As Tamar rightly pointed out, despite the death-knells, obituaries, and eulogies for album sales, good music was still alive and well in 2009.

As the ideas of genres went the way of the dodo bird, and definitions like "indie," "emo" and "pop" got smashed and re-assembled, we were left with dozens of tracks that pushed boundaries while remaining utterly familiar and listenable. Here are some of my favorite tracks of 2009 that mixed and matched to perfection this year.

+ Number 5: Mario, "Break Up"
One of the best beats of the year, provided by Bangladesh (Beyonce's "Video Phone (Extended Remix"), somehow finagling the sounds of minimal techno into modern R&B.

How does lonely sound? Like these spare repeating snare hits, like a kid playing with a drum, alone in his room, accompanied by robot-crying synths and Mario's muffled wail: "Lovin' you, lovin' you, lovin' you, why would you want to break up?" And just when things are getting too serious (hello Ingmar-Bergman-in-Baltimore-video!)...it's Gucci! Hip-hop's breakout success of the year comes through like Donald Trump: "I'm no longer hired, she said I've been fired."

+ Number 4: Paramore, "Where The Lines Overlap"
My favorite jam from Paramore's most recent album that keeps on giving, Brand New Eyes. Hayley and Co. have taken the basic tenets of emo; the rushing, heart-string-tugging chords, the breakdowns, the emoting, and beefed it up with Foo Fighters/Weezer modern rock dynamics.

To me, "Where The Lines..." is a love letter to their fans and a self-reminder that, despite the band's past internal strife, they're having the times of their lives.

+ Listen to Paramore's "Where The Lines Overlap," and watch Mario's "Break Up" video.

Tags Beyonce, Foo Fighters, Gucci Mane, Hayley Williams, Mario, Paramore, video, Weezer