Kelly Clarkson "Already Gone"

Remember the great Feud of 2009? Of course you don't, but here's what you forgot didn't care about what happened during August 2009. Just before releasing "Already Gone", Kelly Clarkson wanted to shelve the ballad because she thought it sounded too similar to Beyonce's "Halo". Before joining Clarkson to co-write "Already Gone", Ryan Tedder worked with Beyonce on her I Am...Sasha Fierce album. One quick listen and you'd pick up notable similarities in "Halo" and "Already Gone": hand claps, mellow piano, and the drum rhythm. Clarkson didn't want to be accused of ripping off Miss Sasha Fierce and wanted to ditch the single. Her record company released it anyway and she blasted them and even ripped Tedder (who defended himself on Myspace -- remember that?). In the end, "Already Gone" went to #13 on the Hot 100 (#3 on Adult Contemporary) and finished #1 and #5 on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40, respectfully. Tedder, you may recall, also went on to fame with One Republic. I think everything worked out just fine.

Steve Winwood "Valerie"

If cats get nine lives, "Valerie" is on her fourth life. Originally released to general yawns in 1982, Steve Winwood remixed the song in 1987 and included it on his Chronicles album. The result: a Top 10 hit on the Hot 100 (#2 on the Adult Contemporary Chart). In 2004, Swedish DJ Eric Prydz remixed the song once again and released his version titled "Call on Me". Not to be outdone, Chris Brown then sampled "Call on Me" in his 2009 release "Pass Out".

Rob Thomas "Someday"

As the first decade of the 2000s drew to a close, Rob Thomas notched another #1 hit on the Adult Top 40 Chart (#4 on the Adult Contemporary Chart) with "Someday". The ballad offers hope for the struggles of relationships.

Michael Jackson - "Man in the Mirror"

Originally a #1 hit for Michael Jackson in 1988, "Man in the Mirror" re-entered the charts in 2009 following Jackson's unexpected death.  The song carries a simple truth: if you want to see a change in the world, take a look at yourself and make that change.

John Mayer - "Heartbreak Warfare"

The name John Mayer still meant something in 2009.  His bluesy ballad "Heartbreak Warfare" dominated the radio while tales from his personal life frequented the tabloids.  A year later, Mayer withdrew from the public eye following uproar from controversial interviews with Rolling Stone and Playboy Magazine.  In those candid interviews, Mayer dished on his sexual conquests with ladies such as Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Simpson.  He also explained his disinterest in dating black women.  Following the flap, Mayer withdrew and refused to do interviews.

Kris Allen - "Live Like We're Dying"

Pop music in the 2000's owes so much to American Idol.  The reality show juggernaut introduced the world to so many different artists (remember Clay Aiken?) turning the radio into a non-stop promotional machine for the show and its many artists.  One such artist is Kris Allen.  Allen will forever be known as the guy who beat presumed winner Adam Lambert in the 2009 finale.  Allen's version of The Script's "Live Like We're Dying" turned out to be Allen's biggest post-Idol hit.

Orianthi - "According To You"

Orianthi reminds us not to date jerks.  Since she apparently did, there are songs like this to remind us what could happen.

David Archuleta - "A Little Too Not Over You"

The year 2009 sounded a lot like this.

John Mayer - "Heartbreak Warfare"

John Mayer managed to score a hit on the Top 40, Rock, Alternative, Adult Contemporary, and Smooth Jazz charts in 2009 with "Heartbreak Warfare".  Yep, somewhere between Dave Koz and Chris Botti there was John Mayer.

Andy Grammer - "Keep Your Head Up"

Years before "Honey I'm Good" made Andy Grammer a household name, he released his first hit "Keep Your Head Up".  The song was a modest hit on Adult Contemporary Chart (#11).

Rob Thomas - "Her Diamonds"

Who would think Rob Thomas' "Her Diamonds" was written all about his wife's battle with an autoimmune disease?  Similarly, Rob Thomas and Matchbox Twenty's "3 A.M." is all about Thomas' mother's battle with cancer.

Owl City - "Fireflies"

I can't recall a song catch fire so quickly only to disappear into the night.  Enter Owl City and their 2009 hit "Fireflies".  This song was EVERYWHERE and even made it to #11 on the Adult Contemporary chart.  (I will not make reference to catching a firefly only to find it dead the following morning...I won't do it!)