.

The Year-End Readers' Poll

Your picks for the best albums, songs and artists of 2009

December 15, 2009 4:00 AM ET

Top Singles of 2009

10. "Waking Up in Vegas"
KATY PERRY

9. "1901"
PHOENIX

8. "My Girls"
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE

7. "21 Guns"
GREEN DAY

6. "Two Weeks" GRIZZLY BEAR

5. "Sex on Fire"
KINGS OF LEON

4. "Empire State
  of Mind"
JAY-Z FEATURING ALICIA KEYS

3. "Use Somebody"
KINGS OF LEON

2. "Poker Face"
LADY GAGA

1. "The Fixer"
PEARL JAM

Top Albums of 2009

10 .The Dead Weather
HOREHOUND

9. Bruce Springsteen
WORKING ON A DREAM

8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
IT'S BLITZ!

7. Wilco
WILCO (THE ALBUM)

6. Grizzly Bear
VECKATIMEST

>

5. Animal Collective
MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILLION

4. U2
NO LINE ON THE HORIZON

3. Lady Gaga
THE FAME MONSTER

2. Green Day
21ST CENTURY BREAKDOWN

1. Pearl Jam
BACKSPACER

Top Artists of 2009

10. Taylor Swift

9. Wilco

8. Animal Collective

7. Bruce Springsteen

6. U2

5. Green Day

4. Kings of Leon

3. Lady Gaga

2. Pearl Jam

1. Adam Lambert

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Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

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