S.P Balasubrahmanyam

Updated: March 14, 2026

Name: S.P. Balasubrahmanyam
Date of Birth: June 4, 1946
Date of Death: September 25, 2020 (aged 74)

Biography & Career:

S.P. Balasubrahmanyam (4 June 1946 – 25 September 2020) was a legendary Indian playback singer, actor, and music director who held the Guinness World Record for the highest number of songs recorded. He passed away in Chennai at the age of 74 following complications from COVID-19, leaving behind an extraordinary musical legacy spanning more than five decades.

The word prolific barely did Indian star S.P Balasubrahmanyam justice. Most commonly referred to as SPB or Balu, he held the Guinness World Record for the highest number of songs recorded (a staggering 40,000!), while he also won six National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer and 25 Nandi Awards. Born in 1946, the singer, actor, music director, voice actor and film producer was a cult name in his native India, having started working in the entertainment industry in the mid-60s.

Alongside his record for the most number of tracks ever recorded, he also held the record for the most songs written in one day – an incredible 21 songs written from 9am–9pm. His first big film break came in 1981 with Shankarabharanam, which is considered one of the finest Telugu films ever made, and in 1989 he worked alongside Bollywood legend Salman Khan on the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya.

He’s sold hundreds of thousands of tickets during his illustrious career, S.P Balasubrahmanyamis remained one of the most celebrated voices in Indian cinema and music, returned to the Bollywood world after a 15 year hiatus, working on the 2013 classic Chennai Express. His performances across India and the Middle East helped cement his reputation as one of the most influential playback singers in Indian music history.