Bas Meri Jaan Bas - Aanchal by Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar

Few songs from 1980 have held their ground as well as Bas Meri Jaan Bas - Aanchal, a track that keeps finding new audiences. Credit goes to R.D. Burman for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar brings a warmth to Bas Meri Jaan Bas - Aanchal that no production choice could manufacture — it has to be felt, and here it is. The story told by Rajesh Khanna, Rekha in Aanchal finds its musical expression here — Bas Meri Jaan Bas - Aanchal is where the film's heart beats loudest.

1980 was a strong year for Hindi music, and Bas Meri Jaan Bas - Aanchal was among the reasons why. The mood of the track shifts subtly as it progresses, giving even a single listen a sense of journey.

Running to 4:21, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.