Anuradha Paudwal as a student of Xavier's college participated in the college's cultural programmes. She later married Arun Paudwal who was the music arranger of S. D. Burman. Anuradha Paudwal started her singing career in Bollywood with the film Abhiman starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan for which the music director was S. D. Burman.

In 1976 Anuradha got her big break with the film Kailcharan starring Shatrughan Sinha and Reena Roy. This Subhash Ghai film had music by Rajesh Roshan. Her first solo number was for the film Aap Beeti starring Hema Malini and Shashi Kapoor and the music was by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Anuradha Paudwal got some good numbers from the duo who were churning out hits one after the other. She also sang intermittently for other music directors such as Rajesh Roshan (Des Pardes), Jaidev (Dooriyan, Laila Majnu), Kalyanji-Anandji (Kalaakar, Vidhataa) and Usha Khanna (Souten, Sajan Bina Suhagan). Meanwhile her husband Arun Paudwal in the pair of Anil-Arun gave many hit numbers in Marathi films for which Anuradha sang some.

Anuradha Paudwal became a singer to reckon with when she rendered some exceptional numbers for the film Hero, music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. She had success with songs from the films Tezaab, Aashiqui, Meera Ka Mohan and Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin etc.  She won her first Filmfare award in 1985 for her song Mere Mann Bajaa Mirang Utsav. Anuradha  won three Filmfare awards in a row for Nazar Ke Samne in Aashiqui 1990, Title song of Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin 1991 and Dhak Dhak Karne Laga from Beta 1992.

At her peak Anuradha Paudwal announced that she would exclusively sing for T-series only. This stand benefited Alka Yagnik who just zoomed to the top with her newfound association with Nadeem-Shravan and Anu Malik, who had stopped composing for Gulshan Kumar due to some differences. As she stopped singing songs for films and concentrated more on devotional and cover-version albums, she harmed her immensely successful career. For almost five years, Anuradha Paudwal did not sing for many films and for any other music company. After the brutal murder of Gulshan Kumar, her hold over T-series diminished. 

Anuradha Paudwal has now started singing outside T-series again. She has had a few hits like Kismat Se Tum Hmko Milay Ho from Pukar, Akeli Hai Yeh Miss Khiladi from Mr & Mrs Khiladi, Zara Aankhon Mei Kajal Laga Lo from Hum Aapke Dil Mei Rahte Hain and Chaahaa Hai Tujhko from Mann.