The year 2009 will very soon be history. But what a beautiful history, I say! It was 2009 when we saw superstars rise to the top of their game, welcomed some great new artists and said goodbye to a beloved legend. And we’ll never forget that. So, let’s see who were the best artists of 2009 and whose star shined more sparkling on the sky of music.

1. Lady Gaga
It’s not exactly a surprise, isn’t it? We all know that over the past 12 months, Gaga was everywhere. Her hits topped the charts with an amazing speed. Her tours wowed audiences and her albums were in constant running on iPods everywhere. In fact, she inspired other artists to write and record, to take their songs and tours to the next level. She pushed them to work harder, because they had to in order to stay on the market.

2. Beyoncé
Billboard’s 2009 Woman of the Year, Beyoncé, made one of the best videos of all-time, the critics say, even if “Out of all my videos, (”Single Ladies”) was the least expensive and took the least amount of time, and it ended up being the most iconic,” as the singer herself explained. And not only did the clip inspire thousands of YouTube imitations, but it also helped push her “I Am… Sasha Fierce” album to last over a year on the Billboard 200 chart.

3. Black Eyed Peas
The group not only set a record for the longest successive No. 1 chart run by a duo or group in the Billboard Hot 100’s history (”I Gotta Feeling” hit its fifth consecutive week at No. 1, following 12 weeks at the top by the Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow”), but it also ranked 7th in Hot 100 Artists of the Decade. Their two singles also topped the chart for an unprecedented 26 consecutive weeks in 2009.

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U2 have confirmed via video blog that their sold-out concert at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California, this Sunday, 25th October, will be streamed free, in full and live on YouTube. It's the first time a show of this size will be streamed live.

The Rose Bowl show is the penultimate U2 show this year - with more to come in 2010 - and already is set to host the venue's biggest ever audience of over 96,000 fans. The 360° Tour, which has been critically acclaimed and 're-invents rock'n'roll' (Rolling Stone Magazine), will now boast unique access for fans worldwide - as fans in territories yet to be visited by the tour, or not at all, will be able to enjoy the whole show online.

Managed in partnership with Live Nation, this sell-out tour has broken attendance records in most venues it has visited - its success due in part to increased capacity coupled with a lower ticket price and great sight lines afforded by the stunning in-the-round stage set.

U2 manager Paul McGuinness said, 'The band has wanted to do something like this for a long time. As we're filming the LA show, it's the perfect opportunity to extend the party beyond the stadium. Fans often travel long distances to come to see U2 - this time U2 can go to them, globally.'

YouTube will be streaming live across five continents. The show will be available in the usual You Tube way, as video-on-demand, following two full replays - after the live stream - on both U2.com and You Tube.

'YouTube is thrilled to be able to provide our global audience with a live streaming performance from one of the world's greatest bands,' said Chris Maxcy, Director of YouTube Partner Development. 'We are always looking for new ways to connect fans around the world with their favourite artists, and this is the perfect opportunity to do just that.'

The 176th Oktoberfest started on Saturday the 19th, kicked off by Munich Mayor Christian Ude, tapping the first keg with a cry of "O'zapft is!". With predictions of over 6 million visitors heading to Munich, the festival runs until October 4th. This year, a traditional liter of beer will cost visitors about 8 euros (11.75 dollars). And new this year: Oktoberfest iPhone apps, including a dictionary, ordering assistant and a blood-alcohol calculator. Collected here are a few photographs from the first couple of days of Oktoberfest 2009.

iTunes' top 10 selling singles and albums of the week ending Sept. 21, 2009:

Singles:

1. "Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)," Jay-Z

2. "Forever," Drake, L'il Wayne, Eminem, Kanye West

3. "Party In the U.S.A.," Miley Cyrus

4. "Paparazzi," Lady GaGa

5. "Run This Town (feat. Rihanna & Kanye West)," Jay-Z

6. "I Gotta Feeling," Black Eyed Peas

7. "Whatcha Say," Jason DeRulo

8. "Down," Jay Sean

9. "You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift

10. "Use Somebody," Kings of Leon

Albums:

1. "The Blueprint 3," Jay-Z

2. "The Resistance," Muse

3. "Man on the Moon - The End of Day," Kid Cudi

4. "I Look to You," Whitney Houston

5. "Backspacer," Pearl Jam

6. "So Far Gone," Drake

7. "The Fame," Lady GaGa

8. "Only By the Night," Kings of Leon

9. "Fearless," Taylor Swift

10. "The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)," Black Eyed Peas