The Most Famous
SINGERS from Pakistan
This page contains a list of the greatest Pakistani Singers. The pantheon dataset contains 4,381 Singers, 9 of which were born in Pakistan. This makes Pakistan the birth place of the 67th most number of Singers behind South Africa, and Indonesia.
Top 10
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Pakistani Singers of all time. This list of famous Pakistani Singers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Pakistani Singers.
1. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1948 - 1997)
With an HPI of 51.79, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is the most famous Pakistani Singer. His biography has been translated into 56 different languages on wikipedia.
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Punjabi: نصرت فتح علی خان, Punjabi pronunciation: [nʊsˈɾət̪ ˈfət̪e(ɦ) əliː ˈxɑːn]; born Pervez Fateh Ali Khan; 13 October 1948 – 16 August 1997), also known by his initials NFAK, was a Pakistani singer, songwriter, and music director. He was primarily a singer of qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music. Often referred to as the "Shahenshah-e-Qawwali" (the King of Qawwali), he is considered by The New York Times as the greatest qawwali singer of his generation and as the fourth greatest singer of all time by LA Weekly in 2016. He was known for his vocal abilities and could perform at a high level of intensity for several hours. Khan is widely credited with introducing Qawwali music to international audiences. He was also a master of Hindustani classical music. Born in Lyallpur (Faisalabad), Dominion of Pakistan, Khan had his first public performance at the age of 15 at his father's chelum. He became the head of the family qawwali party in 1971 and brought his unique style of sargam, khayal, and rhythm to his family's legacy. He was signed by Oriental Star Agencies, Birmingham, England, in the early 1980s. Khan went on to release movie scores and albums in Europe, India, Japan, Pakistan, and the U.S. He engaged in collaborations and experiments with Western artists, becoming a well-known world music artist. He toured extensively, performing in over 40 countries. In addition to popularising qawwali music, he also had a profound impact on contemporary South Asian popular music, including Pakistani pop, Indian pop, and Bollywood music.
2. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902 - 1968)
With an HPI of 43.47, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan is the 2nd most famous Pakistani Singer. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (2 April 1902 – 23 April 1968) was an Indian vocalist, from the Kasur Patiala Gharana.
3. Shamshad Begum (1919 - 2013)
With an HPI of 41.34, Shamshad Begum is the 3rd most famous Pakistani Singer. Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Shamshad Begum (Urdu: شمشادبیگمچ, IAST: Śamśād Bēgam; 14 April 1919 – 23 April 2013) was an Indian singer who was one of the first playback singers in the Hindi film industry. Notable for her distinctive voice and range, she sang over 6,000 songs in Hindustani, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, and Punjabi languages, among which 1287 were Hindi film songs. She worked with renowned composers of the time, such as Naushad Ali and O. P. Nayyar, for whom she was one of their favorites. Her songs from the 1940s to the early 1970s remain popular and continue to be remixed.
4. Ghulam Ali (b. 1940)
With an HPI of 39.61, Ghulam Ali is the 4th most famous Pakistani Singer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Ustad Ghulam Ali (Punjabi: غُلام علی; born 5 December 1940) is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala Gharana. Ghulam Ali is considered as one of the greatest ghazal singers of his era. He has also been a prominent playback singer in Bollywood. He is a disciple of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (elder Ghulam Ali Khan). Ali was also trained by Bade Ghulam Ali's younger brothers – Barkat Ali Khan and Mubarak Ali Khan. His style and variations in singing Ghazals are unique, as he blends Hindustani classical music with ghazals, unlike any other ghazal singer. Highly popular in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, as well as among South Asian diaspora in the US, the UK and the Middle Eastern countries. Many of his hit ghazals have been used in Bollywood movies. His famous ghazals are Chupke Chupke Raat Din, Kal Chaudhvin Ki Raat Thi, Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa, Chamakte Chand Ko, Kiya Hai Pyar Jisé, May Nazar Sé Pee Raha Hoon, Mastana Peeyé, Yé dil yé pagal dil, Apni Dhun Mein Rehta Hoon a ghazal by Nasir Kazmi, "Ham Ko Kiske Gham Ne Maara". His recent album "Hasratein" was nominated in the Best Ghazal Album category at Star GIMA Awards 2014. He was married to Afsana Ali and has a daughter Manjari Ghulam Ali. In 2015, due to protest by Shiv Sena at Mumbai, his concert was cancelled. After this, he received invitations from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. After this cancellation, he performed in Lucknow, New Delhi, Trivandrum, and Kozhikode, India. In a news item reported in 2015, Ghulam Ali has said that he won't perform in India until situation is right for music. He, however, assured that he will visit India when ‘the atmosphere is right.’ He said that he does not want to be used for political mileage. His sons Aamir Ghulam Ali and Nazar Ali Abbas are also musicians.
