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As we say farewell to 2009 and welcome a new decade, Rolling Stone looks back at the biggest stories, funniest headlines and “all the news that fit” in 2009. It was the year we lost the King of Pop, the year Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga exploded, the year U2 cemented their reputation as the biggest band on Earth and the year Barack Obama gave America a new hope. It was the Year of the Supergroup and the Year of Twitter. How many times did we write about the Rihanna and Chris Brown saga? What post draw the most reader comments? Check out our year-end stats below, and flip through our best-of lists:

2009’s Most Blogged
The Death of Michael Jackson: 131 stories
The Rise of Adam Lambert: 65
Rihanna and Chris Brown: 51
U2 in 2009: 44
Barack Obama’s Inauguration: 14
Aerosmith Breaking Up?: 11
Aerosmith-Related Injuries: 10
Lil Wayne’s (Still-Delayed) Rebirth: 11
Taylor Swift’s Kanyegate: 9
Joaquin Phoenix’s Meltdown: 5
The Rise of Lady Gaga: ∞
Lady Gaga Headlines in 2008: 0

Top 5 Most Commented Stories of 2009
1. Kanye West Storms the VMAs Stage During Taylor Swift’s Speech
2. Adam Lambert Shocks American Music Awards With Racy “For Your Entertainment”
3. Judith Hill: “Heal The World” Singer From Jackson Memorial Revealed
4. Tokio Hotel’s Album Cover and “Humanoid” Single: Sneak Peek
5. “Diddy” Gets in Touch With Rolling Stone, But Fails to Mention “Notorious” Soundtrack

Reunion Stories
# of reunion stories about Blink-182: 7
# of reunion stories about No Doubt: 6
# of reunion stories about Pavement: 5
# of reunion stories about Creed: 4
# of reunion stories about Sublime: 3
# of reunion stories about Limp Bizkit: 1
# of reunion stories about Led Zeppelin: 0
# of reunion stories about Led Zeppelin in 2008: 9

Supergroup Division
Them Crooked Vultures stories: 18
Dead Weather stories: 10
Beck’s Record Club: 5
Monsters of Folk stories: 3
Temple of the Dog stories: 1
• Temple of the Dog Reunite at Pearl Jam’s Los Angeles Concert

Top 3 Most Commented Rock Lists
1. Readers’ Rock List: Who Should Be Nominated For the Hall of Fame?
2. Weekend Rock List: Most Underrated Album of All Time
3. Readers’ Rock List: Jam Bands

Crime Division
# of stories with Phil Spector in the headline: 6
# of stories about Charles Manson and Phil Spector: 1 • Jailhouse Rock?: Charles Manson Reaches Out to Phil Spector
# of stories about Massachusetts cop who pissed on Metallica concertgoer: 3
• Massachusetts Cop Reportedly Urinates On Metallica Fan At Concert
• Ex-Cop Charged With Urinating On Metallica Fan At Boston Concert
• Ex-Cop Takes Plea Bargain, Admits To Urinating On Metallica Fan

# of stories about Kiss fan who pissed on fellow concertgoer: 1
• Kiss Piss Scandal: Man Arrested For Urinating on Fan at Concert

# of times “Arrested” appears in headline: 5
# of times “community service” appears in headline: 1
# of times “lawsuit” appears in headline: 9
# of times “probation” appears in headline: 2
# of times “prostitute” appears in headline: 1
• “American Idol” Alum David Archuleta’s Father Busted For Soliciting Prostitute

Craziest Lawsuits:
• Carly Simon vs. Starbucks
• Perez Hilton vs. Black Eyed Peas road manager
• Joe Satriani vs. Coldplay vs. Cat Stevens
• Eddie Vedder vs. “Hard Sun” songwriter
• Eddie Van Halen vs. Nike

Twitter Division
# of headlines with “Twitter” in 2009: 11
# of headlines with “Twitter” in 2008: 1

Twitter Pages That Were Deleted:
• Chris Brown Deletes Twitter After “Graffiti” Rant, Stores Say Album Is Overstocked
• Trent Reznor Ends Twitter Legacy By Deleting Account
Twitter Pages That Were Deleted Because of Rolling Stone:
• Dave Matthews Blames Rolling Stone For Ruining Twitter

Number of 2009 Live Blogs: 4
• American Music Awards 2009 Live Blog: The Swift Strikes Back
• The 2009 MTV VMAs Live Blog: Gaga for MJ at NYC’s Radio City
• Lambert Vs. Allen: The “American Idol” Finale Live Blog
• “American Idol” Finals Live Blog: Countdown to the Glamb-Slide!”

