Famous 20th Century Playback Singers

Carroll O'Connor was an American actor, director, and producer. In a TV career that spanned 40 years, O'Connor popularized several fictional characters, including Archie Bunker from the sitcom All in the Family, for which he received four Emmy Awards. In 1996, he was ranked 38th on the 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list published by TV Guide.

National Award-winning singer Shreya Ghoshal grew up in Rajasthan and later moved to Mumbai, where her electrical engineer father was posted. After gaining attention with the talent show Sa Re Ga Ma, the classically trained artist was catapulted to fame with her playback singing in Devdas, and never looked back.

One of the most respected and best-known playback singers in India, Lata Mangeshkar is popularly known as the Nightingale of India. She had a long career of more than 60 years and was honoured with India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna..

Starting her training in singing at age 4, Neha Kakkar later participated in Indian Idol but was eliminated before she could make her mark on the show. She later soared to fame with the track Second Hand Jawaani from Cocktail and never looked back. She has also performed in minor roles.

A man of many talents, Kishore Kumar was an Indian actor, filmmaker, writer, music director, lyricist, and playback singer. One of the most popular Indian singers of his generation, Kishore Kumar sang in different genres and multiple Indian languages. In 1997, the Kishore Kumar Award was initiated for his contributions to Hindi cinema. Despite marrying four times, he remained a loner.

S. P. Balasubrahmanyam was an Indian playback singer, music director, actor, television presenter, film producer, and voice-over artist. Widely regarded as one of the most gifted singers of his generation, Balasubrahmanyam received six National Film Awards in an illustrious singing career that spanned more than five decades. He was posthumously honored with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.

Padma Shri- and Padma Bhushan-winning legendary Indian singer K. S. Chithra is also a 6-time National Award winner. Trained in Carnatic music, she earned a government music scholarship. A star in the South Indian music scene, she also gained recognition with her Hindi tracks such as Kehna Hi Kya.  

Yuvan Shankar Raja is a music composer and singer-songwriter. He is credited with introducing hip-hop to the Tamil music industry and became one of the most sought-after Tamil composers in 2000s. In 2006, he won the Cyprus International Film Festival Award, becoming the first Indian composer to win the award. He has also won other awards like Filmfare Awards South.

Mika Singh is an Indian singer, rapper, and performer. Apart from contributing to the soundtrack of many popular films like Singh Is Kinng and Jab We Met, Singh has released many solo albums as well. He has also performed live at popular venues like The O2 Arena.

Adnan Sami is an Indian musician, singer, pianist, and music composer. Best known for his skills as a piano player, Sami was named the world's fastest keyboard player by Keyboard magazine. He is also widely regarded as the first person to have played Indian classical music on the piano. In 2020, he was awarded India's fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri. 

Born in Chennai, to a Carnatic music teacher mother, Sid Sriram later moved to the US with his family. The talented singer-songwriter is a Berklee College of Music alumnus and is known for his skills mixing pop/soul and Indian classical elements. His Indian playback credits include Adiye from the film Kadal.

A musical prodigy, Sunidhi Chauhan had started performing at events at age 4. Discovered by actor Tabassum, she quit school and plunged into a full-fledged music career, winning several reality shows. She then soared to fame with her playback singing in Mast and now has three Filmfare awards in her kitty.

Known for ruling the Bollywood playback scene in the 1990s, Udit Narayan has 4 National Awards in his kitty. Initially a singer on a Kathmandu radio station, he later moved to Mumbai. He soared to fame with the track Papa Kehte Hain and later scored many hits with singer Alka Yagnik.

Fort Kochi-born K.J. Yesudas is a major figure of Indian Malyali music. Known as Dasettan to his followers, the singer is an eight-time National Award winner and has the prestigious Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan in his kitty. He has also acted in a few regional films.

Known as the Queen of Pop in South Asia back in the 1980s, Pakistani singer Nazia Hassan soared to fame with tracks such as Aap Jaisa Koi and Boom Boom. She began her career as part of a duo with her brother, Zoheb Hassan. She died of lung cancer at 35.

National Award-winning actor and singer Kalabhavan Mani was born into a family with modest means and later quit school after tenth grade. He once even worked as a autorickshaw driver and later began his entertainment career as a mimicry artist. Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum remains his most-loved film.

