Eminem performs at the VH1's "Hip Hop Honors"
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

BROOKLYN, New York — Usually when hip-hop heads new and old gather to celebrate someone being recognized as a "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" inductee, it's a pioneering act like LL Cool J, Rakim or Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

However, on Tuesday night (October 13), during the telecast of the sixth-annual production, the Tracy Morgan-hosted event broke new ground, honoring an entire record label.

And it was only right that the label was Def Jam, the most influential rap imprint in history. The 25-year-old label was founded by Rick Rubin and cultivated by the likes of Russell Simmons, Lyor Cohen and so many other prominent figures in hip-hop. LL Cool J was the face of the label for so many years, so it was fitting that his music kicked off the event.

	"VH1 Hip Hop Honors" 2009

The Roots started things off with "Rock the Bells," but the Philadelphia band's frontman, Black Thought, wasn't alone. Thought ripped through the first verse before he gave way to a surprise guest: Slim Shady. Eminem has long been a Todd Smith fan, and he didn't disappoint when he got his chance to prove it to the world.

"Now I'm worldwide known/ Whether you like it or not/ My one-man band is Cut Creator/ When he's on the fader/ What's my DJ's name?"

"Cut Creator!" the crowd yelled as they finished the line.

Kid Rock also paid homage to Uncle L with "I'm Bad." The Detroit rocker was decked out in a red Troop tracksuit with matching Kangol bucket hat. Rock also manned the turntables during the night, splitting House DJ duties with Ed Lover.

The second performance of the night was from one of Def Jam's signature groups, Public Enemy. Chuck D immediately captured the crowd's attention with the opening lines of "Rebel Without a Pause": "Yes, the rhythm, the rebel." Chuck still has one of the most recognizable and commanding voices in all of music, not just rap.

Flavor Flav came out wearing a white tuxedo jacket, matching top hat and a black bow tie. PE arguably had the performance of the night with help from the Roots, S1W and the Coup's Boots Riley. The Long Island-bred rap chiefs were just born for the stage and had the entire crowd on their feet.

Another bricklaying squad for the house that Russell and Rick built was, undoubtedly, the Beastie Boys. KRS-One, Wale and the Gym Class Heroes did a rocking rendition of "No Sleep Till Brooklyn." The song was well-received at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where the event was held — marking the first time the show took place outside of Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom.

Travis McCoy, who wore a black T-shirt with the names DJ AM and Roc Raida in the shape of the Run-DMC logo, took on the first verse. The Blastmaster, who is a former HHH honoree himself, took verse two and ended by saying, "Adam, get well soon," referring to Adam Yauch, who is currently battling cancer. Wale finished off the song and later in the night paid tribute to new jack Def Jam artist Kanye West by wearing a backpack and performing "Touch the Sky."

Throughout the night, Simmons and Rubin traded pre-taped memories of their days as '80s music hustlers. Cohen, who has a reputation for being temperamental, also testified about his experiences at the legendary label, even briefly poking fun at his militant demeanor. Former Def Jam executives Kevin Liles and Julie Greenwald also shared stories about their time at the House that Russell Built.

When Def Jam alumni Onyx performed their monstrous cut "Slam," it felt like the group had stepped out of a time capsule: They looked almost exactly the same and still had the insane energy that made them famous.

Sticky Fingaz climbed on top of a large speaker toward the side of the stage, forcefully delivering his closing verse — one of the most memorable in Def Jam's catalog. Rather than descend from the speaker after the performance, Sticky just climbed into the balcony seats for his exit.

Other performers included Rick Ross, Fabolous, Foxy Brown, Redman, Method Man, Mary J. Blige, EPMD, Ghostface Killah, Chrisette Michele, Warren G, Trey Songz, the reunion of Ashanti and Ja Rule, Ludacris and DMX — many of whom teamed up with the Roots for a show-closing medley of Def Jam hits.

(Check out photos from the "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" red carpet right here!)

Offstage, friends-turned-foes Ja Rule and DMX had their own reunion of sorts. The two came up together through Def Jam and, along with Irv Gotti and Jay-Z, helped breathe new life into the label in the late '90s before the gravel-voiced MCs began dissing each other on records. As X was walking out Ja was returning to his seat, and the pair saw each other, hugged and talked for a few moments.

