Reign of Music Directors

Dear all,

It is very interesting to day that in 78 years of film music (1931-2008) so far, Shankar Jaikishan (1950-1968) and Laxmikant-Pyarelal (1969-1992) - that is 43 years have been ruled by these two duos ON MERIT & WITHOUT HYPE OR MEDIA PROMOTIONS LIKE TV, CONTROVERSIES, MULTIPLE TV CHANNELS & NEWSPAPERS ETC. True, S-J had their position threatened temporarily by names like O.P.Nayyar(late '50s and early '60s) and Ravi (mid-'60s), and L-P by R.D.Burman (early '70s)and Bappi Lahiri (mid-'80s), but they never let go their Numero Uno positions. L-P eclipsed S-J by 1969, and Nadeem-Shravan took over in 1993.

EVEN MORE INTERESTING is the fact that from 1931-1949 and from 1993 onwards no single music director has been on top for more than a max 2-3 years!
Pre-1949, Naushad, Anil Biswas, Husnlal-Bhagatram and C.Ramachandra were sort of jointly at the top in see-saw flip-flops, and here is the scenario post-1992.

1993 NADEEM-SHRAVAN & ANU MALIK (Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke, Baazigar, Sir, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi)
1994 ANU MALIK & ANAND-MILIND (Imtihan, Vijaypath, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Raja Babu, Laadla, Suhaag, Krantiveer, Gopi-Kishan)
1995 A.R.RAHMAN (Rangeela, Bombay)
1996 NADEEM-SHRAVAN (Raja Hindustani, Agnisakshi)
1997 ANU MALIK (Judwaa, Border, Ishq, Virasat, Tamanna)
1998 JATIN-LALIT (Kuch Kuch..., Ghulam, Jab Pyaar..., Pyaar To Hona...)
1999 JATIN-LALIT & A.R.RAHMAN (Sarfarosh, Taal)
2000 NADEEM-SHRAVAN (Dhadkan)
2001 A.R.RAHMAN (Lagaan)
2002 NADEEM-SHRAVAN (Raaz)
2003 ANU MALIK & NADEEM-SHRAVAN
2004 ANU MALIK
2005 ANU MALIK & HIMESH RESHAMMIYA (Ishq Vishq, Aashiq Banaya Aapne)
2006 HIMESH RESHAMMIYA & PRITAM (Aksar, Tom Dick And Harry, 36 China Town. Phir Hera Pheri, Dhoom:2, Gangster, Woh Lamhe...)
2007 A.R.RAHMAN, HIMESH RESHAMMIYA & PRITAM (Guru, Aap Kaa Surroor, Namastey London, Bhool Bhulaiya)
2008 A.R.RAHMAN, PRITAM, HIMESH RESHAMMIYA, SHANKAR-EHSAAN-LOY (Jaane Tu..., Jodhaa Akbar, Karzzzz, Race, Singh Is Kinng, Rock On!!)

These positions also tended to be score-based or even song-based rather than work- or consistency-based and the music scores' popularity were completely dominated by promotion/marketing, media-hype, claims, and the films' successes. Also except in some of these years, NO SINGLE COMPOSER HAD A DISTINCT SOLO TOP STATUS.

HERE IS ALSO WHAT I FEEL IS THE VERSATILITY QUOTIENT (OUT OF 10) OF TOP COMPOSERS OF ALL TIME, STARTING 1950s:

C.RAMACHANDRA 9
NAUSHAD 5
S.D.BURMAN 7
SALIL CHOWDHURY 6
ROSHAN 5
RAVI 6
CHITRAGUPTA 7
O.P.NAYYAR 7.5
MADAN MOHAN 5
SHANKAR JAIKISHAN 10
KALYANJI-ANANDJI 10
R.D.BURMAN 8
LAXMIKANT-PYARELAL 9.5
RAJESH ROSHAN 7
BAPPI LAHIRI 7
NADEEM-SHRAVAN 4
ANAND-MILIND 5
JATIN-LALIT 5
ANU MALIK 8
A..R.RAHMAN 4
HIMESH RESHAMMIYA 6
SHANKAR-EHSAAN-LOY 6
VISHAL-SHEKHAR 5
PRITAM 5
SAJID-WAJID 6

RAJIV VIJAYAKAR