The Top 10 Everything of 2009

This monster hit, created by pop Frankensteins Max Martin and Dr. Luke, has rhythm and melody lines ripped indiscriminately from all their other hits and lyrical inspiration courtesy of a high schooler's Facebook wall. ("I know that I've got issues/ But you're pretty messed up too.") Where a lesser singer might have tried to animate the parts with a vocal lightning storm, Kelly Clarkson sings the words with her signature ease, building to an emotional crescendo that's pointless to resist. Nearly a decade after her journey from waitress to American Idol, Clarkson's lack of pretension remains her greatest asset.

See TIME's video about the best songs of 2009.