She sang Sadashivrao Nevrekar composed song Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari for Vasant Joglekar's Marathi film Kiti Hasaal (1942), but it was cut from the final cut. Later, Vinayak cast her in Navyug Chitrapat's Marathi film Pahili Mangalaa-gaur (1942), where she sang Natali Chaitraachi Navalaai, composed by Dada Chandekar. For the Marathi film Gajaabhaau, she sang Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu (1943)
Mangeshkar sung songs composed by many music directors of the time, including Anil Biswas (in films such as Tarana (1951) and Heer (1953). Her song Aye Maalik Tere Bande Hum, originally composed by Vasant Desai and featured in the 1957 film Do Aankhen Barah Haath, was adopted as the school anthem by a Pakistani school. The song "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya" by Lata Mangeshkar from Mughal-e-Azam (1960), composed by Naushad and lip-synced by Madhubala, is still popular. Shankar-Jaikishan penned and Meena Kumari lip-synced the Hawaiian-themed number "Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh" from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960).
In the 1960s, she also began working with Laxmikant-Pyarelal, the music directors for whom she performed some of her most successful songs. Laxmikant-friendship Pyarelal with Lata Mangeshkar began in 1963 and grew stronger over time. Over the course of 35 years, she sung over 700 songs for the composer team, many of which were enormous blockbusters. She sung for Parasmani (1963), Mr. X in Bombay (1964), Aaye Din Bahar Ke (1966), Milan (1967), Anita (1967), Shagird (1968), Mere Hamdam Mere Dost (1968), Intaquam (1969), Do Raaste (1969), and Jeene Ki Raah (1969).
She also staged several events in India and overseas, including several charity concerts, beginning in the 1970s. She changed the perception of Indian music concerts in the West. Her first foreign performance was at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1974. (Despite some sources suggesting that she was the first Indian to do so, according to the Hall's own records, the late Ravi Shankar was the first Indian to perform there on 21 October 1969. Film music concerts had hitherto been song-and-dance celebrations conducted in community halls and colleges, and were rarely considered seriously. Mangeshkar insisted on solely performing in mainstream venues, an honour previously reserved for classical performers.
The United Way of Greater Toronto invited her to sing at Maple Leaf Gardens in June 1985. Lata sang her song "You Needed Me" at Anne Murray's request. The performance drew 12,000 people and raised $150,000 for charity. She sang in practically all of Yash Chopra's and Yash Raj Films' films at the time, including Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), Darr (1993), Yeh Dillagi (1994), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), and later in Mohabbatein (2000), Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002), and Veer-Zaara (2004).
Lata Mangeshkar was the singing voice for a slew of Bollywood leading ladies over the course of her nearly eight-decade career. She sang over 5,000 songs in over a thousand Hindi and 36 regional films. She had an unprecedented influence on Indian film music. Lata has been pushing the boundaries of music with her mind-blowing abilities since 1942. Lata had performed for actresses ranging from Madhubala to Priyanka Chopra over the years.