When you look back at 2009, there were several artists who were just beginning their music careers, and club music had just begun to get popular. If you’ve been looking for tracks to put on your 2009 playlist, read on to find out the 31 best songs from 2009!
1. Poker Face – Lady Gaga
First on our list is Lady Gaga with her smash hit Poker Face, and you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing this song. It was released on her first album The Fame, and it’s all about being bisexual as well as about her previous boyfriends. There’s a lot of sexual innuendo in this track. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Dance Club Songs, Dance/Mix Show Airplay, and Mainstream Top 40 charts.
2. New Divide – Linkin Park
Linkin Park had a hit with New Divide, which you might know from Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen since it was the official theme song for the movie and on the official soundtrack. This track was very popular hitting number one on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, six on the Billboard Hot 100, and 21 on the Adult Top 40 chart.
3. Empire State Of Mind – Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys
Next is Jay-Z and Alicia Keys with Empire State Of Mind, which comes from his album The Blueprint 3. This song is a tribute track to New York, and it references various landmarks in it, most notably, the Empire State Building. It topped the Billboard Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and Hot Rap Songs charts.
4. I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are on the list with I Gotta Feeling, which comes from The E.N.D. The song was a huge hit spending over 14 weeks in the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and it hit number one on the Mainstream Top 40. This track ended up as an international hit too, with it hitting number one in more than 20 countries, including Australia.
5. Love Story – Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift was already a superstar by 2009, and she had multiple hits going on this year, including Love Story. This song comes from Fearless, and it was all about a male who was not very popular with either his family or friends. She took her inspiration from Romeo And Juliet, and it’s a country-pop track that landed at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart and hit four on the Billboard Hot 100.
6. I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
In 2009, you couldn’t get away from I’m Yours by Jason Mraz, and this song went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, Mainstream Top 40, and Adult Top 40 charts. It ended up spending more than 76 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart altogether, and it was one of the biggest hits of his career.
7. Circus – Britney Spears
Next on our list is Britney Spears who released the single Circus on her album of the same name, and this song is pop, rap, and some electropop. It’s all about how the public perceives her personal life, which to all of us looks like a circus. This track landed at number one on the Mainstream Top 40 and hit three on the Billboard Hot 100 and Dance Club Songs charts.
8. Viva La Vida – Coldplay
Coldplay is best known for Viva La Vida, which was on their album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends. This track was the first number-one song the band had in the UK and US at the same time. To many, it is considered their signature track. It landed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Top 40, Alternative Airplay, Adult Alternative Songs, and Adult Contemporary charts.
9. Bad Romance – Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga’s song Bad Romance is up next, which was from her album Fame Monster, a reissue of her prior album The Fame. This is both a dance and electric pop track that is all about the paranoia she experienced while she was touring. She decided to write about the fact she had been attracted to toxic or bad men and relationships. Everyone loved the chorus, hook, and beat of this song, and it’s still one of her most popular tracks.
10. You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift makes our list again with You Belong With Me, which comes from her album Fearless. This track is all about one of the band members she toured with and the conversation he had with his girlfriend that she overheard one night. It hit one on the Hot Country Songs and Adult Contemporary charts and made it to two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
11. Boom Boom Pow – The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas had another hit with Boom Boom Pow, and this was listed at 14 on Rolling Stone’s 25 Best Songs of 2009 list. It won a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video and was nominated for Best Dance Recording, although the band lost that Grammy.
12. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) – Beyoncé
Beyoncé is known for Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), which comes from I Am… Sasha Fierce. This song is all about how men seem to be unwilling to get married or commit to a woman. There is a woman in the video celebrating her singleness, which is Beyoncé. This track was very popular and made it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Dance Club Songs, Mainstream Top 40, and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
13. Just Dance – Lady Gaga feat. Colby O’Donis
Just Dance makes the list, which was the first single from Lady Gaga, and this song comes from her debut album The Fame. This track landed at one on the Billboard Hot 100, Mainstream Top 40, and Dance Single Sales charts. It was co-written with Akon, and it’s all about being drunk at a club.
14. Stillness Is The Move – Dirty Projectors
The Dirty Projectors are a band you may not know, but the song Stillness Is The Move was a huge hit that is all about the fear of settling down, but there’s a mix of comfort in such a thing. This track comes from their first album Bitte Orca. This is an experimental type of song that while most people don’t know the band, they’ve heard and liked the song.
15. Heartless – Kanye West
Next on our list is Kanye West with Heartless, which comes from his album 808s & Heartbreak. This song is a pop track that mixes both hip hop and R&B, and it was a pretty big hit with it making it to number one on the Hot Rap Songs and Rhythmic charts while hitting two on the Billboard Hot 100.
16. The Climb – Miley Cyrus
Thought to be her signature song, next on the list is The Climb by Miley Cyrus, which is featured on Hannah Montana: The Movie. As a country-pop track, this was the first song she released on country radio, and it hit number one on the Adult Contemporary chart while peaking at four on the Billboard Hot 100.
17. Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear
Featured in the 2012 movie The Dictator, the song Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear was a smash hit in 2009. This track comes from the third album of the band titled Veckatimest, and the singer from Beach House, Victoria Legend, is there for back vocals. You also may have heard this song at the end of an episode of How I Met Your Mother, and it was also in a Super Bowl XLIV commercial for Volkswagen.
18. Run This Town – Jay-Z feat. Rihanna And Kanye West
Jay-Z makes our list with his song Run This Town, which famously features both Rihanna and Kanye West. The track was from his album The Blueprint 3, and it was a huge hit peaking at two on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a success all over the world including in Switzerland, Norway, Australia, and Sweden.