Stranger Than Fiction:
# of stories with Hall & Oates in the headline: 3
# of stories about Kurt Cobain’s avatar in Guitar Hero 5: 4
# of stories about Billy Bob Thornton pissing off Canada: 3
• Billy Bob Thornton Attempts To Outdo Joaquin Phoenix In CBC Interview
# of stories about a Diddy impersonator e-mailing Rolling Stone:: 1
# of stories about Bret Michaels’ near-beheading at the Tonys: 6
• Bret Michaels’ Broadway Souvenir: Nose Fracture From Tonys Mishap
# of people snubbed by Radiohead: 2
• Miley Cyrus Snubbed By Radiohead, Vows to “Ruin Them”
• Kanye West’s “VH1 Storytellers” Won’t Air Rapper’s Radiohead Diss, Chris Brown Support

Things That Didn’t Happen:
• Velvet Revolver “Weeks Away” From Announcing New Singer
• Lars Ulrich Confirms He Appears in Guns n’ Roses’ “Better” Video, But Where Is It?
• Aerosmith “Can’t Wait To Get Back Into The Studio,” Says Drummer
• New Dr. Dre Song Possibly Destined For “Detox” Leaks
• Lil Wayne Plots Rock Album “Rebirth,” First Single “Prom Queen” Leaks
• Eminem Confirms Two 2009 Albums: “Relapse” Due May 19th

Memorials:
• Michael Jackson Dead at 50
• The Stooges Guitarist Ron Asheton Found Dead At 60
• Les Paul, Guitar Legend, Dies at 94
• DJ AM Found Dead in New York
• Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary Dead From Cancer at 72
• The Cramps’ Frontman Lux Interior Dead at 62
• “Solid Air” Singer-Songwriter John Martyn Dead at 60
• Avenged Sevenfold’s Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan Dead at 28
• Koko Taylor, Grammy-Winning “Queen of the Blues,” Dead at 80
• Singer-Songwriter Vic Chesnutt Dies at 45
• Lynyrd Skynyrd Keyboardist Billy Powell Dead at 56
• “Be My Baby” Songwriter Ellie Greenwich Dead at 68
• Former Wilco Member Jay Bennett Dead at 45 of Unknown Causes
• The Ventures’ Bob Bogle Loses Fight With Lymphoma at Age 75

Happy New Year, Rock Daily readers! See you — and Rebirth, and maybe Detox — in 2010.

Photo: Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

It’s the end of the year and the end of the decade, and as our New Year’s Eve guide demonstrates, everyone in the rock universe from Lady Gaga to Phish will be doing one thing tonight: partying. So for those about to party, we salute you. Tell us your favorite songs about celebrating and popping champagne, and we’ll tally the results in 2010. To get this fiesta started, check out some of our faves:

• The Beastie Boys – “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)”
• Black Flag – “TV Party”
• Weezer and Lil Wayne – “Can’t Stop Partying”
• Prince – “1999″
• Led Zeppelin – “Celebration Day”

Photo: Araya Diaz/WireImage.com; FilmMagic

For the past two weeks, we’ve been looking back at the decade in music — the top albums and songs as sweated over by the Rolling Stone editors. Before you dive into our Best Albums and Songs of the 2000s, check out the final two years of our flashback: 2007 and 2008. M.I.A. started her global party, Springsteen gave us Magic, Rihanna took refuge under her “Umbrella” and TV on the Radio rocked with defiance:

• The Best of 2007

• The Best of 2008

Previously:

• Top 50 Albums & 100 Best Songsof 2006
• The Top 50 Records of 2005
• The Top 50 Records of 2004
• The 50 Best Albums of 2003
• The Top 50 Albums of 2002
• Best 10 Albums of 2001
• Top 50 Albums of 2000

MTV News' Top 9 Of '09

A look back on all the madness, sadness, scandal, success and mayhem of 2009.

