Growing up, along with SPB, Malaysia Vasudevan (MV), K. J. Yesudas (KJ), TMS, P. Susheela, S. Janaki’s voice was a constant presence in our home and became part of my most cherished memories. Initially, my listening of S. Janaki (SJ) was dominated by Ilayaraja’s (IR) compositions. So, I was of the belief that Ilayaraja introduced her as the playback singer. Later I found out she had been in the field from 1957, a decade and a half before Ilayaraja showed up with the movie Annakili. Maybe the domination of Ilayaraja during my school and college days led me to that belief. IR, SJ, SPB, KJ, and MV filled our listening choices.

When I saw her live performance on TV, I was dumbfounded. There she was, standing perfectly still in front of the mic. She had zero expression on her face, with no shaking of the head or movement of her hands. Her hands simply held a small notebook with the lyrics. When she sang, all the expressions from within. For the viewers, it felt effortless – using as little energy as possible!! Classical, racy and fast tunes, joy, romance, teasing, erotic, pathos, rural, urban – everything came from modulation, as she herself mentioned in one of her interviews.

As listeners, we feel she would have lost herself in the emotion of the composition. On the contrary, she clarified that for her, it is similar to acting; she is always aware of what she sets out to perform – if she loses herself, then she can’t remember the next line. Watching her live, she sings with utmost concentration. I always wondered how she processed the composition and lyrics—emotion, pauses, chuckle, gasps—before the recording—but I couldn’t find an interview where she talks about it.

Forget top 10, it is not easy to pick even top 100 or 500 songs sung by SJ. She has left behind an enormous body of work that I don’t even venture to rank. Instead, I am calling out a few songs which give a peek into her incredible range.

Pathos

Maadha Un Kovilil:

Kaatril Enthan Geetham:

Paadava Un Paadalai

Thaamtha Dheemtha:

Classical

Singara Velane Deva: Thenodu kalantha thennamudhu (coconut milk mixed with honey) – a complete feast!!

Azhagu Malaraada:

Chinna Kannan Azhaikkiran:

Rural

Machanai Paartheengala:

Ooru Sanam Thoongirichi:

Senthoora Poove:

Urban

Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen:

Kannan Vandhu Paduginraan:

Oru Poongavanam:

Ithu Oru Nila Kaalam:

Romance

Mounamana Neram:

Naguva Nayana Madhura Mouna:

Thoongatha Vizhigal Rendu:

Thedum Kan Parvai Thudikka:

Jotheyali Jothe Jotheyali: Listen to the chuckles – SJ and SPB absolutely rock this track!

Idhu Nanna Ninna:

Erotic

Ponmeni Uruguthe: Try singing this song exactly like SJ, while standing completely still!

Nila Kaayuthu:

Kotta Paakkum Kozhuthu Vethalayum:

Racy Tunes

Nadaya Maathu:

Poo Potta Dhavani:

Poo Malai:

Disco / Dance

Vaa Vaa Pakkam Vaa:

Chinna Rasave Chitterumbu Enna Kadikkuthu:

Bonus

Siru Ponmani asaiyum: A true tongue twister.

Kaatrukenna Veli: A pure feeling of joy.

Putham Puthu Kaalai:

Ultimately, trying to capture SJ’s career in a blog post is like trying to catch the wind. Her range was infinite, and her voice will live forever in our hearts. By standing completely still and letting her unparalleled voice modulation do all the heavy lifting, she achieved a level of emotional precision that few will ever replicate. My list is just a tiny window into an ocean of thousands of songs—she leaves us with a lifetime of art to rediscover. She sang her way into our homes, leaving behind a legacy that will live on forever.