Chris Rock, Eve, Jazzy Jeff and director Brett Ratner were among the many notable names in attendance.

• 'VH1 Hip Hop Honors' 2009
• Luda, Fab, Eve And More Show Up For VH1's 'Hip Hop Honors'

• Eminem
• LL Cool J
• Public Enemy
• Kid Rock

Eminem on stage at the 2009 VH1 Hip Hop Honors
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

BROOKLYN, New York — For five years, VH1's "Hip Hop Honors" has paid homage to legendary hip-hop figures, from Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur to Big Daddy Kane. For their sixth show, which taped Wednesday night at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (and airs on VH1 on October 13), the event's organizers dedicated the entire program to a record label, the trailblazing house for hip-hop and R&B, Def Jam.

It's only right that the first Def Jam artist to be honored was the label's foundation and face for so many years, LL Cool J.

The Roots started it off with "Rock the Bells." Black Thought ripped the first verse of the record, then gave way for a special guest: Eminem. Last year, Slim Shady publicly expressed his love for LL during a phone prank on DJ Tony Touch's Shade 45 radio show.

Spitting the second verse of "Rock the Bells" on Wednesday night, Em sounded almost exactly like the legend who inspired him.

"Now I'm worldwide known/ Whether you like it or not/ My one-man band is Cut Creator.../ When he's on the fader/ What's my DJ's name?"

"Cut Creator!" The crowd yelled.

Later, Kid Rock paid tribute to LL with "I'm Bad." The Kid also DJed during the show, as did Ed Lover.

The second performance was from one of Def Jam's signature groups, Public Enemy. Chuck D was immediately electrifying with the opening words for "Rebel Without a Pause": "Yes, the rhythm, the rebel." Chuck still has one of the most recognizable and commanding voices in all of music, not just rap.

Flavor Flav came out wearing a white tuxedo jacket, matching top hat and a black bow tie. PE arguably had the performance of the night with help from the Roots, S1W and Boots Riley. The Long Island-bred rap chiefs were just born for the stage. The entire crowd was on their feet cheering. After their performance, Flav was seen talking to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan in the audience.

Another bricklaying squad for the house that Russell and Rick built was, undoubtedly, the Beastie Boys. KRS-One, Wale and the Gym Class Heroes did a rocking rendition of "No Sleep Till Brooklyn."

Travis McCoy, who wore a black T-shirt with the names "DJ AM" and "Roc Raida" in the shape of the Run-DMC logo, took on the first verse. The Blastmaster, who is a former HHH honoree himself, took verse two and ended by saying, "Adam, get well soon," referring to Adam Yauch, who is currently battling cancer. Wale finished off the song and later paid tribute to Kanye West, wearing a backpack and rapping "Touch the Sky."

When Onyx performed "Slam" it felt like the group had stepped out of a time capsule: They looked almost exactly the same and still had that insane energy that made them famous. During his verse, Sticky Fingaz climbed on top of a large speaker. Rather than climb down when he finished, Stick climbed into the balcony.

Other performers included Rick Ross, Fabolous, Foxy Brown, Redman, Method Man, Mary J. Blige, EPMD, Ghostface Killah, Chrissette Michele, Warren G, Trey Songz, the reunion of Ashanti and Ja Rule, Ludacris and DMX — many of whom teamed up with the Roots for a show-closing medley of Def Jam hits.

(Check out photos from the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors red carpet http://newsroom.mtv.com/2009/09/23/hip-hop-honors-red-carpet-turns-up-the-volume-with-eve-kid-rock/ and a right here!)

Offstage, Ja Rule and DMX had their own reunion. The two came up together as close friends and later turned to bitter enemies, even dissing each other on records. As X was walking out, Ja was returning to his seat, and the pair saw each other, hugged and talked for a few moments.

At the afterparty right around the corner, Flavor Flav talked and laughed with Kid Rock, while Parrish Smith chilled in his trademark fisherman's hat.

"Hip Hop Honors," hosted by Tracy Morgan, will air October 13 at 9 p.m. ET on VH1.

• Luda, Fab, Eve And More Show Up For VH1's 'Hip Hop Honors'

• Eminem
• LL Cool J
• Kid Rock
• The Roots

Coldplay
Photo: Stephan Cranea

It's been quite a day for rather unique news stories.