• Taylor Swift
• Kanye West
• Rihanna
• Chris Brown
• Eminem
• Miley Cyrus
• Lady Gaga
• Michael Jackson

Photo: Bedder/Getty Images; Ach/Getty Images; LaVeris/FilmMagic

Rolling Stone unveiled our Best Albums and Best Songs of 2009 — now it’s the artists’ turn. Check out who Death Cab for Cutie, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz and 3OH!3 had on repeat this year (and read Kings of Leon’s Jared Followill’s picks):

Death Cab for Cutie
Brand New Eyes by Paramore
Chris Walla: “I was surprised at what a totally well-written, well-constructed record it was, and I guess I wasn’t expecting that totally. I wasn’t sure if they were going to turn into something super accomplished or fluffy. But it’s pretty tough!”

Tight Knit by Vetiver
Ben Gibbard: “It’s a very easy, California-type record that flows really nicely.”

Magnolia by the Wooden Birds
Walla: “It’s the best batch of songs he’s ever written. It’s this guy Andrew Kenny who used to be in the American Analog Set who we’re friends with from way back when, it’s a beautiful record.”

Gibbard: “I think it’s up there with the best three albums he’s ever made. He made a singer-songwriter record but did it the right way. It has a lot of space in it — I feel like the last couple of years we’ve been drowning in music in reverb a little too much. This is a nice dry record.”

Pete Wentz
Hot Mess by Cobra Starship
“I think there’s a lot of bands that try really hard to be serious and there are a lot of people that try too hard to have fun, but they’re genuinely fun guys and it came through on this record.”

The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z
“It’s the best record of the year. It’s just an angry hot record.”

3OH!3
It’s Not Me, It’s You by Lily Allen
Nate Motte: “The producer, Greg Kurstin, is an idol of mine, and she writes great lyrics. It’s a really charming record.”

Man on the Moon: The End of Day by Kid Cudi
Sean Foreman: “I think he’s an innovative rapper. He brings something new to the table and he’s not afraid to get a little experimental with what he does.”

style="font-size: 0.8em;">Photo: Bedder/Getty Images

Ke$ha made digital sales history last week when her debut single “TiK ToK” was downloaded 610,000 times, the highest digital total for a female artist in one week since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking the figures. The current record holder for most downloads in a week, Flo Rida’s “Right Round,” also happens to feature Ke$ha on the hook, meaning the up-and-coming singer has a hand in the top two most downloaded songs in one week in digital history. Pretty impressive for an artist who hasn’t even released her debut album yet.

Ke$ha’s seems to have a stranglehold on the digital realm: her debut album Animal, out January 5th, has already managed to infiltrate the Top Five of iTunes Albums chart. It’s as if everyone who received an iTunes music store gift card in their stocking on Christmas immediately ran to their computers and downloaded “TiK ToK” or pre-ordered Animal. It appears Ke$ha is being positioned as 2010’s Lady Gaga, and she’s off to a solid start: “TiK ToK” finished atop the Billboard Hot 100 for the second consecutive week, and the track recently surpassed two million downloads total on iTunes.

Wondering what all the fuss is about? If you’ve somehow managed to escape “TiK ToK,” hear it here:

Look back at the year’s other big singles in our list of the 25 Best Songs of 2009.

style="font-size: 0.8em;">Photo: Bedder/Getty Images

Ke$ha made digital sales history last week when her debut single “TiK ToK” was downloaded 610,000 times, the highest digital total for a female artist in one week since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking the figures. The current record holder for most downloads in a week, Flo Rida’s “Right Round,” also happens to feature Ke$ha on the hook, meaning the up-and-coming singer has a hand in the top two most downloaded songs in one week in digital history. Pretty impressive for an artist who hasn’t even released her debut album yet.

