2009: The Year in Music News

It was a momentous 12 months for music -- and sometimes for all the wrong reasons. The year 2009 saw one of pop's biggest figures depart on the eve of his comeback, saw one of American rock's most iconic figures make a field in Somerset the 51st state of the US for one summer night, and the band that defined Britpop fall asunder. This, then, was the year that was 2009 in music.

Michael Jackson Dies
The end of year music lists should have included a review of Jackson's ambitious run of gigs planned for the O2 Arena from July -- he never played a single one of them. Weeks before the 50-date residency was due to begin, the star was whisked by ambulance across Los Angeles where a hospital declared the King of Pop dead from a cardiac arrest; police later ruled his death as homicide. Pop lost one of its biggest -- and seemingly loneliest -- figures.

Blur Re-form
Blur kept making great records long after many of Britpop's poster boys were consigned to the bargain bin. But in 2003, guitarist Graham Coxon jumped the good ship Blur and the band soon after went into hiatus. This year, however, Coxon and frontman Damon Albarn were able to bury the hatchet and somebody dragged Alex James from a cheese board long enough for him to strap his bass back on. Their acclaimed sets at Glastonbury and Hyde Park helped make it the reunion of the year.



Chris Brown and Rihanna
Chris Brown and Rihanna were R&B's golden couple at the beginning of the year. But on Feb. 8 she did not show for a scheduled performance at the Grammy Awards and it later transpired that boyfriend Brown had been arrested for assault and making criminal threats. A leaked police photo showed Rihanna's gruesome injuries. Brown, who received a sentence of community labour and parole, was repentant, but the couple's relationship did not survive the incident.



The Dead Weather Are Unveiled
As if Jack White wasn't busy enough with the White Stripes and the Raconteurs, 2009 saw him take to the road with his third band, the Dead Weather. Joined by the Kills' frontwoman Alison Mosshart in the lineup, White showed no sign of resting on his laurels.

Lady Gaga's Double Whammy
Stefani Germanotta may have made her initial splash in 2008, but this year she really could not be avoided. Whether it be scaring the livestock at Glastonbury with a parade of jaw-dropping costumes or playing in front of the Queen at a Royal Variety performance, Britain fell for her. It was, of course, much the same in the US, too. With 'Poker Face,' the electropop prima donna became the first performer in a decade to reach the top of the Billboard 100 with her first two singles.

Oasis Split
Another summer, another bust-up in the Oasis camp. When the band pulled out of a headlining set at the V Festival in Chelmsford in August, it just seemed like another small-scale skirmish in the long-running war between the Gallagher brothers. But less than a week later, another fracas -- this time at a festival in Paris -- brought the band to an ugly end. Liam Gallagher left vowing to play with the rest of the band as Oasis 2.0, with Noel leaving the world to still ponder what he'll be getting up to.




Stephen Gately's Death
The former Boyzone singer had negotiated the boy band's demise with a career in musicals and other theatrical adventures. On a holiday in Majorca, Spain, with his longtime partner in October, Gately died in his sleep of natural causes due to pulmonary oedema. He was just 33. His Boyzone bandmates spent a night in a Dublin church with his body the night before the funeral.

Lily Allen 'Gives Up on Music'
Lily Allen released her second album this year -- 'It's Not Me, it's You' -- but ended it as a seemingly self-exiled former pop star. The Facebook/Twitter addict turned her back on microblogging, got into a spat with members of Radiohead and Blur over file-sharing, and seemed to make the whole pop star lark look about as enjoyable as driving an empty bus in the rain.

Them Crooked Vultures Are Go
A side-project with either Josh Homme or Dave Grohl would be enough -- the fact Them Crooked Vultures boasted not only the pair of them but Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, as well, made this band's record and accompanying live shows amongst rock's biggest talking points of the year. The fact they were great fun live and the record, crucially, didn't suck, were further bonuses.



Bruce Springsteen at Glastonbury
In a year which also saw the equally veteran Neil Young and a re-formed Blur take to the Pyramid Stage, it was the Saturday night set by a certain Mr Springsteen which took the honours. Playing an oddly uncompromising set to a festival crowd, Springsteen nevertheless managed to carry it off with aplomb. The sight of him bowed and sweating as steam rose off his brow, will remain with Spinner for quite some time.



