Ypulse Best and Worst Of 2009: Music

Today we continue our Year In Review coverage with Youth Advisory Board members Chase Straight and Caroline Marques who teamed up to take a look at who had the best and worst years in music this past year. Look for more of the Best and Worst in youth media and marketing from 2009 along with more in-depth reflections on this past year up through the start of 2010!

Best
Michael Jackson. His death was tragic. After all, it was the end of an era for the legendary king of pop. Or was it? The impact of his death was so incredible that his best year in music for younger generations was the year of his death. His songs were the top search on Google, bestsellers on iTunes and constantly on radios. It was everywhere for months. His music came back in a huge way and people started forgetting previous accusations or judgments they’d made about MJ as a person. The heyday of Michael Jackson was back for fans of all ages. Kids remembered listening to it a few years back, adults remembered when Thriller was the hugest hit. When you think of 2009, you will inevitably think of MJ and your favorite songs from the legendary singer.

Lady Gaga. No one can deny the Gaga craze of 2009. She went from being something of a dark horse to being in the spotlight for way more than 15 minutes. Her songs are played on the radio, at parties, at concerts, on “Gossip Girl”...Everywhere. She didn’t just create a different style of music; she created a brand. Extravagant outfits, crazy videos and songs that stick in your head forever. Not everyone likes her - but who can resist a glamourous originality. The Gaga craze came and for now it’s here to stay.

Kings of Leon. The Followill brothers have been around since 1999 as the Kings of Leon, barely making their break, a solid ten years after getting in the business. Nashville’s finest have been hot on the European circuit but didn’t reach mainstream success in the US until the release of “Only by the Night” in 2008. 2009 saw the band take off full speed headlining a number of major music festivals, winning a Grammy for “Sex on Fire” and NME’s award for “Album of the Year.” It took them long enough but Kings of Leon have finally garnered the attention and respect they’ve deserved for years.

Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift was everywhere this year: Rocking it out at a concert, hosting SNL, on the top ten hits, getting an MTV VMA award… and then being supported by thousands when Kanye dissed her for it. And we can’t forget about her latest accolade of winning AP Entertainer of the year! ’ You Belong With Me ’ spent months being on the top music charts - and she deserves it. Though her catchy album FEARLESS (probably the album that most teen girls could relate to in 2008) came out last year, this has really been her year so far. The sweet country star deserves her enormous success, and she’ll just go up from here.

Susan Boyle. The Queen of Everyman USA. Or Everyman International for that matter. No one shocked the world of music like Susan Boyle this year, completing a double whammy for the ages. When she appeared on “Britain’s Got Talent” in April no one gave her a second look. Stifled laughs were turned to tears when she belted out an incredible rendition of Les Miserables “I Dreamed a Dream.” Even after finishing second in the competition, Boyle proved her staying power by dropping a solo album of the same name and breaking sales records for female artists. Susan Boyle doesn’t have to be American to be the embodiment of the American dream, she just has to be on YouTube.

Miley Cyrus. Miley, Miley, Miley. One of the few entertainers this year capable of making the Best and Worst list. Say what you will about Miley, but she established herself as a legitimate presence in the music industry. Although “Party in the USA” isn’t Grammy-award winning material, it’s pop gold and a solid foot in the right direction. She’s trying what so many have failed to do - escape the incinerator that most Disney machines are destined for. She even busted out the anti-trend and said goodbye to Twitter, which is a pretty bold move for a persona like herself. I say good on you Miley, you’ve had a great year in 2009.

Worst

Miley Cyrus. Her image became less Disney star and more…‘grown-up’. ‘Party in the USA’ was a popular catchy song - but then she didn’t even write it. The girl is a teenager and she deserves to grow up, but does singing Party In The USA in front of the Queen of England in tiny black short shorts really paint the picture of maturity? She’s free to act as she wants - but we expected a bit better from her this year. She doesn’t have to be a Disney angel, but she should stay Miley a bit longer. Entertainer, yes, but 2009 could’ve been better. She is talented, but no one wants to see her head straight for, well… Lohanville.

Chris Brown. A voice of love, the R&B crooner is exposed as a violent domestic abuser! In a move that would make Ike Turner blush, Chris Brown nearly beat his girlfriend Rihanna to death in a parked Lamborghini on the way to the Grammy’s. This coming from the guy who’s music was made legendary in that YouTube wedding video and the soundtrack to many a teenage crush. Half-hearted apologies and an embarrassing break-up later, Brown’s legacy will forever be cemented as trashy and abusive. The entertainment industry used to be able to cover up these kinds of ordeals but the information age, along with progressive values, have elevated and vilified this incident to an irreparable level.

Kanye. Oh, the story of Kanye West ruining Taylor Swift’s well deserved VMA moment. Though Kanye did win a prize for album of the year, he also deserves the prize for one of the most idiot moves in 2009. You just don’t step on stage, on national television and claim that someone’s prize actually should’ve been awarded to someone else (though Beyonce this year was amazing, that’s not the point). It was disrespectful and rude, and it’s a shame, because I can’t listen to a song of his without thinking of that moment. People make mistakes, but this was more than out of line. He got attention, but I wouldn’t say that it was very positive. Well, at least he apologized. So yes, Kanye with his addictive songs may sound good on CD, but definately not that good on stage at an award ceremony.

Amy Winehouse. Amy Winehouse went from being the new it thing to…almost invisible. The woman who would complain about not wanting to go to rehab, with that incredible voice, now seems to be headed there. She had to be hospitalized for a medication mixing overdose and is being questioned regarding assault. She launched Lioness Records, her own record company, and a documentary about her came out about her…Something no one really seemed to realize. Compared to her other years, this year wasn’t successful. What she does on her personal life side (drugs, implants, marriage etc) doesn’t matter in the music industry as long as she’s still coming out with amazing songs. But 2009? No songs along with her wild ride.

Record Companies. The music industry has been struggling hard to play catch up with the rise of social media and the sharing capability of listeners. Even the bestselling album of the year (Taylor Swift’s “Fearless”) failed to reach the mammoth sales the industry saw in the last decade, especially during the boy band years. Traditional methods are failing as the industry attempts to monetize its product in a quickly changing market. File sharing is now king after the RIAA gave up attempts to go after illegal downloaders. Their plan to partner with ISPs against file sharing failed miserably when zero internet providers signed up. Major names continue to jump ship and release their own music while the major labels stay stuck at the drawing board. Will recent music video hun Vevo or any other experiments save them? Remains to be seen.

About Caroline

Caroline is an American student in eleventh grade in Geneva, Switzerland and enjoys it a lot. This year will be her second year serving on the Youth Advisory Board, which she loves because she’s currently an international student and she likes keeping up with the numerous U.S. trends in various departments. Between YAB, sports, school (as well as traveling, trying to master several languages, spending a lot of time on the computer, writing long papers, music and watching American TV), she doesn’t have a lot of time on her hands, but always finds time for the two passions she’s always had: reading and writing.

About Chase

Chase works for a online community management and moderation company. He recently moved to Dallas, TX and serves as Head of Community for an online virtual world for kids. A former journalism major at the University of Utah, he wrote feature articles and album reviews for a music and art magazine. He is fascinated and constantly amazed with how children create and interact online. Aside from his work, Chase is an avid gamer, blogger, live music lover and audiophile who is obsessed with discovering new music and building his already extensive collection. Oh, and he really likes pandas.  (You can also find him blogging about virtual worlds on his company’s blog at metaversemodsquad.com/blog)