5. Surinder Kaur (1929 - 2006)
With an HPI of 38.31, Surinder Kaur is the 5th most famous Pakistani Singer. Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Surinder Kaur (25 November 1929 – 14 June 2006) was an Indian singer and songwriter. While she mainly sang Punjabi folk songs, where she is credited for pioneering and popularising the genre, Kaur also recorded songs as a playback singer for Hindi films between 1948 and 1952. For her contributions to Punjabi music, she earned the sobriquet Nightingale of Punjab, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1984, and the Padma Shri in 2006. In a career spanning nearly six decades, her repertoire included Punjabi Sufi Kafis of Bulleh Shah and verses by contemporary poets like Nand Lal Noorpuri, Amrita Pritam, Mohan Singh and Shiv Kumar Batalvi giving memorable songs like, "Maavan 'te dheean", "Jutti kasuri", "Madhaniyan", "Ehna akhiyan 'ch pavan kiven kajra', 'Ghaman di raat' and "Bajre da sitta". In time her wedding songs, most notably "Lathe di chadar", "Suhe ve cheere waleya" and "Kaala doria", have become an indelible part of the Punjabi culture.
6. Abida Parveen (b. 1954)
With an HPI of 36.25, Abida Parveen is the 6th most famous Pakistani Singer. Her biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Abida Parveen (Sindhi: عابده پروين; Urdu: عابدہ پروین; born 20 February 1954) is a Pakistani singer, composer, musician of Sufi music, painter and an entrepreneur. Parveen is one of the highest-paid singers in Pakistan. Her singing and music have earned her many accolades, and she has been dubbed the Queen of Sufi music. Born and raised in Larkana into a Sindhi Sufi family, she was trained by her father, Ustad Ghulam Haider, who was a famous singer and music teacher. She plays the Pump organ, Keyboard, and Sitar. Parveen started performing in the early 1970s and came into global prominence in the 1990s. Since 1993, Parveen has toured globally, performing her first international concert at Buena Park, California. She has also performed in Churches, several times. Parveen features in Pakistan's popular musical show Coke Studio and was a judge on the pan-South Asia contest show Sur Kshetra alongside Runa Laila and Asha Bhosle, hosted by Ayesha Takia. She had appeared in various Indian and Pakistani music reality shows, including Pakistan Idol, Chhote Ustaad, and STAR Voice of India. Parveen is among The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the world and has the power to induce hysteria in her audience. She is a "Global Mystic Sufi Ambassador". In the last few years, she has sung in a Pepsi commercial, collaborating with Atif Aslam for this. Parveen is regularly referred to as one of the world's greatest mystic singers. She sings mainly ghazals, thumri, khyal, qawwali, raga (raag), Sufi rock, classical and semi-classical music, and her speciality, kafi, a solo genre accompanied by percussion and harmonium, using a repertoire of songs by Sufi poets. Parveen sings in Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Arabic, and Persian. Parveen notably sang a famous song in Nepali language called "Ukali Orali Haruma", originally by Nepali singer Tara Devi, in a concert in Kathmandu, Nepal, and in 2017, she was designated a 'Peace Ambassador' by SAARC. Parveen is best known for singing in an impassioned, loud voice, especially on the songs Yaar ko Humne from the album Raqs-e-Bismil and Tere Ishq Nachaya, which is a rendition of Bulleh Shah's poetry. She was bestowed Pakistan's second highest civilian award, Hilal-e-Imtiaz, in 2012 and the highest civilian award, Nishan-e-Imtiaz, in March 2021, by the President of Pakistan.
7. Nazia Hassan (1965 - 2000)
With an HPI of 35.64, Nazia Hassan is the 7th most famous Pakistani Singer. Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Nazia Hassan (3 April 1965 – 13 August 2000) was a Pakistani singer-songwriter, lawyer and social activist. Referred to as the "Queen of South Asian Pop", she is considered one of the most influential singers in Pakistan and India as well. Starting in the 1980s, as part of the duo Nazia and Zoheb, she and her brother Zoheb Hassan, have sold over 65 million records worldwide. Hassan made her singing debut with the song "Aap Jaisa Koi", which appeared in the Indian film Qurbani in 1980. She received praise for the single, and won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer at the age of 15 in 1981, becoming the first Pakistani to win and currently remains the youngest recipient of the award to date. Her debut album, Disco Deewane, was released in 1981, and charted in fourteen countries worldwide and became the best-selling Asian pop record up at the time. The album included the English-language single "Dreamer Deewane" which led her to be the first Pakistani singer to make it to the British charts. Hassan followed up with the albums Boom Boom in 1982, part of which was used as the soundtrack of the film Star (1982), Young Tarang in 1984, and Hotline in 1987. The track "Dum Dum Dede" from Young Tarang was used in closing scene of the 2012 Indian film, Miss Lovely by Ashim Ahluwalia. Her last album, Camera Camera in 1992, was part of a campaign against drugs. Along with her brother, she also appeared in several television programs. In 1988 she appeared in Sung Sung with music maestro Sohail Rana. They also hosted the first-ever pop-music stage show, Music '89, produced by Shoaib Mansoor. Her success played a key role in shaping Pakistani pop music scene. Throughout her singing career spanning over 15 years, Hassan became one of Pakistan's most popular celebrities. She was a recipient of Pakistan's civilian award, Pride of Performance. In addition to singing, she also engaged in philanthropic activities, and was appointed by UNICEF as its cultural ambassador in 1991. On 13 August 2000, Hassan died of lung cancer in London at the age of 35.