19. Big Green Tractor – Jason Aldean
One country song that made waves in 2009 was the Jason Aldean track Big Green Tractor, which was from his album Wide Open. This song is all about a guy asking a girl if she wants to take a ride on his big green tractor or go to town, so it was relatable to country music fans. It was his third number-one track on the Hot Country Songs chart, and it hit 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
20. Fireflies – Owl City
Owl City released Fireflies as their first single on their album Ocean Eyes, and this song made it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It’s all about how lead singer Adam Young would see fireflies as he lay awake since he had insomnia, and how much he enjoyed looking at them during the summer months. It also hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and 11 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
21. 1901 – Phoenix
Up next is Phoenix with their track 1901, which was released on Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which was their first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 84. This track hit one on the Alternative Songs chart and three on the Rock Songs chart. You can find this indie pop track on the comedy show Friday Night Dinner, which aired in the UK.
22. Sexy Bitch – David Guetta feat. Akon
David Guetta had a hit with Sexy Bitch, which featured Akon and comes from his album One Love. There was a censored version of the song too which was called Sexy Chick. The track is about a guy being infatuated with a girl, and the song received positive reviews for its production value. It became a commercial success, with it landing at number one on the Dance Club Songs chart, three on the Mainstream Top 40 and Rhythmic charts, and peaked at five on the Billboard Hot 100.
23. Know Your Enemy – Green Day
Next is the punk rock band Green Day who had a hit with Know Your Enemy, which came from the album 21st Century Breakdown. This was a protest song that was more of a rallying cry to break yourself free of all of the drama, and it also was political. The track hit number one on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, while only making it to 36 on the Adult Top 40, and 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.
24. Use Somebody – Kings of Leon
Kings Of Leon are on our list with their single Use Somebody from their album Only By The Night. This track had a lot of airplay in countries outside of America including Germany, Ireland, Scandinavia, and the UK. It also was a hit in America, placing number one on the Alternative Airplay, Mainstream Top 40, Adult Top 40, and Adult Alternative Songs charts. It also peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100!
25. You Found Me – The Fray
The Fray made waves with You Found Me, which was from their second album, and it was only their third song to reach two million downloads in America. The track landed at number one on the Adult Top 40 and Adult Alternative Songs chart while landing at two on the Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and 16 on the Christian Songs chart.
26. Right Round – Flo Rida Feat. Ke$ha
Next up is Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha for the song Right Round, which was from his album R.O.O.T.S. It uses the Dead Or Alive song in its hook, which is You Spin Me Round (Like A Record). In the chorus of the track, a stripper is being talked about, and this song does give Dead Or Alive songwriting credit. It made it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Mainstream Top 40 while landing at three on the Hot Rap Songs chart.
27. Dead & Gone – T.I. feat. Justin Timberlake
Up next is Dead & Gone, which was performed by T.I. featuring Justin Timberlake, and comes from his album Paper Trail. These two have collaborated before on a song, with a previous collaboration happening for Timberlake’s album FutureSex/LoveSounds. This was nominated for two different Grammy Awards, although it lost in both categories. The track was a major hit though, landing at number one on the Billboard Pop 100 chart, Hot Rap Songs, and Rhythmic charts, and two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
28. I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) – Pitbull
Pitbull had a hit with I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho), and this track comes from his album Pitbull Starring In Rebelution. There is a neighborhood in Little Havana, which is what the title is referencing. It was a decent hit and made it to two on the Billboard Hot 100 and Digital Song Sales charts. It also went to number four on the Hot Rap Songs and Mainstream Top 40 charts, and this was his first track that became an international success.
29. Gives You Hell – The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects make the list with Gives You Hell, which comes from their album When The World Comes Down. This song was their most successful track at that time and hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40 charts while peaking at two on the Billboard Hot 100. It can be found in Glee and also can be found in video games such as Tap Tap Revenge 2, Rock Band, and Guitar Hero 5.
30. Hot N Cold – Katy Perry
Next is pop star Katy Perry with her hit song Hot N Cold, which was from her album One Of The Boys. This song is all about mood swings that a significant other has, which causes problems in the relationship, so it’s relatable to a lot of people. It made it to number one on the Adult Top 40, Mainstream Top 40, and Dance Single Sales charts. It also landed at three on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of her biggest singles in terms of sales.
31. Second Chance – Shinedown
Lastly, we have Shinedown with Second Chance, which comes from the album The Sound of Madness. This song was used to promote the television show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and also had been used in General Hospital. It’s one of their most popular tracks and topped the Adult Top 40 chart while landing at three on the Mainstream Top 40 chart and peaking at seven on the Billboard Hot 100.
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From the time she was little, Florence loved listening to music and quickly learned how music can make you happy and feel fulfilled. One of her favorite memories is being in the garage with her dad working on classic cars with the local rock station blaring in the background. Ever since Florence was 3, she loved grunge music and spent hours listening to bands such as Alice in Chains, Mad Season, Soul Asylum, and Soundgarden.
She also enjoys classic rock, modern rock, nu metal, alternative rock, and old 90’s R&B. Her love of music grew as she got older, and used music to help her get through tough times in her life. More often than not, you’ll see Florence with earbuds in while she’s writing, cooking, cleaning, and doing other tasks. She also loves to debate music with her friends such as which lead singer is the best vocalist, the most iconic guitar solos in music, and what songs are really the best of the decade.