For reasons not exactly clear to us, it seems like just about every major artist has chosen April 1 as the day to foist major announcements upon us. It's almost as if they were playing some sort of elaborate joke or something.

Take, for example, Kid Rock, who announced via his Web site that he had signed an unprecedented deal with his hometown team, the Detroit Tigers, for exclusive naming rights to their stadium, formerly known as Comerica Park.

"This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and with the banks in trouble, it seemed like the right time for me to reach out to the fine people at Comerica Bank," Rock said in the post. "Since they relocated to Dallas after opening the stadium here, they were very open to the idea of making this deal. I've never been more excited for opening day, and I'm proud to be able to add my name to the legacy of my favorite baseball team."

Rock also announced that he had partnered with the Michigan Brewing Company to produce "the official beer of the Detroit Tigers."

Perhaps not wanting to be outdone, Coldplay took to their site to let it be known that they plan to record their next album not in a traditional studio, but on a modified Boeing 727 aircraft, in zero gravity.

"Later this year, the band will board a modified Boeing, which can provide zero gravity for periods of 20-25 seconds at a time," a statement on the site read. "Wearing self-designed outfits based on early Russian cosmonaut suits, they will be joined by producer/collaborator Brian Eno, who will use custom-made 'heavy' microphones to record the sessions on a 1969 analogue cassette player."

"We've been searching for the right environment to record the perfect snare drum sound for many years now," Chris Martin added, "and I've just got a gut feeling that zero gravity is the place to do that, y'know?"

Those Coldplay dudes ... so groundbreaking. Equally groundbreaking is Trent Reznor, who decided to one-up practically everybody by dropping a brand-new Nine Inch Nails album (being free of those major-label shackles sure is liberating) on his site.

Produced by none other than Timbaland — who also helmed Chris Cornell's solo album — the new NIN album is called Strobe Light and features songs like "Everybody's Doing It" (featuring Chris Martin, Jay-Z and Bono); "Even Closer" (featuring Justin Timberlake and Maynard James Keenan); and "Still Hurts" (featuring Alicia Keys). It's available for $18.98 — plus a $10 digital delivery convenience fee (how Web 2.0!) — by simply entering your e-mail address.

And finally, Icelandic ingénue Björk chose April 1 as the day to drop the news that she had accepted the position of lead singer for Led Zeppelin and that she would join the band for a world tour starting in June (we know, right?!?). Writing on her site, B said she only took the gig out of concern that Zep's long-standing touring plans would fall through without her behind the mic.

"It was evident that their world tour was in turmoil after original singer Robert Plant decided to concentrate on live work with Alison Krauss," the statement reads. "Björk has put forward her wish that they only cover songs from [Zeppelin albums] I and IV. The tour kicks off in June, after Björk has fulfilled her other engagements."

Seriously. All that happened today. We need a break. What's the deal with April 1 anyway?!?

• Coldplay
• Kid Rock

Nicole Scherzinger
Photo: Rebecca Sapp/ WireImage

Kid Rock and Nicole Scherzinger have been tapped as the musical guests for "WrestleMania XXV" on April 5 in Houston at the Reliant Astrodome. Scherzinger, minus the rest of the Pussycat Dolls, will open the show with her rendition of "America the Beautiful." In the past, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Ashanti and John Legend have performed the song at the show. Meanwhile, Kid Rock will be playing a medley of his hits "Cowboy," "Bawitdaba," "Rock N Roll Jesus" and "So Hott."

Not only will Scherzinger and Rock be on hand for the big show, but "The Wrestler" star Mickey Rourke is also confirmed to make an appearance, after backing out of the event earlier this year. Last week, Chris Jericho challenged Rourke's pals Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper and Ricky Steamboat to fight on behalf of the Oscar nominee at the 25th anniversary of "WrestleMania."

On the March 16 episode of "Monday Night RAW," Jericho also offered to buy Rourke a ticket and said that when the actor shows up, he "will not be responsible for what happens to the Academy Award nominee and his friends." The appearance was also confirmed by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, who said, "Rourke will be in attendance at 'WrestleMania.' " Why? Back in January, Rourke talked about his initial interest in making an appearance at the event. "The boys from the WWE called me and asked me to do it," Rourke told "Access Hollywood." "I said, 'I want to.' I'm talking with [WWE legend] Rowdy Roddy Piper about it." He later backed down, but not before saying, "Chris Jericho, you better get in shape because I'm coming after your a--."

