In 1998, when Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On from Titanic seemed unbeatable on the UK charts, an unlikely challenger emerged — Brimful of Asha by the British indie band Cornershop.
A Tribute to Asha Bhosle and Bollywood
It was originally released in 1997 as a tribute to Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle and the culture of Bollywood music.
The song, from their third album, When I Was Born for the 7th Time, celebrated the joy of records, films, and the voices that shaped South Asian popular culture.
Asha Bhosle, the legendary playback singer who has sung over 12,000 songs, is referred to as "Sadi rani" (Punjabi for "our queen") at one point in the lyrics.
Though its first release gained modest attention, the track shot to global fame after a remix by Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) gave it a funky, danceable edge.
The remixed version stormed the charts, reaching No. 1 in the UK in February 1998, displacing Dion’s world-dominating ballad.
A Cultural Bridge Between East and West
The success was remarkable — an indie song paying homage to Indian cinema outshining a Hollywood juggernaut. It also became a cultural bridge, bringing South Asian references into mainstream Western pop in a playful yet proud manner.
More than two decades later, Brimful of Asha remains both a nostalgic anthem and a reminder that sometimes the most unexpected songs can rewrite chart history.
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