Music Directors & Albums of Tamil Cinema 2014 (Part 1) 

ReviewPuram Akilan and MovieCrow

The change of guards among music directors is in progress in 2014. A number of newcomers delivered a memorable little gems. Santhosh Narayanan cemented his position by delivering a steady stream of noteworthy songs. AR Rahman worked with the same level of dedication and focus as if he was a newcomer. Ghibran boldly experimented with fusion of carnatic, western and sufi music. Anirudh who captured the pulse and hearts of the current generation delivered commercial chart busters one after another. Sean Roldan proved to be the favourite music director among small budget movies.

This year saw the precipitous drop of audio rights for many of the seasoned music directors. Many of the seasoned music directors mostly looked out of form. Harris Jayaraj appeared complacent delivering two of his career low albums. GV Prakash and Vijay Antony were distracted as they shifted focus to acting in lead roles. Yuvan Shankar Raja's personal situation took a hit on the quality of his output. 

Top 10 Albums 

1. Kochadaiiyaan (AR Rahman)

2. Cuckoo (Santhosh Narayanan)

3. Velai Illa Pattathari (Anirudh Ravichander)

4. Kaaviya Thalaivan (AR Rahman)

5. Thirumanam Ennum Nikkah (Ghibran)

6. Madras (Santhosh Narayanan)

7. Jigarthanda (Santhosh Narayanan)

8. Pannaiyaarum Padminiyum (Justin Prabhakaran)

9. Jeeva (Imman), Thegidi (Nivas K Prasanna)

10. Rummy (D. Imman)

Top 10 Background Scores

1. Jigarthanda (Santhosh Narayanan)

2. Madras (Santhosh Narayanan)

3. Kaththi (Anirudh Ravichander)

4. Kochadaiiyaan (AR Rahman)

5. Velai Illa Pattathari (Anirudh Ravichander)

6. Cuckoo (Santhosh Narayanan)

7. Vaayai Moodi Pesavum (Sean Roldan)

8. Pannaiyaarum Padminiyum (Justin Prabhakaran)

9. Naan Sigappu Manithan (GV Prakash)

10. Thegidi (Nivas K Prasanna)

Top 10 Music Directors

1. Santhosh Narayanan (Cuckoo, Jigarthanda, Madras)

2. AR Rahman (Kochadaiiyaan, Kaaviya Thalaivan)

3. Anirudh Ravichander (Maan Karate, VIP, Kaththi)

4. Ghibran (Thirumanam Ennum Nikkah, Amara Kaaviyam)

5. Sean Roldan (VMP, Mundasupatti, Sathuranga Vettai)

6. D. Imaan (Rummy, Jilla, Yennamo Yedho, Jeeva, Kayal)

7. Justin Prabhakaran (Pannaiyaarum Padminiyum)

8. Nivas K Prasanna (Thegidi)

9. Yuvan (Thirudan Police, Anjaan)

10. GV Prakash (Saivam, Naan Sigappu Manithan)

Other Notable Mentions

• Most entertaining album – Velai Illa Pattathari (Anirudh Ravichander)

• Most disappointing album (with respect to expectations) – Lingaa (AR Rahman)

• Best commercial music director(MD) – Anirudh Ravichander

• Most disappointing MD – Harris Jayaraj (Yaan, Idhu Kadhirvelan Kadhal)

• Most under-rated albums – Jeeva (Imman), Ramanujan (Ramesh Vinayagam)

• Most consistent MD – Santhosh Narayanan (Cuckoo, Jigarthanda, Madras)

• Best debutante composer – Sean Roldan

( Check Part 2 - 2014 Rankings | Best Tamil Songs ) 

Please share your opinion on the best music directors and albums of 2014.