Rourke's appearance was also confirmed by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, who said, "Rourke will be in attendance at 'WrestleMania.' "

• Kid Rock

Rihanna
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

As usual, the Grammys are turning into one of the biggest shows of the year. U2, Rihanna and Kid Rock have been added to an all-star roster of performers that already included Coldplay, Jennifer Hudson, the Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, T.I. with Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry, Radiohead, Paul McCartney with Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl on drums, Wayne, Tip, Kanye West and Jay-Z performing "Swagga Like Us" and Kenny Chesney.

Also added to the line-up for the 51st annual show, which airs on CBS on February 8, are Album of the Year nominees Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. The first roster of presenters has also been announced, and it includes Best New Artist Grammy nominee Duffy, Josh Groban, Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black and "Mentalist" star Simon Baker.

The addition of former Led Zeppelin singer Plant and 21-time Grammy winner bluegrass legend Krauss means that Ne-Yo remains the lone holdout performer in the Album of the Year category, one in which the nominees typically perform on the show. While the Recording Academy has a history of rewarding career artists such as Plant and Krauss in the big categories, Wayne's Tha Carter III has a strong chance to take home the night's most coveted award.

Will Lil Wayne grab all the gramophones? Is Katy Perry going to tell her girl rivals to kiss off? Can Coldplay march off with a win? MTV News is all over the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, so stay tuned for interviews, analysis and more before, during and after the big night, Sunday, February 8.

• Backstage At The Grammy Nominations Concert

• 2009 Grammy Nomination Red Carpet
• Inside The 2009 Grammy Nominations Concert

• Rihanna
• U2
• Kid Rock

Usher and Pete Wentz at "Be the Change: Live From The Inaugural"
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Our nation's capital has been at its absolute craziest over the past few days, and A-listers had their choice of high-profile events to attend in honor of President Barack Obama. But where did the stars flock? Our "Be the Change" Youth Inaugural Ball, of course. And we had the backstage covered, so no odd celebrity pairing or impromptu dance (we're looking at you, Usher) went unnoticed.

First on the stage was Kanye West. We spotted one of 'Ye's bandmembers earlier in the night wearing a crazy black face-shield that resembled a welding get-up. We actually thought he might be there to do some emergency repairs. As West performed a medley of his biggest hits — including "Stronger," "Good Life" and "Touch the Sky" — a couple ballroom-danced throughout the entire set. They must have been inspired by the first couple's first dance.

Fall Out Boy were out in full force to watch Kanye's performance from the side of the stage. But the boys were even more starstruck by Obama, whom they met 10 minutes before hitting the stage themselves. They played "Thanks Fr Th Mmrs" — and dedicated it to ex-President George W. Bush.

The final performer, Kid Rock, arrived in town on Tuesday (January 20), just in time to hear Obama make his inaugural address. "I listened to it," Kid told MTV News backstage. "We had just gotten off the plane. We were in the van, but that's the important part: listening to it."

While the three musical acts owned the stage, let's not forget who was the man of honor: Barack Obama. The place went bonkers when the new president arrived onstage, and all the kids had their camera phones up in the air to capture the moment. But it wasn't just the kids — even Ashton Kutcher was snapping iPhone photos as he stood alongside wife Demi Moore, Kid Rock and special MTV News correspondent Usher. Ashton and Usher gave each other a bro-hug a few minutes later and stood together to watch Obama address the crowd.

It wasn't all serious for Usher during the ball. When he first arrived, he did a little cabbage-patching to Bell Biv DeVoe's "Poison" as wife Tameka Foster, decked out in an elegant, eggplant-colored, floor-length gown, looked on and laughed.

When the festivities were wrapping up, Sway grabbed Fall Out Boy and Kanye West for a joint interview. That can only be a good thing, since the last time 'Ye and FOB got together, it resulted in the amazing "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" remix.

Watch "Be the Change: Live From the Inaugural" online now, and come back Thursday for the full performances from Kanye West, Kid Rock and Fall Out Boy. Stick with us for wall-to-wall coverage of the inauguration and of the scenes in Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Kenya.