Amit Kumar is an Indian music composer, playback singer, and actor. Amit Kumar, who has organized several live orchestra shows, is also credited with establishing a music production company called Kumar Brothers Music. Amit Kumar is also renowned for his association with one of the greatest composers of the Indian film industry, R. D. Burman.

Chinmayi Sripada is an Indian singer, voice actor, radio jockey, and TV presenter who works predominantly in the South Indian film and TV industry. Chinmayi is also credited with founding Blue Elephant, a translation services company, for which she serves as the CEO. Also known for her activism, Chinmayi Sripada has been an important figure in India's Me Too movement.

Vyjayanthimala is an Indian actress and dancer who played a major role in the Hindi film industry during the 1950s and 1960s. One of the most popular actresses of all time, Vyjayanthimala is also known for her contribution to South Indian movies. She is the recipient of several awards, including Filmfare Awards and Lifetime Achievement Awards at International film festivals.   

Born to a theater artiste, Remya Nambeesan began her career as a child artist in films. As she grew up, she was typecast in roles of the village belle but turned around with the film Traffic. She has also gained fame for her singing in films such as Ivan Megharoopan and Bachelor Party.

Known as the Queen of Indipop and India's Madonna, Alisha Chinai rocked the 1990s with her chartbusting hit Made in India. She also made headlines when she accused music director Anu Malik of sexual harassment. Kaate Nahin Katthe from the film Mr. India was one of her other big hits.

K. L. Saigal, the first superstar of Hindi cinema, was revered and idolised for his singing and acting styles. He gained-attention starring and singing in the Hindi film Puran Bhagat. He then starred in several films, most notably in the Hindi film Devdas. He was the first non-Bengali who was given consent by Rabindranath Tagore to sing the latter’s songs.  

Zubeen Garg is an Indian music director, singer, composer, music producer, lyricist, film director, actor, scriptwriter, film producer, and philanthropist. Also an instrumentalist, Zubeen Garg plays 12 instruments including drums, guitar, mandolin, keyboard, and various percussion instruments. One of the highest-paid singers in Assam, Garg has also received several prestigious awards, such as Prag Cine Awards and a National Film Award.

Sona Mohapatra is an Indian music composer, singer, and lyricist. She is best known for recording remixes of popular songs by famous artists like David Bowie and INXS. Although she is known for her musical career, Sona Mohapatra achieved national recognition when she appeared in a TV show titled Satyamev Jayate, which was hosted by popular Bollywood actor Aamir Khan.

Sadhana Sargam is an Indian playback singer best known for recording nearly 15,000 songs in 34 Indian languages. In 2002, Sadhana Sargam became the first non-South Indian singer to receive the National Award for a song composed by a South Indian. She has also won other prestigious awards like Maharashtra State Film Awards, Lata Mangeshkar Award, and Gujarath State Film Award.

Popular Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila began her career as a Pakistani film singer. She later released some of the biggest hits of the Bengali and Hindi music scene, such as Shaadher Lau. The Bangladesh National Film Award winner is also a Guinness record holder for recording 30 songs in 3 days.

Usha Mangeshkar belongs to the iconic Mangeshkar musical family of India and is the second-youngest child of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar. She, and her famous siblings, Lata and Asha, once rocked the Hindi playback scene. Her song Mai Toh Aarti from Jai Santoshi Maa earned her a Filmfare nomination.

Bangladeshi actor Salman Shah started his career with the film Keyamat Theke Keyamat, a remake of the hit Indian film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. His mysterious death at the early age of 24 was initially suspected to be a murder but was later ruled as a suicide.

Vijaya Kumaratunga was a Sri Lankan actor, politician, and playback singer. He is often counted among the most prominent icons of Sri Lankan cinema. Vijaya Kumaratunga was also an important politician and is credited with founding the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party. From 1978 until his murder in 1988, Vijaya Kumaratunga was married to former President Chandrika Kumaranatunga.

Bangladeshi singer-songwriter James, also known to his fans as Guru, is the lead vocalist of the rock band Nagar Baul. He has also performed Hindi tracks for films such as Life in a... Metro and Gangster. A talented photographer, he has also contributed to many of his album covers.

Bangladeshi actor Rafiath Rashid Mithila was an academically brilliant student and also a talented dancer in her younger days. She had once exhibited her oil paintings and has penned children’s books, too. She has been associated with BRAC and is married to Indian filmmaker Srijit Mukherji.