MTV Buzzworthy Blog ›

2009, you were a pretty good year. Despite a craptacular economy, there was plenty to keep us preoccupied and entertained: Taylor Swift reigned as America's princess, Kanye West provided us with a scapegoat for everything bad, Britney Spears stayed sexy, Rihanna got sexier, Susan Boyle made everyone cry in the good way, Kevin Jonas got married, and everything Lady Gaga did was art. And everything sounded more satisfying at 140 characters (or less.) And no one was as cute as Justin Bieber or hot as Robert Pattinson. (Except maybe Taylor Lautner.)

But what about the music? While it's still tough to sell a CD (remember those?), a single single could still make you a star in 2009. (Right, Ke$ha?) And here at the MTV Buzzworthy Blog, we spent all year obsessing over, studying, playing, and replaying some of the biggest and best songs of 2009 (and many that didn't qualify as either.)

So, without further ado or flowery intro, here are my picks for Buzzworthy's Top 5 Songs Of 2009, beginning with 5 and 4.

+ Number 5: Demi Lovato: "Remember December"
Though "Remember December" wasn't the lead single off of Demi Lovato's second album, Here We Go Again, it was easily the strongest and best. With a slight '80s tinge (is that you, young Pat Benetar?), "Remember December" is a serious standout that quickly makes it point with Demi behind the wheel -- seriously speeding -- the whole time. It's the perfect showcase for Demi's way-beyond-her-years vocals and ability to sell a song without sugar-coating it. Play "Remember December" for a Disney hater, and wait for an apology.

+ Number 4: Tokio Hotel, "Automatic"
Tokio Hotel fans endured a long, fraught wait for Tokio Hotel's Humanoid album, and the album's big, loud arrival made every second of the wait worthwhile, beginning with the first single, "Automatic." With its sweeping chorus that hit you over the head less than a minute into the song, "Automatic" instantly asserted that Tokio Hotel was big-time back, established the album's theme of bittersweet love, and assured you that this is totally Music Therapy: You can't not feel redeemed singing "Automatic" at the top of your lungs.

Related Content MTV Best Of 2009

Tags Demi Lovato, Tokio Hotel, video

Somewhere from deep in the Lady Gaga Music Library Vault comes this previously unreleased nugget, "Kandy Life."

Apparently, "Kandy Life," (which saw the light of day as part of a Christmas rarities haul over at GagaFrontRow) is a 2007-era demo that never made it on to any official release.

The song samples (or possibly re-creates) the vocal hook from The Chordette's doo-wop era classic, "Lollipop." With the cut-and-pasted candy refrain riding a rather tradition hip-hop beat, Gaga sounds positively demure (I know!), wistfully talking about the high life she, at that point, hadn't quite experienced yet.

Check out this portrait of an artist on the verge of super-stardom.

+ Listen to Lady Gaga's "Kandy Life" here.

Related Content Song You Need To Know: Lady Gaga, 'Reloaded'

Tags Lady Gaga, Song You Need To Know

During his amazing, chart-topping, record-breaking, phenomenon-creating, totally Bad life, Michael Jackson created iconic music videos with some of the most acclaimed names in modern filmmaking.

Directors like John Landis ("Thriller"), Martin Scorsese ("Bad") and Francis Ford Coppola (Captain Eo) all helped create a vision to Jackson's one-of-a-kind sound.

So, it's only fitting that this tradition of collaboration continues even after Jackson's tragic passing with this Spike Lee-directed clip for Michael Jackson's "This Is It."

The single (and new song) from Jackson's posthumous performance/concert film of the same name scores this Spike Lee-helmed montage of clips and rare photos spanning Jackson's life, including scenes from his hometown of Gary, Indiana, and shots of his fans throughout the world. "This Is It" shows flashes of Spike's formidable documentary chops (see When The Levees Broke), as well as his nearly unparalleled ability to match images with music to gorgeous effect.

Watch Michael Jackson's "This Is It" video, directed by Spike Lee. The This Is It soundtrack is available now.

Related Content Janet Jackson Memorializes Michael Jackson At The 2009 VMAs, Watch Michael Jackson Videos

Tags Michael Jackson, video

Happy 19th birthday, David Archuleta! It seems like just yesterday you were 18. Wait, you were 18 yesterday. Anyway, if I could give David Archuleta just one birthday gift, it'd be the gift of year-round Christmas. Because really, David kind of already makes it feel like Christmas all year, right?

David Archuleta birthday bonus: Watch "A Little Too Not Over You" and "Crush."

Related Content David Archuleta On His Next Album

Tags David Archuleta, video

Hey there, Grasshoppers! In this new Julian Casablancas video for his song "11th Dimension" (off his debut solo platter, Phrazes For The Young), The Strokes frontman (and Platonic ideal of downtown hipster dude) enters the dragon.