• 'Be The Change: Live From The Inaugural' Full Show

• Be The Change: Youth Inaugural Ball Photos

• Fall Out Boy
• Usher
• Kid Rock
• Kanye West

Kanye West performs at the Youth Inaugural Ball on Tuesday
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ Getty Images

Opening the show from the Hilton Washington, the night's host, Sway, reminded everyone that after an exhausting first day, it was time to celebrate President Barack Obama's historic inauguration.

Kanye West kicked off the show with a medley of hits like "Touch the Sky," "Stronger" and "Good Life." "Let's make some noise for our new president, Obama," he told the crowd. "It feels so good to be standing here. My mama would be so proud to see her baby boy performing the #1 song in the country for our new African-American president."

Later in the night, he joked, "I still can't believe it. I feel like I'm in the future — first iPods, now this!"

All Kanye-related accolades aside, the night really belonged to President Barack Obama, who dazzled the 7,000 party goers with a heartfelt speech about how thankful he is for the work the young people put in to get him elected.

"I've been looking forward to this ball for quite some time because, when you look at the history of this campaign, what started out as an improbable journey, when nobody gave us a chance, was carried forward, was energized by young people all across America," he told the room as the crowd shouted, "Yes, we can," before he and first lady Michelle Obama took the stage for their first "old school" dance to an instrumental version of "At Last."

But, the party didn't end with a dance by the first couple. Even after the president left, everyone wanted to keep the celebration going. Fall Out Boy performed a few hits like "Dance, Dance," but after they played "Thnks fr th Mmrs," bassist Pete Wentz joked, "We felt like we needed to play a song for George Bush."

"It's mind-blowing. It's one of those things where it's such an amazing experience — just being in his presence is amazing," Wentz later gushed about meeting the president.

Kid Rock played an acoustic version of "Amen." "Can you feel that?" he asked the crowd. "God bless you all." Guest reporters Rosario Dawson and Usher were on hand, along with celebrities like Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Kid Rock and Santogold. "I mean, after eight years of Bush, we just wanted to do everything we could to try and help," Yauch said. Meanwhile, Tobey Maguire proclaimed, "This is a party."

But the night wasn't just about partying — it was also about community service, and MTV was in New Orleans, Kenya and Washington, D.C., to track the progress of several community-service projects. MTV caught up with volunteers across the globe helping to make a difference and change people's lives for the better.

MTV Tr3s VJ Carlos Santos was in New Orleans — along with a group of volunteers — helping rebuild homes for people like the Albers family, who lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina. Tim Kash was in Kenya to help construct a computer lab for kids who have never seen a computer before. Meanwhile, Kim Stolz worked at Simon Elementary in Washington, D.C., to give the school a makeover and build two new libraries for the students.

"To see all this going on is amazing," Shaquanda, 19, who volunteered at Simon Elementary School, told MTV News about the chance to volunteer and make a difference during this historic time in American history.

Watch "Be the Change: Live From the Inaugural" online now, and come back Thursday for the full performances from Kanye West, Kid Rock and Fall Out Boy. Stick with us for wall-to-wall coverage of the inauguration and of the scenes in Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Kenya.

• 'Be The Change: Live From The Inaugural' Full Show

• Be The Change: Youth Inaugural Ball Photos

• Kanye West
• Fall Out Boy
• Kid Rock

Kanye West
Photo: Jeff Kravitz

The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced on Saturday (January 17) that Kanye West, Kid Rock and Fall Out Boy will headline the Youth Inaugural Ball. MTV announced last week that it will anchor its inauguration night coverage from the ball and broadcast it on MTV channels around the world.

"This year, millions of young people got involved and worked to bring change to this country," PIC Executive Director Emmett S. Beliveau said. "We wanted to make sure this Inauguration recognized the important role young Americans are playing in making our nation stronger, and we're thrilled that MTV's coverage will allow viewers across the country and around the world to come together as part of the inaugural celebration."

MTV, along with ServiceNation, announced it will anchor its "Be the Change: Live From the Inaugural" show from the PIC Youth Inaugural Ball. Through MTV's global network, broadcast in 162 countries and 33 languages, young people around the world will be able to witness MTV's coverage of this historic event.

The program will feature exclusive performances by Kanye West, Kid Rock and Fall Out Boy live from the ball, which will take place at the Hilton Washington in Washington, D.C. The show airs on MTV in the United States on January 20, 2009 at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT.