Ke$ha’s seems to have a stranglehold on the digital realm: her debut album Animal, out January 5th, has already managed to infiltrate the Top Five of iTunes Albums chart. It’s as if everyone who received an iTunes music store gift card in their stocking on Christmas immediately ran to their computers and downloaded “TiK ToK” or pre-ordered Animal. It appears Ke$ha is being positioned as 2010’s Lady Gaga, and she’s off to a solid start: “TiK ToK” finished atop the Billboard Hot 100 for the second consecutive week, and the track recently surpassed two million downloads total on iTunes.

Wondering what all the fuss is about? If you’ve somehow managed to escape “TiK ToK,” hear it here:

Look back at the year’s other big singles in our list of the 25 Best Songs of 2009.

It's New Year's Eve, which means that there are only hours left in 2009. No matter what you're doing today, be sure to take time to reflect on everything you accomplished in the past 12 months and everything you hope to get done in the coming year. Sure, getting together with your friends, popping champagne and kissing somebody special at midnight is important (and fun!), but don't forget reflection. It's good for you!

If you're anything like us, you'll be spending New Year's Day watching "The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years," one of the best rock docs ever made. (It's a crime that it's not available on DVD, though for some reason IFC airs it every single January 1, probably because watching the frontman for W.A.S.P. literally drown himself in vodka will make most people feel better about their own hangovers.) We'll be back Monday, January 4 with more news, interviews and insights into the world of music and celebrity, but until then, enjoy the long weekend and prepare yourself for 2010. Because if there is anything that the movies have taught us, it's that 2010 is the year we make contact.

In the meantime, enjoy U2's "New Year's Day." Bono says that nothing changes; here's hoping that your outlook is a little more optimistic.

It's New Year's Eve, which means that there are only hours left in 2009. No matter what you're doing today, be sure to take time to reflect on everything you accomplished in the past 12 months and everything you hope to get done in the coming year. Sure, getting together with your friends, popping champagne and kissing somebody special at midnight is important (and fun!), but don't forget reflection. It's good for you!

If you're anything like us, you'll be spending New Year's Day watching "The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years," one of the best rock docs ever made. (It's a crime that it's not available on DVD, though for some reason IFC airs it every single January 1, probably because watching the frontman for W.A.S.P. literally drown himself in vodka will make most people feel better about their own hangovers.) We'll be back Monday, January 4 with more news, interviews and insights into the world of music and celebrity, but until then, enjoy the long weekend and prepare yourself for 2010. Because if there is anything that the movies have taught us, it's that 2010 is the year we make contact.

In the meantime, enjoy U2's "New Year's Day." Bono says that nothing changes; here's hoping that your outlook is a little more optimistic.

style="font-size: 0.8em;">Photo: Kane/WireImage.com

U2’s massive 360° Tour wasn’t just the biggest trek this year in terms of sheer size: the band’s latest jaunt supporting No Line on the Horizon has also been named the year’s most successful show by concert tracker Pollstar. Their research also revealed that despite the recession, concert ticket sales for the top 50 tours were up this year across the board compared to 2008’s final numbers. That’s thanks largely to U2, who easily surpassed all other acts by selling 1.3 million tickets during the first leg of their 360° Tour, grossing $123 million along the way.

U2’s 360° Tour: photos of the band’s opening night.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band came in second with $94.5 million, ahead of Elton John and Billy Joel ($88 million), the return of Britney Spears ($82.5 million) and AC/DC’s Black Ice trek ($77.9 million). Other notables on the Top 50 2009 list include Dave Matthews Band at Eight, Metallica at 10, Coldplay and Paul McCartney at 19 and 20 respectively and Kiss at 27. Reunion tours also found success on the concert circuit as Phish took 21, No Doubt came in at 24 and Blink-182 wound up at 31. Lil Wayne was the lone rapper to place in the Top 50, finishing at 26 on Pollstar’s list.

