Remembering SPB: Bollywood Songs that Made '90s Kids Fall in Love with the Idea of Love

SP Balasubrahmanyam who tested coronavirus positive last month breathed his last on September 25. In his five decade long career, SPB has been a stage performer, a playback singer credited with over 40000 songs, a dubbing artiste, an actor and a reality show judge. Having won multiple National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer for his works in four different languages, he has left behind a musical legacy that can only be dreamt off. SPB has been the voice behind several megahits. With prominent songs like “Kabootar Jaa Jaa," “Bahut Pyaar Karte Hain," and “Pehla Pehla Pyaar Hai" in the ’90s, he made the ’90s kids fall in love with the idea of love.

SPB’s timeless songs for Salman Khan and Bhagyashree starrer Main Pyaar Kiya (1989) can be credited to the success of the film. The singer sang all the songs of the film including, “Aate Jaate Hanste Gaate", “Mere Rang Mein Rangne Waali", “Aaya Mausam Dosti Ka" among others. It became the best-selling Bollywood soundtrack of the decade with over 10 million units of the album being sold.

Saajan (1991)’s “Bahut Pyar Karte Hain" and “Jiye to Jiye Kaise" became love anthems of youngsters in the ’90s. Written by Sameer, the melodious tracks sung by Balasubrahmanyam feature Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit. “Bahut Pyaar Karte Hain" also has a female version which was sung by Alka Yagnik.

SBP also sang for Salman Khan in 1993 for the film Hum Aapke Hain Koun…! Till date, his songs like “Didi Tera Devar Deewana," Joote Do Paise Lo", and “Wah Wah Ramji" are popular at Indian weddings. His romantic song “Pehla Pehla Pyaar Hai" is also one of the popular tracks from the film’s album.

His other popular Bollywood songs are — “O Maria O Mariya," from the film Saagar, Andaz Apna Apna’s “Ye Raat aur Ye Doori" and “Hum Bane Tum Bane" of Ek Duuje Ke Liye among others.

In the spirit of true geniuses and brilliance, SP Balasubrahmanyam’s discography outshone setting certain parameters that the industry could best comprehend. Although he’s not among us now, his work nonetheless has had and will impress and mesmerise generations.