Director Warren Fu (who also lensed The Strokes' "You Only Live Once") uses some fancy filmmaking magic to superimpose Julian into various ironic/nostalgic scenes and settings: kung-fu training flick, '80s teen movie, colonial American history, Pump Up The Volume-style rebel-without-a-cause action, zombie showdown, and much more. We also get a glimpse of the same Tron-esque squiggles that covered The Strokes in their "12:51" vid.

It's all dazzling, funny, kitschy and a bit sad (in a good way), just like the keyboard & drum-machine driven jam from Julian.

Phrazes For The Young is available at this very moment. He'll be taking his solo routine on the road early next year (or really, next week).

Related Content Song You Need To Know: Julian Casablancas, 'I Wish It Was Christmas Today'

Tags Julian Casablancas, The Strokes, video

JK! It's just a classic Britney stocking stuffer. Merry Christmas (or Happy Chinese-Food-And-Movies Day for those of you who don't celebrate.)

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to listen to Britney's "My Only Wish (This Year)" and watch her videos on repeat. I suggest you do the same.

Related Content The Year In Britney

Tags Britney Spears, LOLs, video

I know I probably use the term "mind-blowing" a lot. Maybe too much. But I beseech you to find a better, more fitting description for the video you're about to watch. That video is of a man holding a sheep while bleating and baa-ing like a sheep. In 1979.

That man is career composer, academic, and producer (and sheep fan!) Adrian Munsey, whom Classic FM describes as "unashamedly melodic and heart-warmingly nostalgic." I just describe him as, well, "mind-blowing." In addition to his opus, "The Lost Sheep," Adrian Munsey also produced a song called "C'est Sheep" for genre-shifting band Sparks. But don't pigeonhole (sheephole?) this man. Adrian Munsey is a man whose emotional imagery -- and ability to make sheep sounds -- knows no bounds. Truly, his "The Lost Sheep" video and performance is an absolute Christmas miracle.

This Christmas, enjoy the gift of LOLs. Thank you, Adrian Munsey.

Tags Adrian Munsey, LOLs, video

We The Kings have been mad busy recently, what with releasing their Smile Kid album, letting us join them for their release party, and giving us some serious artist commentary on their "Heaven Can Wait" video. But The King's Carriage stops for no man; it just keeps on trucking (and providing the LOLs).

In previous episodes of The King's Carriage, the boys have dealt with such grave issues as sleepwalking and bra phobia.

In this episode, Travis and Hunter talk about their recent invention of a secret guitar language that allows them to communicate with one another. Now, we all know what happens when you learn a new language, right? Yes, you use it to insult other people! Duhhhr.

Travis and Hunter get their digs in on the sly, snapping on Dan without his knowledge, using the secret language of We The Kings guitars.

Check out the episode of The King's Carriage below.

Related Content Watch Heaven Can Wait Live

Tags King's Carriage, LOLs, Travis Clark, video, We the Kings

OMG! I just discovered that Hot Topic is selling Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Snuggies (err... "Funky Cozies," as they're referred to), and I only have two questions:

1.) HOW EFFING FAST CAN YOU SHIP THESE TO MY APARTMENT IN BROOKLYN, HOT TOPIC? IS 10 MINUTES TOO MUCH TO ASK?

And...

2.) DO THEY COME WITH PIZZAS!?

If the answers to both questions are "no," I'll be okay, but I will not REST until that resting is done in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Snuggie/ "Funky Cozy." They come in Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael, which leads me to think that Leonardo was either sold out or totally neglected. (Also, I think a Splinter Snuggie needs to happen, ASAP.) And to think, I actually thought the Snuggie couldn't get any better. Man was I wrong.

To add some extra joy to your holiday season, please enjoy the 1990 "hit," "Turtle Power," by the now-defunct hip-hop duo Partners In Kryme.

Tags Buzzworthy Style Files, LOLs, Snuggies, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, video

The year 2009 was a banner one for fashion-forward music videos. The last 12 months have been dominated by aggressive, progressive, unbelievably stylish divas, hipsters, rappers, glam rockers and rebels.

At the top of the list would have to be Lady Gaga and Rihanna, both of whom catapulted themselves into the upper atmosphere of pop culture stardom, bordering on iconic status.

With their daring combos of hot and haute couture and brave filmmaking, they released a series of videos that combined catwalk-ready fashion with cinematic craftsmanship. Ri-Ri's "Hard" and Gaga's "Paparazzi" and "Bad Romance" simply dazzled.

Take a look at those year-defining vids, as well as other fashionable clips from the likes of Jay-Z ("Run This Town"), Yeah Yeah Yeahs ("Heads Will Roll"), Beyonce ("Videophone"), Shakira ("She Wolf") and more in our Best of 2009: Fashion Forward video playlist below.

Tags Beyonce, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Shakira, video, Yeah Yeah Yeahs