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Rock Rips Top 50 of 2009

Pos Song Artist Peak Notes
1 Dutch BandNever Enough Epica 1 5 wks at #1
2 Swiss BandOmnos Eluveitie 1 3 wks at #1
3 Dutch BandFrozen Within Temptation 1 3 wks at #1
4 US BandI Get Off Halestorm 1 4 wks at #1
5 Dutch BandThe Gathering Delain 1 4 wks at #1
6 UK BandKnights of Cydonia Muse 2 4 wks at #2
7 US bandSecond Chance Shinedown 1 4 wks at #1
8 Dutch bandEnergize Me After Forever 1 3 wks at #1
9 Dutch bandThe Craving Kingfisher Sky 1 1 wks at #1
10 Dutch BandSatellites Autumn 1 2 wks at #1
11 Russian BandDead Stars SLOT 1 2 wks at #1
12 Dutch BandApril Rain Delain 1 2 wks at #1
13 US BandNew Divide Linkin Park 1 1 wk at #1
14 Norwegian BandThe Other Side Sirenia 1 1 wks at #1
15 Dutch ArtistOur Solemn Hour Within Temptation 1 1 wk at #1
16 Finnish BandCanadian ArtistI Don't Care Apocalyptica/Adam Gontier 1 3 wks at #1
17 US BandRed Fox Tomahawk 1 1 wk at #1
18 US bandColdest Rain Diecast 1 1 wk at #1
19 US BandItalian ArtistWatch Over You Alter Bridge/Cristina Scabbia 1 1 weeks at #1
20 Canadian BandBad Girlfriend Theory of a Deadman 1 1 wk at #1
21 Italian BandEnjoy the Slence Lacuna Coil 1 1 wk at #1
22 Italian BandFinnish BandSOS (Anything but Love) Apocalyptica/Cristina Scabbia 1 2 wks at #1
23 Canadian BandYour Love is a Lie Simple Plan 1 1 wks at #1
24 Canadian BandHate My Life Theory of a Deadman 1 1 wk at #1
25 UK BandWrong Depeche Mode 2 2 wks at #2
26 US BandNo Surprise Daughtry 1 1 wk at #1
27 Swedish BandBalrog Boogie Diablo Swing Orchestra 1 1 wk at #1
28 South African bandCareless Whisper Seether 2 3 wks at #2
29 Norwegian BandThe Path to Decay Sirenia 3
30 Italian BandUmbrella Vanilla Sky 2
31 US bandFeels Like the First Time Daughtry 3
32 US ArtistMescal Rite 1 Tomahawk 3
33 Canadian BandRusted from the Rain Billy Talent 3
34 US BandNever Walk Away Journey 2
35 New Zealand BandBeautiful Machine Shihad 4
36 US BandAlready Over Red 4
37 Liechtenstein ArtistShow Me the Way Elis 4
38 US bandFight Inside Red 45/td>
39 French BandAddicted Eilera 5
40 Finnish AtristBlack Ice Hanna Pakarinen 5
41 Canadian BandNot Meant to Be Theory of a Deadman 2
42 Canadian BandSo Many People Neurosonic 4
43 Finnish ArtistsSOS (Anything but Love) Apocalyptica/Hanna Pakarinen 5
44 US ArtistsSlow Down Third Day/Chris Daughtry 4
45 Dutch BandEqually Destructive After Forever 4
46 Italian BandOur Truth Lacuna Coil 4
47 Italian BandCloser Lacuna Coil 7
48 Canadian BandGotta Be Somebody Nickelback 4
49 US BandAnberlin Feel Good Drag 5
50 US BandI Don't Care Fall Out Boy 5
the World Invasion continued here on Rock Rips. This time it was Holland (Netherlands) leading the charge, with bands such as Within Temptation, Autumn, After Forever, Delain and Kingfisher Sky - all female-fronted bands. Female-fronted bands continued to permeate our chart, building in popularity through domestic North American bands such as Halestorm and Kittie. Apocalyptica continued its chart domination with two more #1s and 2 more top 10s to bring their discography to 7 hits, including 4 #1 and the rest top 10s. We had hits from every continent of the world - even Antarctica. We also beat a record on the last week of the year, with 13 countries represented on our chart. In April we had our first #1 sung in a foreign language - Russian, which was followed by three others, including the song at #2 on our year end chart. Several new countries joined our ranks, including Greece, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Barbados, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, and as we mentioned the non-country of Antarctica.

