It is still hard to believe that the great SP Balasubrahmanyam is no longer with us. Had he been alive, the legendary singer and actor would have turned 78. Born on 4 June 1946 in Nellore, Tamil Nadu, SP Balasubrahmanyam, or SPB as he was lovingly called, entered the world of playback music in 1966 with the Telugu film Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna. It is claimed that he sang over 50,000 songs, earning him a Guinness World Record—a feat he accomplished across 16 languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi. SP Balasubrahmanyam: Five Unknown Facts About The Legendary Singer That You Should Always Remember.

In Hindi, he sang some of the most popular songs of the '80s and '90s. His voice was closely associated with actors like Kamal Haasan (in films such as Saagar and Ek Duuje Ke Liye) and Salman Khan. SPB was Salman's singing voice during the early part of the actor's career, becoming synonymous with some of the biggest and most evergreen songs of Salman's career.

In remembrance of this great singer on his birth anniversary, we list five of our favourite songs of Salman Khan that SPB performed playback for:

"Mere Rang Mein"

Film: Maine Pyar Kiya

In Salman Khan's breakout blockbuster film, SP Balasubrahmanyam sang all the songs for him, and each one turned out to be a major chartbuster. "Dil Deewana," "Aate Jaate Hanste Gaate," "Kabootar Ja Ja Ja," "Aaja Shaam Hone Aayi," and more were all big hits then and remain popular now. Our favourite is the sizzling "Mere Rang Mein," which unfortunately has the notoriety of lifting a tune from Europe's "The Final Countdown," though this accusation also applies to other songs in the album. The soundtrack was composed by Raamlaxman.

"Saathiya Yeh Tune Kya Kiya"

Film: Love

This amazing ballad, composed by the great Ilayaraja, remains one of Hindi cinema's best love songs. It was picturised on Revathi and Salman Khan. SP Balasubrahmanyam and KS Chitra sang the lilting duet.

"Tumse Jo Dekhte Hi"

Film: Patthar Ke Phool

This underrated soundtrack, composed by Raamlaxman, features some very popular songs that were big hits. "Tumse Jo Dekhte Hi" was a major chartbuster and made popular some of Mumbai's locations with lines like "Kabhi Linking Road, Kabhi Garden Road, Kabhi Peddar Road." SPB crooned this song with Lata Mangeshkar. SP Balasubrahmanyam 6 Beautiful Tracks Sung by the Legend for Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi, Kajol's Films That Won Him National Awards.

"Yeh Raat Aur Yeh Doori"

Film: Andaz Apna Apna

Andaz Apna Apna is still loved for its brilliant comedy, quirky characters, and the hilarious pairing of Aamir Khan and Salman Khan. But its soundtrack, composed by Tushar Bhatia, also deserves attention, with each song being lively, fun, and enjoyable, fitting perfectly with the film's vibe. Our favourite track is the SPB-Asha Bhosle duet "Yeh Raat Aur Yeh Doori," which, apart from being a playful romantic number, is also delightful for Karisma Kapoor and Salman Khan's prancing around.

"Tum Se Milne Ki Tamanna Hai"

Film: Saajan

SPB sang some amazing songs in this Nadeem-Shravan-composed soundtrack, with hits like "Bahut Pyar Karte Hain," "Dekha Hai Pehli Baar," "Jiye To Jiye Kaise," "Tum Se Milne Ki Tamanna Hai," and "Pehli Baar Mile Hain." While all songs are excellent, we chose this one simply at random because all of them are equally great.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 04, 2024 08:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).