali to understand Bengali song.

During the 50s, 60s and 70s, along with the rising political tensions in Bengal it also witnessed the rise of many musical geniuses. S. D. Burman, Salil Chowdhury, Sudhin Dasgupta, R. D. Burman are few names that immediately come to mind. Other than Salil Chowdhury, the lot dealt with the age old theme of love in their songs. We have curated a special list of Bengali song you must listen to.

Below are some of the best Bengali songs you must listen to:

1. Pagol Hawaye

This bengali song Pagol Hawaye has been written and composed by one of the greatest composers of all time, Salil Chowdhury. Like most of his songs in his career, the influence of Western Classical music is very much clear on this one too.

2. Borne Gondhe Chhonde Geetite

One of the most romantic bengali songs, composed by none other than S. D. Burman and written by Mira Dev Burman never fails to mesmerise the listeners. S. D. Burman’s main focus was on the melody whereas his son, R. D. Burman, was not only concerned about the melody, but also took great care of the arrangement of the instruments.

3. Tumi Koto Je Dure

This song made a terrific accomplishment in music and is one of the best Bengali songs of all time. With the lyrics being penned down by Swapan Chakraborty and music composed by R. D. Burman this song touches the soul. The song uses both electronic and acoustic sounds to create a soundscape which has never been done before at the time of its release. R. D. Burman and Asha Bhonsle sang the song together.

4. Shurero Ei Jhorna

Another Bengali song composed by the maestro Salil Chowdhury, Shurero Ei Jhorna was born to the influence of Russian Polka Music. This song was sung by Sabita Chowdhury.

6. Hoyto Tomari Jonno

There isn’t a single Bengali kid who doesn’t know this song. Yes, this song is evergreen and is still famous among the youngsters. This bengali song was composed by Sudhin Dasgupta and sung by Manna Dey. This was a major hit at the time of its release.

7. Shing Nei Tobu Naam Taar Shingho

This is one of the most quirky and fun Bengali song to be made. This song is said to be the first rock and roll song in Bengali which was sung by Kishore Kumar and composed by Hemanta Mukherjee. It also featured a brass section which had not been previously used like that.

8. Runner

This Bengali song is a massive hit for its outstanding composition. This song has a different time signature for each stanza breaking down the barriers of conventional songs. One has to listen to the song to understand its mind blowing composition.

9. Mono Lage Na

Sung by Lata Mangeshkar, this bengali song is also known by many. We can’t get enough of Salil Chowdhury’s visionary compositions.

11. Tobu Mone Rekho

This is a song of separation by Tagore. All of Tagore’s songs are extremely personal, maybe that’s the reason which makes them all the more relatable. This gem was written by Tagore when he was only 16 years old.

12. Ekla Cholo Re

This Bengali song by Rabindranath Tagore is known by all. This patriotic song asks the listener to keep on their journey, despite abandonment or lack of support from others. Although there are many modern adaptations of the song, earlier it was sung by Kishore Kumar, under the direction of Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and is still the best. It was recorded by Hemanta Mukherjee in 1989.

13. Prithibi Ta Naki Chhoto Hote Hote

The original song was written and composed by Gautam Chattopadhyay, who is underrated even today. Later on, the tune was copied by Pritam for the song “Bheegi Bheegi”. The lyrics are still relevant even today.

14. Amar Bhitor Bahire Ontore Ontore

Written by the Bangladeshi poet Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah which was later on adopted as a song, which is renowned in Bangladesh and West Bengal. The song got popular in West Bengal after being used by singer Kabir Suman.

15. Hay Bhalobashi

Another gem from Moheener Ghoraguli, this song was one of the tracks for their 1977 album Shongbighno Pakhikul. Gautam Chattopadhyay was the pioneer of the Bengali band movement.