Most recorded female artist

Asha Bhosle (India, b. 8 September 1933, d. 12 April 2026) recorded more than 11,000 solo, duet and chorus-backed songs in over 20 Indian languages between 1947 and her death, aged 92, in 2026.

Lauded as one of the greatest and most influential voices in Hindi cinema, Bhosle won a 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award (at the age of 67) and Best Female Playback Singer at the Filmfare Awards a record-equalling seven times (1968-69, 1972-75 and 1979) – a total not matched until 2005 (by Alka Yagnik). Soprano Bhosle – the younger sister of playback singer Lata Mangeshkar – also collected two Grammy nominations (in 1997 and 2006) and, in 2000, she received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award – India’s most prestigious cinematic award – for her “extraordinary range and versatility”.

Among her catalogue of award-winning songs are “Dum Maro Dum” (from the 1972 Dev Anand film Haré Rama Haré Krishna) and “Mera Kuch Samaan” (from the 1987 film Ijaazat, directed by the Urdu poet, lyricist and screenwriter known as Gulzar).

Her many varied collaborations over the years include songs recorded with Culture Club’s Boy George, R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, Pakistani pop singer Jawad Ahmed and Damon Albarn/Jamie Hewlett’s virtual band Gorillaz, on “The Shadowy Light”, a track from their 2026 album The Mountain.

Cornershop’s 1998 UK No.1 “Brimful of Asha” was a tribute to Asha Bhosle.