Beliveau added: "With MTV's coverage highlighting national service and reaching millions of young people around the world, this event will be a great follow-up to Monday's kickoff of the president-elect's new national service initiative 'Renew America Together.' "

For more information about the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee events, please visit pic2009.org. For more information about National Service Day, please visit usaservice.org.

"Be the Change: Live From the Inaugural" will air live on MTV on Tuesday, January 20, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. MTV News will have wall-to-wall coverage of the event and of the scenes in Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Kenya in the days leading up to the event and in the days that follow.

• Kanye West
• Kid Rock
• Fall Out Boy

Photo: Jive

By now, I'm sort of used to being called an idiot on a weekly basis. Because that's what seems to happen each and every Wednesday when I publish my Bigger Than the Sound column.

Usually, I get 10 to 20 negative — and angry — comments per column (though if said column in any way detracts from Britney Spears, that number jumps to 40 or 50), and though it would probably benefit my ego not to read them, I always do ... if only because I find them sort of hilarious and inspiring (and because I am a sucker for grammatical errors and ALL-CAPS MISSIVES). What I usually don't do is respond to them.

(Check out James' personal responses to some of those e-mails in the video right here!)

But this week is different. On Wednesday, I published my annual "Best Songs of the Year," and it got a lot of responses. Like, way more than I expected a column that didn't include "Britney Spears" or "Heidi Montag" in the headline to get. Some of the comments took issue with my picks — "I've never heard of half these bands!" and "Kid Rock? Are you serious?!?" being two popular ones — but most were upset with who I didn't put on my list (Britney, Madonna and Rihanna, in particular). So I figured it was time to break from tradition and write an actual response.

Since there were so many comments, I thought the best way to handle this would be to just address the four most basic types of complaints. Hopefully, in doing so, I'll be able to explain the method behind my madness ... why I made some picks, why I didn't make others and, really, whether I should be fired for doing either. To keep the dialogue going, I'd love to hear some of your favorites too. Feel free to leave them in the comments below. Also, call me as many mean names as you see fit — after all, I'm a professional rock-and-roll journalist. I can take it.

Complaint #1: "Where is Britney?!?"
A valid question, to be sure (so valid that it was often asked in ALL CAPS). After all, Ms. Spears certainly had a huge year — triumphant comeback, VMA wins, hit singles, prime-time tell-alls and, earlier this week, a #1 album — and ignoring her on a "Best Songs" list just seems rather odd. But here's the thing: In my opinion, the songs just weren't that good. As I wrote in a column back in October, " 'Womanizer' ... kind of sounds like what would happen if you threw Mike Jones and an air-raid siren into a blender — and not in a good way," and I'm sticking with that, no matter how little sense it makes. Britney is a pop artist, and pop artists live and die by their songs (look at Rihanna — oh, wait, she didn't make the list either ... but more on that in a second). "Womanizer" may have hit #1, but, to me, it's not even one of her top 10 tracks ("Toxic," it ain't). There's no progress there, no tremendous leap forward, no "Oh, wow, what was that?!?" moment. It's basically Britney being Britney — and while that might be good enough for her fans, it wasn't for me. And I think there are plenty of critics out there who agree with me. "Circus" hasn't been out long enough to make much of an impact on me, and though the chorus is catchy, I feel this is just Brit mining the same "The Paparazzi Won't Leave Me Alone" territory that she did on "Piece of Me" (which, come to think of it, is a better song anyway). At the end of the day, nothing I say here will be able to sway the most ardent of Britney supporters, but I figured I'd at least try to explain why I didn't put one of her songs on my list. I'm not denying her impact on '08, just her impact on, well, me.