Look back at three decades of U2, onstage and off.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, U2 finished in second place on the decade-end touring list behind the Rolling Stones ($869 million), grossing $844 million from their past 10 years of road trips. Even more impressive, every one of the 244 shows U2 played this decade was a sell-out, a stat no other artist can match. The Irish rockers will be well on their way toward being the biggest touring act in the 2010s when the second leg of their 360° Tour launches next summer. The tour has thus far grossed $312 million worldwide.

For Rolling Stone’s full analysis of 2009’s albums sales and tour numbers, be sure to check out our next issue, which hits stands next week.

Related Stories:

• The Rolling Stones, U2 and Madonna Named Top Touring Acts of Decade
• U2 Announce First Batch of 2010 North American 360 Tour Dates
• U2 Reinvent the Stadium Show as 360 Tour Launches in Chicago

Photo: Shearer/WireImage.com; Djansezian/Getty Images

• Drake tells MTV News his next collaboration with Jay-Z, “Light Up,” is in the can. The MC says of the track, destined for his March full-length debut Thank Me Later, “When I heard that beat, the drums that they had come up with, it was like, ‘Man, this is a moment.’ ”

• Rowland Howard, the guitarist for the Birthday Party and the Boys Next Door, has died from liver cancer at age 50. “This is very sad news. Rowland was Australia’s most unique, gifted and uncompromising guitarist,” Nick Cave said in a statement posted on Mute Records’ Website. “He was also a good friend. He will be missed by many.”
• Stereogum have revealed their countdown of the top 10 NSFW videos of ‘09. The list includes Marilyn Manson’s violent “Running to the Edge of the World” and Flaming Lips’ nude “Watching the Planets.”
• Some revelers in New York City won’t have to worry about paying for a ride home from tonight’s New Year’s Eve festivities. Diddy and CIROC Ultra Premium Vodka are footing the bill for $100,000 worth of $15 debit cards good for trips home in yellow cabs on January 1st, the Huffington Post reports.

In September, Season 5s country crooner, Bucky Covington, moved to the head of the class on CMT's Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader. With the help of his classmates, Bucky answered all of the questions correctly and took home the $25,000 prize for his charity. Bucky played for the Arthritis Foundation, a non-profit which supports more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions and helps people take control of arthritis by providing public health education, pursuing public policy and legislation, and conducting evidence-based programs to improve the quality of life for those living with arthritis.

Prior to his concert last night at the newly renovated Hard Rock Cafe Nashville, Bucky presented the Arthritis Foundations Tennessee Chapter with a check for the $25,000. Following the presentation, Bucky took the stage to join in the venues countdown to 2010 celebration. He treated the packed crowd to an energizing live performance, which included his Top 10 hits Its Good To Be Us, Ill Walk, A Different World and the new track Mexicoma from his forthcoming sophomore album Im Alright.All of the proceeds from last nights show will benefit The Arthritis Foundation (Tennessee Chapter), which serves all 95 counties across the state and is actively working to better the lives of the 1.5 million adults and over 6,000 children in Tennessee with this disease. Presented by ASCAP, the concert is a part of Hard Rocks series of special events and week-long live music series leading up to New Years Eve to celebrate the ... read more

With the new season of American Idol less than two weeks away, here are some of the many ways you can join in on the Idol conversation.

Join the MyIdol Community
It takes less than a minute to sign-up for the number one American Idol fan community. MyIdol members can post blogs on the American Idol site, chat in forums, meet new friends, comment on photos/videos/news, and more. Sign-up now.

Become a Fan on Facebook
The Official American Idol Facebook page is a place where you can receive show updates, view photos, watch videos, and chat with American Idol fans all over the world. Become a Fan of American Idol.

Follow @AmericanIdol on Twitter
A great way to stay on top of the latest news, get show times and updates, and hear about new content is by following @AmericanIdol on Twitter. Forget the water cooler! Gather on Twitter and talk about the show. Use #AmericanIdol to trend the topic or @AmericanIdol to reply to us. You can also share AI news and other content we send out by simply retweeting our alerts. Follow American Idol on Twitter.

Add American Idol as a MySpace Friend
For photos, videos, downloads, and more, visit American Idol on MySpace. Leave a comment for American Idol and connect with other fans of the show. Add American Idol as a friend.

