Jagjit Singh was an Indian singer, musician, and composer. Nicknamed King of Ghazals, Jagjit Singh is credited with reviving and popularizing an Indian classical art form called ghazal. Regarded as one of the most influential artists in India, Singh was honored with India's third-highest civilian award Padma Bhushan in 2003. He was also honored with other awards like Lata Mangeshkar Samman.
Noor Jehan was a Pakistani actress and playback singer. In a career spanning over 60 years, she is estimated to have sung around 20,000 songs. One of the most important Pakistani singers of all time, Noor Jehan is also widely regarded as one of the most influential and greatest South Asian singers of all time.
Mehdi Hassan was a Pakistani ghazal singer and playback singer for Lollywood. He is considered to be one of the greatest figures in the history of ghazal singing and is referred to as the "Shahenshah-e-Ghazal" (Emperor of Ghazal). An influential figure in the Pakistani film industry, he sang and composed music for an estimated 300 films.
Popular Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila began her career as a Pakistani film singer. She later released some of the biggest hits of the Bengali and Hindi music scene, such as Shaadher Lau. The Bangladesh National Film Award winner is also a Guinness record holder for recording 30 songs in 3 days.
Iqbal Bano was a Pakistani ghazal singer best remembered for her classical thumris and semi-classical ghazal songs. She was renowned for singing the ghazals of the Lenin Prize-winning poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz. In 1974, Iqbal Bano was honored with the prestigious Presidential Pride of Performance Award for her contribution to music.