2009 Men of the Year!

Overnight sensations. Economic meltdown. Deaths. Bankruptcy. Ah, 2009! Didn't you just love it?! Historically and economically, it was one of the worst years into the new millennium. But these ten guys below found a way to make the year work for them. In fact, these ten men OWNED 2009. It was theirs and we just happened to share it with them. Here are the ten men, who, in 2009, made big strides, and should be making even bigger in this new year. 

10. Drake

Hit singles, guest appearances alongside Jay-Z and Eminem and a critically-acclaimed mix tape have caused Drake to be the most hyped thing in hip-hop since Kanye West. Sorry, Kid Cudi.

9. LeBron James

Named 2009's MVP in the NBA, James sits at #19 on Forbes' list of the top-earning celebs of last year. Not since the days of Michael Jordan has a player made this much impact on and off the court.

8. Maxwell

So after playing an important role in the development of neo-soul, Maxwell disappeared into quasi-absolute obscurity for 8 years. But in 2009, Maxwell released BLACKsummers'night, an unexpected hit record, filled with grit, power and what else- soul. With 6 Grammy nominations, Maxwell seems to have finally come into his own.

7. Usain Bolt

Making records is always fun. Breaking them is even better. Just ask Bolt, the first man since maybe Bob Marley who made the whole world wish they were born Jamaican. He's been called the Michael Jackson of Track and Field, and while that comparison seems a bit silly, it's actually quite apt.

6. Christoph Waltz

He's already won about 22 industry awards for his performance in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (more on him later) and you know what? He probably should win even more; it was the performance of a lifetime that absolutely no one saw coming.

5. Jay-Z

 

So according to Forbes again, Hov is 1/2 of the top earning couples in entertainment, married or otherwise. That's quite a colossal feat considering some of the couples out there. But if that were all that went well for Jigga in '09, it'd be enough. Add to that three more hit singles, two Grammy nominations, AND the fact that he's now into his 11th #1 album,  a record for a solo act in the history of the Billboard charts.

4. Quentin Tarantino

There is no other director operating today with more chutzpah than Quentin Tarantino. Word is, he angered quite a few on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival, with many of the audience members actually walking out during the viewing of Inglourious Basterds. But then the public saw it, and they spoke- the film is Tarantino's highest-grossing film at the US box office and world-wide. And that's saying a whole lot considering he's made Pulp Fiction. With all types of Oscar buzz about the place, and one week away from the revelation of the nominees, i'd like to say "Screw you, Cannes!"

3. President Obama

As beloved as he is, there's no other politician as divisive as Obama. After ushering in new hope in the US, and the world, he's been hit hard with real affairs and of course mass criticism from the political right wing, his impact abroad has culminated with him being the fourth US president to have won the Nobel Peace Prize.

2. James Cameron

In today's box office climate, to have a film gross US$100 million is a fantastic achievement. But we're talking Cameron, here. (When Leo said "I'm the King of the world!" in Titanic, he wasn't talking about himself.) Avatar, you may have heard of it, has now grossed over US$1 billion world-wide (that "b" wasn't a typo); has ushered a new form of digital movie-making and is largely touted to win the Oscar for Best Film next March.

1. Michael Jackson

 

Yes, I know Jackson died in 2009. No, i'm not crazy. Don't believe me? Let's back track.

1. Back in March, when Jackson announced a string of 50 concerts in London, over 300,000 tickets sold out within mere minutes of availability, some selling for hundreds of pounds on internet auction sites.

2. When news of Jackson's death surfaced back in June, social media basically melt down due to heavy internet traffic all searching for news of the tragedy. For hours, Facebook and Twitter users were basically shut out, while for at least two months afterward, the most talked about thing on the two sites were of course, Jackson.

3. When Sony Pictures gained rights to the footage of the concert rehearsals and released it as a film, Kenny Ortega's This Is it, over the Halloween weekend, the fans came out in droves- in five days, the film became the highest-grossest concert film of all time.

4. And if all of that weren't enough, in addition to all the Michael Jackson-themed parties held between June and December from Paris to Jamaica, and the tributes from MTV and BET, Jackson was the highest-selling artiste of 2009 with over 8 million records sold in the US, doubling the sales of Taylor Swift, the Beatles and Susan Boyle.

Best Singles of 2009: #40-31

40. The Gossip "Heavy Cross"
Beth Ditto is a vamp, and her vocals are absolutely delicious. I long to hear more music like this on the radio.

Fave line: "We can play it safe, or play it cool/follow the leader, or make up all the rules"



39. T.I. feat. Justin Timberlake "Dead and Gone"
Make no bones about it, T.I. is a commercial rapper, but his flow here is PERFECT and he's never sounded more introspective, questioning those around him and even lamenting on his own mortality. Justin is only icing on the cake.

Fave line: "Ever had one of them days wish you would have stayed home? Run into a group of niggas gettin' they hate on?"


T.I. - Dead And Gone ft. Justin Timberlake

T.I. | MySpace Music Videos

38. Friendly Fires "Jump in the Pool"
When I first heard this song, I thought it was Bloc Party; the two bands possess the same synthy energy. Too bad Bloc Party hasn't done a song this great since 2005.

Fave line: "I looked at you i knew you wanted to jump in the pool"




37. The Dead Weather "Treat Me Like Your Mother"
Love the banter between Mosshart and White on this one. The guitars and drum, too, are pretty effing awesome.

Fave line: "Don't act like you can't act/stand up like a man"



36. Rihanna "Russian Roulette"
One of the most controversial songs of the year, a lot of people didn't really get it. What was Rihanna singing about? Is she suicidal? Um. No. I think the metaphors are waaaaay too easy, so I won't explain them here. (Y'all are smart, right?) Let's just say it's the most cryptic song she's ever done and one of the better written songs on this list, on the disc and of this year. And that gunshot at the end?? Damn.

Fave line: "So many won't get the chance to say goodbye, but it's too late to think of the value of my life"



35. Lady GaGa "Bad Romance"
I still blame Lady GaGa for causing the link for the live stream of McQueen's Spring/Summer Ready-to-Wear 2010 collection to collapse. Damn her for announcing to the whole of twitter (she has over one million followers) that she was debuting the song there! But oh my GAWD what a song it is!! Ra ROH!

Fave line: "Walk walk, fashion baby/work it, move that bitch crazy"



34. Kid Cudi feat. Kanye West and Common "Make Her Say"
Quite possibly the funniest song of the year. Yea you read right. Funny. And Common is on the track. Great Lady GaGa sample, too.

Fave line: "Getting brain the library, cuz I love knowledge"




33. Fever Ray "When I Grow Up"
Sounding like something lifted from her band's "Silent Shout", Karin Andersson sings, like a preening child, about her adulthood plans. Love the steel drums.

Fave line: "You've got cucumber on your eyes/too much time spent on nothing, waiting on your moment to arise"



32. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Heads Will Roll"
Dance, dance, dance till you're dead! If that isn't sound advice, I don't know what is. Love how this track just builds and builds and i LOVE the video!

Fave line: "The glitter's all wet, you're all chrome"



31. Maxwell "Pretty Wings"
The gentlest, sweetest, most heart-breaking thing I heard all year. Maxwell's falsetto could sooth a thousand nations at war.

Fave line: "I should have showed you better nights, better times, better days/and I miss you more and more"