Season 4 rocker Constantine Maroulis currently stars in the hit Broadway musical Rock of Ages. This has been a great year for the Idol alumnus who received his first (and American Idol alumnis first) Tony Award nomination. Now, Constantine has been voted the 2009 Broadway.com Star of the Year by the sites readers. Not only did Constantine receive the most votes, he was the overwhelming choice of more than 25,000 votes for the years top honor. His name appeared on the poll alongside some of the most popular actors and actresses in show business.

Constantine received the award for his role as Drew in Rock of Ages, but this isnt his first musical role. He made his Broadway debut in The Wedding Singer in 2006. Off-Broadway, Constantine has appeared in Rock of Ages, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, and before Idol he was in a national tour of RENT.

Watch Constantines Star of the Year acceptance speech on Broadway.com.

View photos of Constantine and the rest of the Season 4 Idols performing in 2005.

A decade ago, MTV played host to a slew of celebrities hanging out in Times Square to ring in the New Year. Although everyone was there to party, the big question was: Is the world going to end tonight? The Y2K bug* was plaguing the world. Would we make it to the millennium? (Spoiler alert: We did! We made it!)

Up until those final seconds of panic, Diddy performed, as did Jay-Z and Bush (which is funny because Gwen Stefani and No Doubt were also on hand to perform), Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson cuddled and Christina Aguilera chatted with Carson Daly.

As the final countdown took place, the clock struck midnight, confetti fell and the world (obviously) didn't end. But just in case, No Doubt was on hand to ring in the New Year with the classic R.E.M. tune, "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." How ironic! They then segued into their own tune, "Ex-Girlfriend." The fact that the world didn't end doesn't leave us very much surprised, but you may be surprised to know that in 1999, Gwen Stefani had pink hair, blunt bangs and braces. We wonder what look she'll use to ring in 2010 with?

*For those of you who may not be familiar with the problem, yourdictionary.com defines it as: "The predicted malfunction of some computer systems prior to or at the beginning of the year 2000 because of their inability to distinguish between dates in the 1900s and dates in the 2000s. This inability results from the coding of year dates in some software and chips with only the final two, rather than all four, digits." Anyways, it doesn't matter because it didn't happen, but that's what we were worried about ten years ago.

It was the year that gave us our Number One single of the entire decade: Gnarls Barkley’s 2006 hit “Crazy.” Bob Dylan got the friskiest he’d been since 1968’s John Wesley Harding on his stellar Modern Times, the Red Hot Chili Peppers churned out the two-disc Stadium Arcadium and T.I. had everyone chanting “What You Know.” As we continue to look back at the Best Albums and Songs of the 2000s, check out what had the Rolling Stone editors raving in 2006:

• The Top 50 Albums of 2006

• The 100 Best Songs of 2006

Previously:

• The Top 50 Records of 2005
• The Top 50 Records of 2004
• The 50 Best Albums of 2003
• The Top 50 Albums of 2002
• Best 10 Albums of 2001
• Top 50 Albums of 2000

Photo: Dyson/WireImage.com

We’ve seen our share of strange lawsuits in 2009, from Joe Satriani versus Coldplay versus Cat Stevens over “Viva la Vida,” Starbucks’ battle with Carly Simon — even Eddie Van Halen taking Nike to court over a color scheme — but a new suit involving Eddie Vedder seems unprecedented. The Pearl Jam frontman covered the band Indio’s “Hard Sun” for the Into the Wild soundtrack, and now songwriter Gordon Peterson alleges that because Vedder altered some of the lyrics, he “eroded” the integrity of the composition, the New York Post reports.

Vedder’s take on “Hard Sun,” and the rest of the Into the Wild soundtrack, was pretty universally acclaimed, resulting in a music video for the track and a Golden Globe and Grammy nomination for the single “Guaranteed” (he won the Globe). Vedder’s score was also nominated for a Golden Globe. The success of Vedder’s version of the song is arguably quite responsible for Indio’s 1989 album Big Harvest being reissued.

