Susan Boyle: A  'Dream' come true Pop music's fairy tale story of the year had a most unlikely heroine.

Like many stars spawned by reality TV, Boyle, 48, owed her meteoric rise less to talent -- plenty of middle-aged, plain-looking women can carry a tune just as sweetly -- than a curious mix of audacity and vulnerability.

Fans admired Boyle's pluck in standing up to Simon Cowell at her Britain's Got Talent audition, then watched rapt as the shy spinster struggled with her sudden celebrity.

"I Dreamed a Dream," her collection of bromidic ballads and spirituals, was the largest debut for a female artist on Billboard's album chart in the SoundScan era, and has remained at No. 1 since its release in late November. Elysa Gardner/Gannett Lady Gaga: Playing  the 'Fame' game The 23-year-old

singer/songwriter/provocateuse became 2009's hottest new diva by drawing on previous pop movements from glam rock (Queen's Radio Gaga is the source of her nom de fame) to Madonna. Gaga's flamboyant live performances and button-pushing professions of bisexuality earned as much attention as her hit album "The Fame" and smash single "Poker Face," which collectively earned her five Grammy nominations. Gardner Taylor Swift: Big sales,  a lot of awards.

Taylor Swift pulled off an almost impossible task: getting band geeks and homecoming queens alike to identify with her. "Singles Love Story," "White Horse," "Fifteen" and the omnipresent "You Belong With Me" made this cheating-song aficionado a genuine crossover phenomenon. Brian Mansfield/ Gannett Michael Jackson: His shocking death

For the first half of 2009, Michael Jackson lurked on the fringe of the public spotlight. Sure, more than 1 million fans snapped up tickets for an announced 50-date residency at London's O2 arena, but there was plenty of skepticism as to whether the King of Pop could actually fulfill those engagements, which were to start in July. He was just as likely to be the butt of jokes as a topic of admiration. That all changed June 25 when his shocking death at age 50 set off both a mad rush of tributes and attempts to capitalize on the tragedy.

Entertainment outlets scrambled for the latest tidbits about the investigation into his death, his use of prescription drugs, the custody of his children and the disposition of his estate. Experts blathered about aspects of his life they knew nothing about, and Jackson's former workers and associates sold their stories to the highest bidder.

Steve Jones/Gannett The Fab Four:  Beatlemania redux Four decades after dissolving in acrimony, The Beatles emerged again as a heart-throbbing sales and creative force. A $260 box set of the band's remastered stereo recordings has sold 127,000 copies since its Sept. 9 release.