BBC Sounds of 2009 - A Year Later

Soon the BBC will come out with its Sounds of 2010, identifying a corp of emerging artists it thinks we'll all go GaGa over next year. A year later, here's a look back at how successful the 2009 crop were this year, including their UK chart placings:

1. Lady GaGa. Lady GaGa became an inescapable force in pop music this year, easily topping this list as the most successful act from the BBC Sounds of 2009 poll. Expect her to rake in some Grammy nominations tomorrow. Singles: "Just Dance," #1; "Poker Face," #1; "Paparazzi," #4; "Bad Romance," #5; "Chillin' (w/Wale")," #12; "Lovegame," #16; "Telephone (w/Beyonce)," #30. Album: The Fame, #1.

2. La Roux. I fell in love with La Roux this year, who broke out quite big, landing the UK's third biggest-selling single (so far) with "In for the Kill," a summer #1 hit and US dance #1, "Bulletproof," and a Mercury Prize nomination for the album. Singles: "In for the Kill," #2, "Bulletproof," #1, "I'm Not Your Toy," #27. Album: La Roux, #2.

3. Florence and the Machine. Florence had quite a year, receiving a Mercury Prize nomination for her debut album, Lungs, one of the year's best-selling albums. Singles: "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" #12, "You've Got the Love," #16. Album: Lungs #2.

4. Little Boots. Little Boots topped the BBC poll, but didn't quite achieve as much success as I and others had hoped. Still, she did quite well for a new artist. Singles: "Remedy," #6; "New in Town," #13. Album: Hands, #5.

5. Kid Cudi. This Kanye West protege had one major international smash hit--"Day N Nite"--and that was about it. His album hit #4 in the US, but didn't show up on the UK albums chart. Single: "Day N Nite," #2.

6. White Lies. Their album did really well when it was released, as they had quite a lot of hype, but they really died down after that without scoring a major hit single. Singles: "To Lose My Life," #34; "Farewell to the Fairground," #33. Album: To Lose My Life, #1.

7. The Temper Trap. This Australian band scored a major hit with its single "Sweet Disposition." Single: "Sweet Disposition," #6. Album: Conditions, #26.

8. Empire of the Sun. This Australian band was like the poor man's MGMT. I thought their album was bland and disappointing, although it did have a couple of good songs. Single: "We Are the People, #14. Album: Walking on a Dream, #19.

9. Frankmusic. This British electropop performer did fairly well; "Confusion Girl" was an especially winning hit. Singles: "Better Off as Two," #26; "Confusion Girl," #27. Album: Complete Me, #13.

10. Mumford & Sons. This British folk act managed to do pretty well, considering. Their new single, "Winter Winds" is currently on the BBC Radio 1 A List. Single: "Little Lion Man," #24. Album: Sign No More, #11.

11. VV Brown. I was really surprised she didn't break out bigger. Following in the footsteps of Amy Winehouse and Estelle, she seemed poised to become big, yet for some reason just didn't. Single: "Shark in the Water," #27. Album: Travelling Like the Light, #30.

12. The Big Pink. Can't say I heard much about them last year. If you search "big pink" in Wikipedia you get the US Bancorp building in Portland, Oregon ("big pink" is its nickname, since its facing is made from pink stone, and I didn't need Wikipedia to tell you that). Single: "Dominos," #27. Album: A Brief History of Love, #56.

13. Passion Pit. I was fairly interested in this band and reviewed their album, which was fairly good. I'm surprised they didn't score any major hits. Album: Manners, #55.

14. Dan Black. I was surprised he didn't break out bigger, as I thought he sounded pretty interesting. No hit singles or albums, although he did release an album, UN.

15. Master Shortie. Also, a non-charting act thus far. His album ADHD was released in the summer.

How the BBC ranked them:

1. Little Boots
2. White Lies
3. Florence and the Machine
4. Empire of the Sun
5. La Roux
6. Lady GaGa (lowballed this one, didn't they?)
7. VV Brown
8. Kid Cudi
9. Passion Pit
10. Dan Black