Universal Music was also named in the lawsuit, for failing to get Peterson’s permission before licensing the song. Peterson seeks all profits from the song after these “acts of infringement.” Into the Wild director Sean Penn is credited with introducing “Hard Sun” to Vedder, who recruited Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker to supply vocals on the track.

A comparison of the two versions reveals very little difference between the two tracks. The opening verse and chorus are intact lyrically, but where Peterson wrote “When she comes to greet me / she is mercy at my feet / When I stay to pillage her / She just throws it back at me,” Vedder sings, “When she comes to greet me / she is mercy at my feet / I see her inner charm / she just throws it back at me.” Similar differences take place in the later verses, but for the most part Vedder sticks to the structure of the original.

Related Stories:

• Eddie Van Halen Sues Nike Over Guitar’s Signature Color Scheme
• Cat Stevens Considers Lawsuit Over Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida”
• Carly Simon Sues Starbucks Over Failure of “This Kind of Love” LP

The end of 2009 is upon us, which means that it's time to toast to the year that was and make predictions and draft resolutions about the coming 12 months. We caught up with a handful of stars who have vowed to make changes in 2010, including Adam Lambert (he wants to stay positive), Usher (he told "Access Hollywood" he wants to embrace new things), Holly Montag (she is going to cut down on texting) and Emily Blunt (who resolves to not make any resolutions).

Traditionally, resolutions for the new year tend to get dropped before February, but that doesn't stop people from making them. As proof, we hit the streets of Times Square (where preparations are well underway for the annual New Year's Eve countdown celebration) to find out what people were resolving for the coming year. Some people want to improve their lives more (there's a lot of interest in working out and eating better), while others seem bent on self-destruction (many, many people resolving to drink more in 2010).

As for MTV News, we resolve to keep bringing you the stories you need to hear about the people you want to hear about, and we're going to do it with even more intensity and razor-sharp wit than ever before. Also, we plan to drink some more.

What's your resolution for 2010? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us @mtvnews!

Don't miss MTV News' "Top 9 of '09" — which counts down the year's biggest stories, from Michael Jackson to Eminem and everything in between — airing New Year's Eve at 11 p.m. on MTV.

Season 8s Matt Giraud put his stamp on last season. The dueling piano player received one of the wild cards to enter the finals. After several successful weeks in the competition, Matt surprisingly received the fewest votes during Songs from the Cinema week. When Matt had the opportunity to sing for his life post-elimination, the judges were so moved that they used the first ever save on him. Since his time on American Idol, Matt has been busy working on his music. Matt took the time out of the busy holiday week to open up exclusively to AmericanIdol.com.

Matt is spending the holidays back in the Detroit area, and taking a break from working for a short while. What was on Matt Girauds Christmas wish list? For the first time I have the simple things, Matt said. As for his 2010 resolutions, he plans on working out again, buckling down, getting his music out there, and touring.

Last week, Matt tweeted a video of his brand new original song 4 AM. He said hes working on releasing a record, and shared, Im writing tons with some of the best people in the country and I hope to put out an EP to send out to labels. I have no definite plans, but Id like to include my top four or five songs.

On January 29, 2010, Matt will perform his first solo concert at the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a location thats just an hour away from where Matt lives. Performing a concert there means Matts career has come full circle, as he explains, I auditioned ... read more

Photo: Furniss/WireImage.com

While the Beatles’ greatest hits compilation 1 was the bestselling album in the U.S. this decade, the charts across the pond told a decidedly different story: James Blunt’s Back to Bedlam, which boasted the hit “You’re Beautiful,” was the bestselling album in the U.K. in the 2000s, BBC reports. The disc finished Number One on a Top 10 that featured nine Brit artists and an unlikely American act.

The U.K.’s second biggest seller of the 2000s was Dido’s No Angel, which beat out a pair of albums from British singers that made waves in the U.S.: Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black and Leona Lewis’ Spirit. David Grey’s White Ladder finished at Number Five, while the aforementioned Fab Four collection 1 placed sixth. 1 enjoyed 11.4 million in sales in the States since its release in November 2000. The lone American act to make it onto the British Top 10? It wasn’t Eminem or Beyoncé, but the Scissor Sisters’ self-titled debut, which hit Number Nine on the Brit charts.

