Swift, Black Eyed Peas Lead Top Pop Songs of 2009

The year 2009 had some great pop music produced, especially by a couple of diverse artists. Here, then, are the top 10 pop songs of 2009, at least according to my ear.

10. "Gives You Hell," by The All-American Rejects - Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but it's pretty good when served up by this band from Stillwater, Okla. The tune is basically written to a former ex-girlfriend, likely one that left the singer before he hit it big with the band. He points out all the good things in his life now, how she's likely still stuck in a 9-5 job, says he misses her, then says "Truth be told I'm lying." The best line is "If you find a man that's worth a damn and treats you well, then he's just a fool." There are a lot of good revenge songs out there, but few express so well the fact that moving on and being happy in your life is the best revenge.

9. - "You Found Me," by The Fray - We've all wondered why bad things happen to good people, or why bad things happen at all. In this song off of The Fray's self-titled second album, the singer runs into God smoking a cigarette on a street corner. He asks the Almighty where He was when things were going bad or when He was needed most. Lyrically, lead singer Isaac Slade is amazing and the melody rises and falls as the conversation continues. It starts slow and questioning then reaches an angry crescendo as Slade demands answers that will never come.

8. "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon - The band's album "Only by the Night" was named iTunes Album of the Year based on scanned sales of one million, and the single "Use Somebody" has been nominated for four Grammy's, including Best Rock Song, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The song's haunting lyrics express the singer's loneliness while being surrounded by crowds of thousands.

7. "Poker Face," by Lady Gaga - In 2009, there were fewer artists more talked about than Lady Gaga. Whether the discussion was about her outrageous attire or outlandish performances, one thing could not be denied: Lady Gaga was all over the charts in 2009 and "Poker Face" was one of the best of 2009. Gaga pushes the envelope in this song and celebrity gossip Perez Hilton reported Gaga told him the meaning behind the song was the poker, or emotionless, face she put on for male lovers while experimenting with her own bisexuality. Its semi-techno beats are hard to resist.

6. "I'm Yours," by Jason Mraz - From the ambiguity of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" to a simple but brilliantly delivered song of love, "I'm Yours" is typical Jason Mraz - catchy lyrics, unforgettable chorus and finger popping melody. This song reminds us love can be simple if we can forget about all the everyday things that bog us down. It's about two people and we should concentrate on that, not everything else.

5. "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift - Country artists have been crossing over into popular music for several years, but few have done it as well as young Taylor Swift. It has its inspiration from the unrequited love of adolescence, when boys and girls are friends but one wants to be more than that, even though the other is already seeing someone. "You say you're fine but I know you better than that, hey what ya doing with a girl like that?" Swift sings.

4. "Boom Boom Pow" by The Black Eyed Peas - The Peas have been around a long time but it wasn't until leader wil.i.am went to some techno clubs in Australia and brought back what he learned that the group dominated the charts like they did in 2009. "Boom Boom Pow" is basically a dance song with some lyrics thrown in because they have to be, but its beat is incredibly infectious. You can't help but move when it comes on. It also has the distinction of being one of the two most requested songs by our two children to be played on our family trips. Number one is a little further down the list.

3. "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay - This song was released late in 2008 but received heavy airplay well into 2009 and was still one of the best songs of 2009. During a "60 Minutes" interview early in 2009, lead singer Chris Martin said the band is constantly in search of the perfect song. They may have come as close as possible with this one. Though it was released nearly a year ago, there's still excitement when it comes on the radio or off the CD. Featuring a near orchestra of instruments, or at least sounding like it does, the song tells of a king losing his kingdom and everything else. It mentions a Roman Calvary, Jerusalem bells ringing, kingdoms of salt and sand, revolutionaries - where else are you going to find these things in pop music? It draws pure emotion out of the listener, and isn't that what great music is all about?

2. "Love Story" by Taylor Swift - The youngster again pulls at the heart strings, this time telling the tale of a modern day Romeo and Juliet. She wants to be with a boy her dad doesn't want her to see but they continue to do so anyway. However, it doesn't seem to be getting as serious as she would like it to and she starts to think maybe her dad is right, this isn't the right guy. That's when the song's final verse builds to a climax and her boyfriend drops to one knee and asks her to marry him. I'm a sucker for happy endings and I have to admit every time "Love Story" comes on I look forward to that final verse.

1. "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas - Yes, I realize both the Peas and Swift are mentioned on this list twice, but they really were two of the biggest acts of the year and had some of the best songs of 2009. This is also the other aforementioned most requested song in our family. No matter how bad your day is going, pop this song in and let it wash away all those negative feelings. "I gotta feeling, tonight's going to be a good, good night," the Peas sing, and you believe them. Also, if you saw them perform it on the Oprah Winfrey Show with the "spontaneous" dance done by thousands , that was pretty impressive. Whether "I Gotta Feeling" has the staying power to go down in history as one of the best remains to be seen, but it is arguably the best pop song of 2009.

www.billboardbiz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/chart_display

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Found_Me

http://www.metrolyrics.com/pokerface-lyrics-lady-gaga.html

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090419080811AANoGAs