On September 28, we celebrate the 95th birth anniversary of Lata Mangeshkar, the Nightingale of India. For decades, this legendary singer has mesmerised millions with her soul-stirring melodies that have become timeless classics. With a remarkable career spanning over 70 years and an astonishing repertoire of over 25,000 songs in multiple languages, Lata Mangeshkar’s melodious voice continues to inspire new generations of artists.
She also holds a prestigious spot in the Guinness World Records—do you know why? In 1974, Lata Mangeshkar was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the most recorded artist in history. According to the record, between 1948 and 1974, she had sung over 25,000 songs, including solos, duets, and chorus-backed tracks, across 20 Indian languages. The languages in which she recorded songs were Hindi, Marathi, Bengali and many others.
This was contested by singer Mohammad Rafi, who claimed to have sung around 28,000 songs. After Rafi’s death, the 1984 edition of the Guinness World Records acknowledged Lata Mangeshkar under the ‘Most Recordings’ category. In later editions, the Guinness Records stated that Lata Mangeshkar had recorded at least 30,000 songs between 1948 and 1987.
Over the years, she has even achieved multiple awards and recognitions, including Padma Bhushan (1969), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1989), Maharashtra Bhushan (1997), Padma Vibhushan (1999), Bharat Ratna (2001), Legion d’Honour (2006), and many others. Evergreen Romanti.