For any future compilation of the 100 Best Tamil Songs, the only question is not whether SPB will dominate, but which 40 of his 10,000+ Tamil songs will be chosen. Music Analysis Unit Date: [Current Date] Sources: Public polls (2020–2024), Tamil film music archives, critical reviews from The Hindu and Film Companion South .
SPB’s count exceeds Yesudas by 2.5x, confirming his popular supremacy despite Yesudas being a more trained classical vocalist. 7. Composer-wise Distribution of SPB’s 38 Songs | Music Director | Number of SPB songs in Top 100 | Signature SPB hit with them | |----------------|--------------------------------|-----------------------------| | Ilaiyaraaja | 22 (58%) | Poongatru Thirumbuma | | A. R. Rahman | 5 (13%) | Ennavale Ennavale | | M. S. Viswanathan | 6 (16%) | Ninaivo Oru Paravai | | K. V. Mahadevan | 3 (8%) | Mannil Indha Kaadhal | | Deva / Harris / Others | 2 (5%) | Vaseegara |
1. Executive Summary S. P. Balasubrahmanyam (SPB, 1946–2020) is widely regarded as the greatest playback singer in the history of Tamil cinema. Over a six-decade career, he recorded over 40,000 songs across 16 languages, with Tamil being his primary and most iconic language.