After Forever debuted way up at #6 with "Energize Me," their second song to chart and likely their last since they've disbanded. Lots of other chart oddities - like Cristina Scabbia appearing on three hits in the same chart week, or two different songs with the same title ("I Don't Care") on the same chart, or two versions of the same song charting separately (Apocalyptica's "SOS (Anything But Love)" with Cristina Scabbia and Hanna Pakarinen). We also met The AccoLade, our first band from Saudi Arabia, and the newest all-female band to reach our chart. They stand out because they've never performed live, and according to Saudi law, have no photos of them. It's a wonder they exist.

EpicaEluveitieWithin Temptation
HalestormDelainAfter Forever

Chart facts: This year-end chart of the top 50 songs of 2009 is represented by 40 artists from 14 countries (15 US, 10 Netherlands, 8 Canada, 5 Italy, 4 Finland, 2 UK, 2 Norway; and 1 each from Switzerland, Russia, Sweden, South Africa, New Zealand, France, and Liechtenstein). This year tops 2008 as the most diverse year-end chart ever.

12 artists have more than one entry: Apocalyptica is at #16, #22, #43; Theory of a Deadman is at #20, #24 and #41; Lacuna Coil is at #21, #46 and #47. Cristina Scabbia, Within Temptation, Delain, After Forever, Sirenia, Tomahawk, Red, Hanna Pakarinen, and Daughtry all have two hits apiece on our chart.

Other minutiae:
  • 10 artists from last year's top 50 are back this year: Red, Daughtry, Linkin Park, Lacuna Coil, Muse, Seether, Theory of a Deadman, Apocalyptica, Alter Bridge, and Within Temptation. In addition, Daughtry is back as a solo artist, and Ailyn is back as the lead vocalist of Sirenia on "The Path to Decay."
  • There are 5 remakes: "Enjoy the Silence," "Careless Whisper," "Umbrella," "Feels Like the First Time," and "SOS (Anything but Love)."
  • There were 21 #1s and 6 #2s.
  • There are 6 Dutch acts in the top 10!
  • There are 5-multi-act entries: Apocalyptica features on three, with Cristina Scabbia, Hanna Pakarinen, and Adam Gontier; Chris Daughtry teamed up with Christian rockers Third Day, and Cristina Scabbia also worked with Alter Bridge. Three of these are multi-national collaborations.
  • The lowest peaking song is "Closer," which reached #7.
  • 18 artists are here with their first charted hit. 5 of these have two songs present.
  • There are four foreign language songs on our chart, all of them #1s!
  • 23 songs have a female presence, from 17 females present: Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation), Hanna Pakarinen, Meri Tadic and Anna Murphy (Eluveitie), Simone Simons (Epica), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil and solo), Ailyn and Monika Pedersen (current and formerly of Sirenia), Charlotte Wessels (Delain), Floor Jansen (After Forever), Judith Rijnveld (Kingfisher Sky), Marjan Welman (Autumn), Daria "Nookie" Stavrovich (SLOT), Annlouice Loegdlund (Diablo Swing Orchestra), Eilera, and the late Sabine Dünser (Elis). All but Meri Tadic are vocalists.
  • Only 2 of the top 50 are acts have been around 20 years or more. Journey is the eldest, followed by Depeche Mode.
  • One song features 5 designations: "SOS (Anything But Love)" by Apocalyptica and Hanna Pakarinen clearly features a female and is a multi-artist hit, but it's also a remake, from a soundtrack, and Hanna comes to us through the Idol franchise.
  • Cristina Scabbia features in 5 hits on our chart as either a solo artist or with Lacuna Coil.