It was a year of triumphant comeback and poignant loss. Few stories dominated the world's interest the way Michael Jackson's death did in June.
The summer became an ongoing tribute to the late superstar, restoring much of the goodwill lost during his latter-day legal troubles and thrusting his music back into the center ring: In the five months following his death, U.S. fans purchased more than 7 million Jackson albums and 10.2 million of his tracks, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The loss of Jackson came as Detroit's Motown Records celebrated its 50th anniversary, a global tribute spoiled only by the lack of a big public party here.
It was a lively, bustling 2009. Eminem returned, Phish reunited, Oasis called it quits. We got our latest round of Beatlemania. Cobo Arena began an extended good-bye with a pair of shows from Kiss, while Comerica Park hosted the concert event of the summer with a two-night Kid Rock stand -- the biggest shows of his career.
Our culture's intense, Internet-fueled fascination with celebrity continued apace. Chris Brown overshadowed the Grammys when word emerged that he'd beaten his girlfriend, Rihanna, the previous night. Kanye West stole the spotlight from the MTV Video Music Awards, though a massive public outcry left him with an overdue lesson in humility.
His target, young Taylor Swift, quickly moved on in a year when she firmly staked a place in the mainstream and further erased the line between country and pop. To their credit, Britney Spears and a resurgent Whitney Houston seemed eager for a divorce from the tabloids and a reunion with their music.
And one saucy British lady delivered the year's best fairy tale in a voice that tugged hearts, leading Susan Boyle to the top of the charts.
In the long haul, we may most remember '09 as the year Lady Gaga made her surge to the front. The glam-pop dynamo closed out the year with a sizzling sophomore album, brandishing genuine star power and setting herself up to be the pop queen of 2010.
In some ways, the decade ended as it began, with several familiar figures -- Eminem, Britney, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, U2 -- in leading roles. But 2009 saw a dramatically transformed music industry, with album sales down at least 15% from 2008 -- and a whopping 50%-plus since the decade's start. The scramble for a new business model went on. It's striking to recall that in 2000, licensing songs for commercials was still fairly taboo for artists -- in 2009, it could be a badge of honorOnline, the retail action began to blossom beyond its Apple core, as Google and Facebook took notable strides to break the iTunes stronghold. The content industry even made some headway in its long, frustrated battle against digital piracy, with several of the big file-sharing hubs scaling back or even shuttering for good.
All told, 2009 was marked by the same trends that have loomed large the past several years. History will look back on the '00s as the era that transformed the way we interact with music. There was the array of choices that could feel as overwhelming as it was intoxicating. The demise of the old gatekeepers. The ability to burrow into ever-more specialized niches, and the erosion of music's role as common culture.
But the good stuff was out there. And even if you personally weren't moved by much, there's always reason to hope. As we put a cap on '09 and head into the 2010s, it's a sure bet that right now somewhere -- in some anonymous basement or bedroom or garage -- there's a musically inclined kid gearing up to change the world, or at least yours. Keep your ears peeled.
10 great albums from 2009
Animal Collective, "Merriweather Post Pavilion": The year's best indie-rock album tucked simple treasures beneath its deceptively complicated surface -- a gorgeous kaleidoscope of a record that even the most cynical music snobs couldn't help but get giddy about. In a year when indie often seemed to have devolved into the new adult soft rock, this Baltimore quartet stood out by putting an edge on the mellow.
Avett Brothers, "I and Love and You": A jam band for those who don't like jam bands, the Avett Brothers bring meaty rustic rock with lots of fixin's on an album with equal love for the Beatles and bluegrass. A decade in the trenches produced this elegantly sculpted masterwork.
Neko Case, "Middle Cyclone": One of rock's purest voices issues her best record to date, an album of dreamy, literate twang-pop that bends conventions even as it pays them tribute.
Mayer Hawthorne, "A Strange Arrangement": Hawthorne's autumn debut was payoff for a year of simmering buzz for the young Ann Arborite, who crafts retro '60s grooves and soul hooks with a cool, astute touch.
Patty Loveless, "Mountain Soul II": The country veteran quietly crafts another jewel with this moving collection of real-deal Appalachian music.
Manchester Orchestra, "Mean Everything to Nothing":The young Atlanta band issues a magnum opus well beyond its years, an intense, emotionally rich album that puts thick guitar muscle behind its melodic howl.
Mastodon, "Crack the Skye": As pleasurable on headphones as it is cranked up in the car, Mastodon's sublimely executed hard rock feast is artful and cathartic. Don't let the hipster kudos fool you: This is heavy metal for the real heads.
Maxwell, "BLACKsummersnight": Talk about comebacks. The New York master craftsman reemerged from an eight-year hiatus with a reliably nuanced album of sensual bedroom soul.
Phoenix, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix": This French quartet's fourth album is like listening to sunshine. It's an infectious blast of sly pop, with just enough stylized Euro trimming to make it vaguely exotic.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "It's Blitz!": The Yeah Yeah Yeahs find the right spot between angst and release on this sleek, dazzling album of electro-pop.
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