Complaint #2: "Why isn't (insert name of popular recording artist here) on this list?!?"
This is sort of the catchall category. Readers were really miffed that artists like Rihanna, T.I., Madonna and Usher didn't make the cut — and, again, justifiably so. Each had huge hits in 2008, and they probably should've been on this list. Or at least Rihanna and T.I. should have. Some commenters seemed to think that I used some sort of statistical logarithm to determine who made my list, and I wish I could tell you that was the truth. The simple fact is, most of it was just based on my opinions, though I did try to include factors like critical reception and cultural impact when making my final decisions. That's why Katy Perry had two songs on my list. Whether they loved her or hated her, she at least had critics talking, and both of her songs ("Hot N Cold" and "I Kissed a Girl") made big impacts on the singles chart. Most critics didn't seem to care all that much for Madonna's "4 Minutes," so despite the fact that it landed in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and scored a pair of Grammy nods, I left it off my list. I don't think anyone was happy with Usher's output in '08, and when you consider that "Love in This Club" was: A) The lead single from an album that didn't do all that well, and B) Subject to an Internet controversy about whether it was just made up of stock GarageBand beats, I left it off the list too. In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that both Rihanna's "Disturbia" and T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" should have made the cut, so apologies to them and their fans. Pink's "So What" probably should have been on there too.

Complaint #3: "Kid Rock?!? Tyga?!? Katy Perry?!? Really?!?"
Yes, really. If you apply the basic "Critics + Culture" reasoning I explained above, there is no way Rock's "All Summer Long" or Perry's two tracks are left off this list. "Summer" was an unquestionable smash, a critical sticking point (both for its source material and its unheard-of "No iTunes" marketing campaign) and a career-revitalizer. Plus, I have the creeping suspicion that it will be the kind of song that packs dance floors at weddings and racing-themed bars for the next decade. I already covered the reasons I included Perry on my list, and in the case of Tyga's "Coconut Juice," well, regardless of what you think of him, you cannot deny that his song was ridiculously catchy, so much so that it was actually voted the "Summer Jam of '08" by the readers of the Idolator music blog. And they're plenty smart.

Complaint #4: "I've never heard of half these people!"
Of all the complaints my column got, this one perplexed me the most (of course, I got the same comments when I did my "Best Songs" and "Best Albums" columns last year, too, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised). I don't understand how "I've never heard of ____" somehow equates to "______ is terrible," and, frankly, I wish our readers didn't think this way. The radio is not your only portal to discovering new music. There's soooo much good stuff out there, and it's just a few keystrokes away. Seriously, how difficult is it to Google "atlas sound + quick canal"? (screw it, I'll just do it for you). Would it kill you to sit and listen to a few Wye Oak songs? Or something from Ida Maria? It's a pretty lazy way of operating, to be honest, and I think that dismissing something because you've never heard of it (or in the case of Sigur Rós' "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur," because you couldn't pronounce it) is pretty dumb. Or maybe you're not a die-hard music fan like me. Maybe you don't like to have your notions challenged or your horizons pushed. Then again, why else would you wade through a 3,000-word column just to leave a single comment?

• The Best Songs of 2008?

• Britney Spears
• Madonna
• Rihanna
• Kid Rock
• Tyga

Britney Spears in 1999
Photo: Joey Terrill/ WireImage

The pressure had been building up behind the scenes for longer than most music fans realized. But when the teen-pop explosion burst onto the charts in early 1999, it felt like the music world had been blindsided overnight by a flood of squeaky-clean acts who would dominate the charts for years to come.

And in some cases, those ripples are still being felt today. It's hard to believe it now, but over the course of a few months between late 1998 and early 1999, radio and MTV were inundated with the debuts and breakthroughs from Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, 'NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and countless other boy bands and teen singers who would rule the charts well into the 2000s, and in the cases of Britney and Christina, continue to lord over them today.

Of course, that bum-rush of teen acts and copycat bands also produced a bunch of groups that were barely a blip on the screen then or now (Five, Natural, 3Deep, A1, Another Level, C-Note, BBMak or Dream Street anyone?), not to mention some other pop flashes in the pan, some of whom survived and some of whom are named Lou Bega.

Here are what some of the survivors and also-rans are up to:

Lou Bega
Why you know that name: The German-born Latin music revivalist had a hit with a summer 1999 remake of the 1952 instrumental "Mambo No. 5," to which he added an indelible string of women's names (shout-outs to Angela, Pamela, Monica and Jessica). The song hit #1 across the globe ... and then Bega was hardly ever heard from again.

Len
Why you know the name: This Canadian one-hit-wonder, brother-sister act graduated from its early punk roots to a fizzy pop sound on You Can't Stop the Bum Rush, featuring the bop-tastic hit "Steal My Sunshine." But the duo's next LP wasn't released outside Canada, and they've been talking up their upcoming album for several years now.