8. Ghazala Javed (1988 - 2012)
With an HPI of 29.66, Ghazala Javed is the 8th most famous Pakistani Singer. Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Ghazala Javed (Pashto: غزاله جاويد;Urdu: غزالہ جاويد 1 January 1988 – 18 June 2012) was a Pashtun playback singer from Swat Valley, Pakistan. She began singing since 2004 and was "popular with young, progressive ethnic Pashtuns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Her music was famous not only in Pakistan but also in neighbouring Afghanistan and among Pashtuns around the world.
9. Atif Aslam (b. 1983)
With an HPI of 27.58, Atif Aslam is the 9th most famous Pakistani Singer. His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.
Atif Aslam (Punjabi pronunciation: [aːt̪ɪf əsləm]; born 12 March 1983) is a Pakistani playback singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He has recorded many songs in both Pakistan and India, and is known for his vocal belting technique. Born in Wazirabad, Punjab, Atif Aslam started his music career in early 2000s. He released his first album titled "Jal Pari". In 2005, he debuted in Bollywood music industry by singing a song in the Indian film, Zeher. After this, he sang multiple songs in Bollywood in India and Lollywood in Pakistan. Aslam has sung for Coke Studio. He predominantly sings in Urdu, but also sings in his native Punjabi, as well as Bengali, Persian and Pashto. In 2008, he received the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, the fourth-highest civilian honor award from the Pakistani government. He is also a recipient of several Lux Style Awards. In March 2003, he was introduced by McDonald's Pakistan to sing commercials for cartoons like Sonic The Hedgehog and Hello Kitty. Aslam made his acting debut in 2011, with the Urdu social drama film Bol. In 2019, he was awarded a star in the Dubai Walk of Fame after his nomination for the best singer in Pakistan. He was also featured in the Forbes Asia's 100 Digital Stars, published in December 2020.
10. Amjad Sabri (1970 - 2016)
With an HPI of 26.69, Amjad Sabri is the 10th most famous Pakistani Singer. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.
Amjad Farid Sabri (Urdu: امجد فرید صابری; 23 December 1970 – 22 June 2016) was a Pakistani qawwal, naat khawan and a proponent of the Sufi Muslim tradition. Son of Ghulam Farid Sabri and nephew of Maqbool Ahmed Sabri of the Sabri Brothers, he emerged as one of South Asia's prominent qawwali singers. The TTP Hakimullah Mehsud group has claimed responsibility for Sabri's death, saying that they carried out the assassination "for blasphemy".
People
Pantheon has 11 people classified as Pakistani singers born between 1902 and 1988. Of these 11, 4 (36.36%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Pakistani singers include Ghulam Ali, Abida Parveen, and Atif Aslam. The most famous deceased Pakistani singers include Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, and Shamshad Begum. As of April 2024, 2 new Pakistani singers have been added to Pantheon including Ghulam Ali, and Hadiqa Kiani.
Living Pakistani Singers
Go to all Rankings
Ghulam Ali
1940 - Present
HPI: 39.61
Abida Parveen
1954 - Present
HPI: 36.25
Atif Aslam
1983 - Present
HPI: 27.58
Hadiqa Kiani
1972 - Present
HPI: 21.96
Deceased Pakistani Singers
Go to all RankingsNusrat Fateh Ali Khan
1948 - 1997
HPI: 51.79
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
1902 - 1968
HPI: 43.47
Shamshad Begum
1919 - 2013
HPI: 41.34
Surinder Kaur
1929 - 2006
HPI: 38.31
Nazia Hassan
1965 - 2000
HPI: 35.64
Ghazala Javed
1988 - 2012
HPI: 29.66
Amjad Sabri
1970 - 2016
HPI: 26.69
Newly Added Pakistani Singers (2024)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Singers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 7 most globally memorable Singers since 1700.
