2009: The year in music

The Beatles music took one step closer to the digital age when the suriving members of the group signed on the dotted line with Rock Band. The game allows players to "play" along to song's from the Fab Four's to a range of 45 songs and the set of the Ed Sullivan show was even recreated to hark back to the Beatles groundbreaking appearences on the show in 1964. Meanwhile Courtney Love sensationally claimed that Rock Band's rival, Guitar Hero, "raped Kurt Cobain" after images of the late singer and his band Nirvana were used in the game. In response, Guitar Hero said the holder of Cobain's estate (that would be Love) had already "cashed the cheque" Photograph: Rock Band Beatles/guardian.co.uk

On February 8 2009, police responded to an incident in an Los Angeles carpark involving the postar Rihanna and her then boyfriend, singer Chris Brown. Over the next 48 hours, it emerged that Rihanna was the victim of an assault in which Brown punched her, bit her and put her in a headlock. in her own words, the singer "went to slkeep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears". Intense interest in the details of the assult resulted in a photograph showing Rihanna's bloodied face was leaked by LAPD, for which two female officers are being investigated. This picture shows Rihanna in November 2009, six months after the assault Photograph: William Selden/guardian.co.uk

Love it or loathe it, reality TV represents this year's biggest success stories in the world of music. X Factor Cheryl Cole's had the fastest selling single of 2009, a record set only a week earlier by X factor winner Alexndra Burke. Last year's X factor runners up JLS sold over 100,000 copies in the week of release of single Beat Again and are currently being followed around the country by screaming mobs of teenage girls. But it is 48-year-old Susan Boyle who takes the reality TV crown from them all. She appeared on Britain's Got Talent in April and "wowed" the judges with her rendition of I Dreamed a Dream. A debut album of the same name, released in November, became the fatest selling UK debut album of all time and went Platinum within a week. Not bad for the woman the tabloids cruelly nicknamed the "hairy angel" Photograph: Kevin McKay/guardian.co.uk

In May, Sacha Bron Cohen descended from the roof of the MTV Movie awards in Los Angeles dressed as his new alter ego, Bruno. The camp fashion designer was wearing very little, and managed to upend himself in rapper Eminem's lap, leading to this memorable "bum in face" picture. The rapper quickly left the building with a face like thunder, but soon after declared he was in on the stunt all along. A clever move for someone who had carved his career out of mocking the rich and famous but was dangerously close to becoming one of those dreaded celebrities himself Photograph: Jeff kravitz/guardian.co.uk

In a year which saw numerous comebacks and rebirths, Blur's reunion stands out on merit of their headline performance at Glastonbury 2009 alone. Damon Albarn looked like he was having the time of his life, Graham Coxon looked typically ill at ease, Dave Rowntree looked faithfully serious and Alex James looked like he was cryogenically frozen in 1995, only to be thawed for this one show. A triumph. Sunday 28 June, Pilton, Worthy Farm, Somerset UK Photograph: Rex Features/guardian.co.uk

On Thursday June 25 2009, paramedics were called to the home of Michael Jackson at midday. They found the singer unconscious and despite attempts to resuscitate him both in his home at at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre, Jackson was declared dead at 2.26pm locaal time. He was 50 years old. The cause of his death aroused suspicion after it was disclosed Jackson was administered a cocktail of prescription drugs and an his personal physician, Conrad Murray, was the subject of a police investigation. A memorial held in his honour at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles was televised, attracting an estimated 31 million viewers worldwide, Jackson was eventually buried in a private ceremony on September 3 2009 in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, California. Photograph: Paul J. Richards/guardian.co.uk

The brothers gallagher have always had a temperamental relationship so it came as little surprise that it wastheir inability to get on which finally promted Noel to leave the band in August 2009. "It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight," he said in a statement released shortly after a cancelled performance at Paris' Rock En Seine festival. "People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer." After the dust settled, Noel said his brother was "rude, arrogant, intimidating and lazy. He’s the angriest man you’ll ever meet. He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup.” Liam, meanwhile, claimed Oasis would go one without Noel Photograph: Joerg Kock/guardian.co.uk

“I think my overall thought process went something like: ‘Wow, I can’t believe I won… This is awesome… Don’t trip and fall… I’m gonna get to thank the fans, this is so cool, " said 19-year-old country singer Taylor Swift following the MTV Video awards in September, "Oh, Kanye West is here! Cool haircut… What are you doing there? And then, Ouch. And then, I guess I’m not gonna be able to thank the fans." Upon his arrival on stage, West told her Beyonce ought to have one the award for Best Female Video, saying the promo for Single ladies was the "one of the best videos of all time!" Stage? Who knows. West appears to have done everyone a favour, himself included, and disappeared and Swift received oodles of sympathy and, at the AMAS, numerous other awards. Oh, and Beyonce's Single Ladies did actually win Best Video at the MTV awards shortly after this picture was taken Sunday Sept 13 2009, New York Photograph: Jason DeCrow/guardian.co.uk

Speech Debelle is seen here hours before taking home 2009's Mercury Music prize for her debut album, Speech Therapy. However, commcerical success has so far eluded the 26-year-old as the LP failed to make the top 40, selling just 10,000 by the ned of November. The rapper ditched her record label in an attempt to change her fortunes and is said to be working on a second album. It is not clear whether she has signed another record deal Photograph: James Curley/guardian.co.uk

Lady Gaga went from walking around London in her knickers throughout January to wearing some of the wackiest outfits of the year. She opted for a demure red PVC dress when meting the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance in Decemeber. Well you would, wouldn't you? Photograph: PA/guardian.co.uk

The moment a fan with exeptional aim hit Morrissey with a plastic coup at Liverpool's Echo Arena in November. The singer reacted to the incident by telling the crowd "goodbye" and departing the stage. The acerbic singer collapsed on stage in Swindon the previous month, prompting fears about the state of his health. Following the incident in Liverpool, Morrissey told Kirsty Young on Desert Island's Disc that he thought suicide was "honourable". So, a busy few weeks for one of the country's most beloved and idiosyncratic musicians Photograph: Tony Woolliscroft/guardian.co.uk

Despite getting the biggest ratings in the show's history this year, Simon Cowell felt the wrath of the public when a Facebook campaign to get Rage Against the Machine to number one to prevent yet another X Factor winner sitting atop the charts this Christmas. The campaign, started by couple Tracy and Jon Morter, succeeded in placing the rap-metal band's 1992 hit Killing In The Name at the top of the charts, leaving poor Joe McElderry to settle for number two with his cover of The Climb. And with that, everyone at guardian.co.uk/music bids you all a very merry Christmas and happy new year! Photograph: Screen Grab/guardian.co.uk