Pakistani music has few equals in depth or range. This is a place to start: twelve voices, across qawwali, ghazal, folk and pop, that anyone getting to know the country's music should hear.
The devotional titans
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan — the Shahenshah-e-Qawwali — carried six centuries of family tradition to the whole world; begin with Afreen Afreen. Abida Parveen, the Queen of Sufi music, sings as if in private prayer even before a stadium — try Tu Jhoom. And the Sabri Brothers gave qawwali its most thunderous hour with Bhar Do Jholi.
The ghazal masters
No one shaped the modern ghazal like Mehdi Hassan, the Shahenshah-e-Ghazal — hear Mujhe Tum Nazar Se. Farida Khanum owns one song more completely than most singers own a career: Aaj Jane Ki Zid Na Karo. Ghulam Ali and Iqbal Bano round out the golden age — the latter's live Hum Dekhenge, Faiz set to defiance, is history in itself. So is Nayyara Noor, the 'Bulbul-e-Pakistan'.
Folk and the golden film era
Noor Jehan, Malika-e-Tarannum, reigned over playback for half a century. Reshma came from the desert with a voice like sand and wind (Hai O Rabba). And Alamgir then Vital Signs opened the door to Pakistani pop.
That's a dozen doorways. Wander further through the full directory of artists, or by language, on Patari.