So let me just start by saying that this was the best year in music history. Let me continue by qualifying the last statement (for all the critics out there) – 2009 was the best year in music history as far as I am concerned. I actually had to cut out quite a few albums, and the ones that made this list were truly amazing. With the exception of the top three (Part 3), the rest of the albums are not really in order of greatness, but believe me, I could definitely tell ya which I believe are better than others, but I didn’t want any nerds to get upset by putting Muse behind, say, the Arctic Monkeys.

Anyway, on to the music…

Invaders Must Die by Prodigy

Everyone remembers this band from back in the 90s when “Breathe” and “Firestarter” were huge. This was around the same time Airwalk was considered the height of fashion, and the Discman was the pinnacle of technology (and so compact!). Fortunately, like fashion and electronics, Prodigy have evolved and improved over time.

Invaders Must Die still has the Prodigy sound – heavy bass, blaring synth, and drum beats on crack-cocaine. But the thing that keeps Prodigy from being just another “electronic/techno/whatever you call it” group is two-fold: they actually implement REAL drums and guitars. Weird, right? And each song stands alone. Instead of listening to the same beat for six minutes (come on DJs, WRAP IT UP), the songs flow more like traditional music and are interesting from beginning to end.

Don’t get me wrong – they’re not the Beatles of our generation or anything, and this album has not and will not change my life. However, this album is probably the best bet if you’re looking for some music to get you “hyphy” (as the kids call it) or if you’re looking for something to run to or music to get you through an all-nighter for finals.

I had the opportunity to see them live this summer at Reading Festival just outside of London, and it was probably the craziest effing thing I have ever seen. They are brilliant live, and should you ever have the chance to see them, DO IT. Although if you suffer from a heart condition, I would stay away. I thought the bass was going to make me develop a heart murmur.

If you only listen to three songs: “Warrior Song,” “Run With the Wolves,” and “Invaders Must Die.”

Say Anything by Say Anything

Say Anything grew up. In a way, it’s kinda sad, but it makes for some pretty awesome tunes, and it honestly makes for a better Say Anything – in “Mara and Me,” Bemis (the frontman) actually stops the music in typical, theatrical form and says “Wait a minute, I can’t keep writing the same damn song over and over again.” And he’s right. Exit the angst-filled, the-world’s-not-fair attitude, enter the the-world-still-kinda-sucks-but-life-is-still-good attitude. Max Bemis built his fan base with lyrics about how much he hates his ex-girlfriend, backed by spastic, bordering-on-epic guitar riffs (I promise to stop using hyphens so much), but now he’s perfecting his art.

Don’t worry – there’s still plenty o’ rock on Say Anything, but instead of being the driving force, it rather compliments the depth achieved through somewhat more mature lyrics and song composition. Violins dominate “Do Better,” and the album is much more self-aware, making sure to slow down and concentrate on the art while still maintaining that signature Say Anything device of humor via self-deprication.

If you only listen to three songs: “Do Better,” “Ahhh…Men,” and “Cemetery.”

The Resistance by Muse

This is one of the albums I was most anxious about in 2009 – I was afraid it might suck. And for all you die-hard Muse fans out there who think they are God’s gift to rock, please skip ahead to the next sentence: Black Holes and Revelations (their last album) really wasn’t that good. There, I said it. It had some great songs on it (“Starlight,” “Assassin,” and “Knights of Cydonia”), but overall the album felt like a contrived departure for the band from rock band to studio band. I appreciate branching out and diversifying, but BH&R failed to showcase Muse’s raw talent.

Enter The Resistance. Muse is back and better than ever, and the boys managed to achieve the epic studio value they were reaching for on the last album without forsaking their ability to Just. Plain. Rock. The harder songs harken back to their older albums, but they also incorporate a plethora of sounds and influences: “Guiding Light” makes you feel like Tom Cruise gettin’ down with Kelly McGillis in Top Gun, “I Belong To You” makes the piano cool again and compels you to move in place and sing along, and “United States of Eurasia” might actually be an old Queen song that was never released, and it might also be the best, most triumphant song by which to take over the world.

So the main album itself is pure brilliance from track one on – none of that filler crap from the last album like “Soldier’s Poem” or “Hoodoo.” But then The Resistance doesn’t end there. The last three tracks are a stand-alone “mini symphony” entitled “Exogenesis.” I read about this before the album came out, and I was very skeptical. It sounded a little over-ambitious, completely pretentious, and just a craptastic way to ruin what might actually be a good album. For once in my life, I was wrong. It’s a stunningly beautiful composition that lives up to its title of “symphony,” and I applaud Muse for a) being so bold as to put a twelve-minute symphonic piece on a popular rock album, and b) pulling it off very well. Muse is back, baby. Muse is back.

If you only listen to four songs (bonus version): “MK Ultra,” “Undisclosed Desires,” “I Belong To You,” and “Unnatural Selection.”

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