The Scissor Sisters’ “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’,” from the band’s 2006 album Ta-Dah, was also the U.K.’s third most-played song of the decade, according to the BBC. The 2000s’ Number One most played song in the U.K. was Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars,” edging out Take That’s “Shine.” Surprisingly, even though Back to Bedlam topped the album’s chart, “You’re Beautiful” only placed seventh on the most played list. Rolling Stone’s Number One Song of the 2000s, Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” came in at Number 10 on the list.

Look back at Rolling Stone’s best of decade picks in our All-Time Greats.

Related Stories:

• Eminem and The Beatles: The Top-Selling Artists of the 2000s
• Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Songs of the 2000s

Rolling Stone has named the 25 Best Albums and 25 Best Songs of 2009, and our readers have weighed in with their own year-end picks. Now’s the time to look back at the year’s great new discoveries: our 45 Breaking Artists from 2009 and five Artists to Watch. A few of these folks — including Dirty Projectors (video above), Girls, the xx, Grizzly Bear, the Big Pink, Avett Brothers, Dawes and Drake — managed to land on our year-end countdowns. Read their full stories and watch videos for each band here:

Artists to Watch

Drake
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
BLK JKS
Avett Brothers
Florence and the Machine

Breaking:

M83
Bishop Allen
N.A.S.A.
Audrye Sessions
The Low Anthem

Wild Light
Lisa Hannigan
Ida Maria
Little Boots
White Lies

The Airborne Toxic Event
Tinted Windows
Cotton Jones
Paper Route
Deastro

Telekinesis
St. Vincent
An Horse
Grizzly Bear
Dirty Projectors

Amazing Baby
Deer Tick
Screaming Females
The Script
Foreign Born

Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
Those Darlins
Owl City
Cage the Elephant
Portugal. The Man

Alberta Cross
Girls
The Entrance Band
Washed Out
Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons

Band of Skulls
Dead Man’s Bones
Mayor Hawthorne
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
La Roux

Dawes
Harper Simon
The xx
The Big Pink
Orianthi

>>Watch every episode of our weekly New Breaking Artist video podcast by subscribing via iTunes (when prompted, click “Launch application”). Every Wednesday, an exclusive video profile of an emerging artist will be delivered to your iTunes. [If you don't have iTunes, download it here.]

Photo: Loud/Getty Images

The Big News: For the second consecutive time, Mary J. Blige had to settle for a Number Two debut as the diva’s Stronger With Every Tear was outsold by Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream on the Billboard Top 200. Stronger sold 330,000 copies, but it wasn’t in the same weight class as I Dreamed a Dream, which moved an additional 510,000 copies to remain Number One. Boyle ended the week with 2,968,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and has easily passed the triple platinum plateau by now.

In 2007, Blige’s Growing Pains also took second place in its debut week despite selling an impressive 629,000 copies (it fell to Josh Groban’s Noel, which moved 759,000 copies). Andrea Bocelli’s My Christmas finished at Number Three and 284,000 copies, guaranteeing over two million copies sold before its inevitable post-Christmas drop next week. Alicia Keys’ The Element of Freedom came in fourth, followed by Taylor Swift’s Fearless at Five and another 224,000 copies.

Debuts: Other than Blige, only three other new LPs managed to infiltrate the Top 100. The Young Money collective’s We Are Young Money — the supposed companion disc of Lil Wayne’s Rebirth — sold 142,000 copies to place Number Nine. Mudvayne’s self-titled disc entered at 50, while the soundtrack for Nine bowed at 87. Much further down, Dave Matthews Band’s live document Europe 2009 snuck in at 183.

Last Week’s Heroes: Last-minute shoppers helped prevent any albums from experiencing massive percentage drops. Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream only saw a 23 percent decline on her record-smashing sales from the previous week, while The Element of Freedom’s sales only fell 33 percent, a much better figure than the 50-75 percent range most albums fall in their second week. The biggest gainer on the chart was Eminem, who saw his Relapse leap from 94 to 11 thanks to 128,000 people who got a Refill.