Speech Debelle Wins Mercury
Another year, another Mercury winner. After the populist decision to award the hard-slogging Elbow in 2008, this year the panel took a punt on South London rapper Speech Debelle, whose album 'Speech Therapy' was the unfancied winner. It didn't exactly set her career alight, however. She parted company with her label later in the year amid a dispute over poor post-Mercury sales.



Glastonbury 2010 Sells Out in a Day
Yes, we know it's 2009. But Any fears Glastonbury's mystique and power was fading was dealt the rudest of blows this year when tickets for the 40th anniversary bash next year sold out in a day. Yes, a day. No less an act than U2 -- a band who just don't do festivals, darling -- announced they would be playing. Roll on, summer.

U2's '360' Tour
It was once Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones, now people look to U2 to come up with fresh ideas when it comes to touring the world's stadiums. When the 360 tour started in Spain in June, the claw-shaped stage – looking for all the world like a giant arcade claw trying to grab our heroes mid-set – is now the latest benchmark for self-respecting stadium rock gods to beat. Over to you, Jagger and Co.

The Beatles Reissues
No band in the history of recorded music is likely to make this much fuss with a bunch of reissues, especially one which played its last collective note nearly 40 years ago. September was the Fab Four's month, as not only did the band rerelease all 14 of their studio albums in remastered form but also the younger generation got to bash away at pretend guitars with the released of 'Rock Band: The Beatles.' Our inner Ringo now has a new outlet.

The Sugababes Mutate -- Again
Pop's version of 'Doctor Who' -- constantly regenerating to the point where, at the end of 2009, they boasted not one original member from their first lineup. With the departure of Keisha Buchanan this year -- one of the original trio who formed the group in 1998 - the Sugababes found themselves carrying on in name only. With new girl Jade Ewen now in the ranks, proof of their prowess will come with a new record in 2010.

Morrissey's Ill-Fated Tour
Morrissey, 50, started the year in fighting fit form with a new album, 'Years of Refusal,' to offer, and a tour that was due to take him cross the UK, Europe and the States. But at a gig in Swindon in October, he collapsed during the first song and was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties. The tour resumed but suffered another setback when he stormed offstage in Liverpool after being hit on the head with a drink.

Susan Boyle
Come the end of year, the YouTube footage of Susan Boyle's rendition of 'I Dreamed a Dream' from 'Les Miserables' was the most-watched thing on the site this year. The plucky Scot spinster, whose rendition on 'Britain's Got Talent' launched a surprise international career, clearly couldn't believe her luck and ended the year a millionaire.

Steven Tyler and Aerosmith
Steven Tyler, readers of 'Walk This Way' will know, went through a lot to steer Aerosmith out of obsolescence into the top tier of wrinkled rock veterans. The 'Smiths managed to keep their commercial lustre intact in the 2000s, but this year Tyler -- a recovering alcoholic and drug addict -- fell off the stage at a gig in Sturgis, South Dakota in August. A tour of South America was later pulled and Tyler suddenly seemed more intent on pursuing solo projects. The band, meanwhile, said they were looking to work with a new singer. Ouch.

Kings of Leon Get Stroppy at Reading
It was supposed to be one of the highlights of the Tennessee band's year – finishing the tour for 'Only by the Night' with a triumphant headlining Friday night slot. However, having played pretty much the same set for the last 18 months, a few fans were clearly not giving it the attention frontman Caleb Followill thought it served. An increasingly annoyed Kings then trashed their gear and flicked fingers towards the crowd as they left the stage. Touchy.



Madonna Accused of Boat Deaths
File under You Couldn't Make It Up. Madonna's gig in Sofia, Bulgaria, in September came days after a boatload of Bulgarian tourists drowned when their craft capsized in nearby Macedonia. No coincidence according to some church leaders in the Eastern European state -- Madonna's lewd stage show, they claimed, was an affront to God, and the deaths were a warning he was not pleased with the Sticky & Sweet Tour.