Sixpence None the Richer
Why you know the name: The Christian group hit #1 on the pop charts a year after its 1997 self-titled album was released when "Kiss Me" was used on "Dawson's Creek" and in the teen flick "She's All That." The group followed it with a cover of the "There She Goes," the legendary one-off hit by the La's, which was added to the 1999 re-release of Sixpence's album. The band broke up in 2004, and singer Leigh Nash went solo, later forming an ill-named side project called Fauxliage. And then the group got back together in 2008 to release a new EP, a Christmas album and tour the U.S. and Europe.

Orgy
Why you know the name: The synth-rock band signed to Korn's Elementree Records, released Candyass in 1998 and broke through with a grim cover of New Order's "Blue Monday." Orgy released another album that fizzled, toured on the Family Values outing, put out their third album on their own label and have been threatening to make another album for several years.

Tal Bachman
Why you know the name: The Canadian singer/songwriter released the top-10 hit "She's So High" from his self-titled debut, produced by Metallica homie Bob Rock. The son of Randy Bachman, lead guitarist/singer of 1970s rockers the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, released another album in 2006 that failed to chart in the U.S. Most recently, he can be seen in the Bill Maher documentary "Religulous," talking about his break with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Smash Mouth
Why you know the name: These chilled-out San Jose, California, pop rockers had a minor hit in 1997 with "Walkin' on the Sun," but busted it major in 1999 with their signature tune, "All Star," from their Astro Lounge album. The bouncy pop song made it into a string of movies ("Shrek," "Rat Race" and "Mystery Men") and then things got kinda quiet. They released another album, shelved one after that, and despite the departure of most of their members, they're now reportedly working on a new album, even as singer Steve Harwell is pulling a Hootie and prepping his solo country debut.

Everlast
Why you know the name: In 1998, the former lead growler for early '90s Irish-American rap crew House of Pain ("Jump Around") released his second solo album, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, which mixed hip-hop beats and rhymes with blues and acoustic guitars, spawning the inescapable ballad "What It's Like." His similar-sounding 2000 follow-up, Eat at Whitey's, didn't catch on, nor did a more country-tinged 2004 album, White Trash Beautiful, and his recently released Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford had not caught fire at press time.

The New Radicals
Why you know the name: Talk about a one-hit wonder. This Los Angeles band blew up with the Marilyn Manson/ Courtney Love-baiting power-pop hit "You Get What You Give" in early 1999 from the group's only album, Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. Reclusive leader and main songwriter Gregg Alexander broke the group up less than a year after the album's release and has quietly written songs for other artists since, including the 2002 Grammy-winning "The Game of Love" for Santana.

LFO
Why you know the name: The Lyte Funky Ones hit the jackpot on their self-titled debut with the 1999 song "Summer Girls," but faded soon after. Singer Rich Cronin appeared on VH1's "Mission: Man Band," and former hardware store clerk Devin Lima is releasing his rock-edged debut with his new band, Cadbury Diesel, in July 2008.

98 Degrees
Why you know the name: Featuring future "Newlyweds" star Nick Lachey, they debuted in 1997 but, like many boy bands of the era, hit their groove in 1999 with hits including "I Do (Cherish You)" and "The Hardest Thing" from 98 Degrees and Rising. After one more album, the guys went their separate ways in 2002, with Lachey going on to marry and divorce Jessica Simpson and release two solo albums, with another one due in 2009. The group has continued to discuss a comeback, but no plans have been announced yet.

And now, some names you might still recognize:

Jessica Simpson
Why you know the name: Like Katy Perry, Simpson started out in the Christian pop world, but crossed over into teen pop with her 1999 debut, Sweet Kisses, which spawned the hits "I Wanna Love You Forever" and "I Think I'm in Love With You." Less successful than Christina or Britney, Simpson released two more albums, married Lachey, appeared on "Newlyweds," divorced Lachey and moved on to roles in a series of flop movies such as "Employee of the Month" and "Blonde Ambition." After her 2006 pop album, A Public Affair, failed to catch fire, Simpson switched genres and had a top-20 hit in 2008 with her debut country single, "Come on Over."

Eminem
Why you know the name: It's hard to think of a time when Marshall Mathers wasn't in our lives, but the Detroit rapper burst onto the scene in 1999 with his major-label debut, The Slim Shady LP, which spawned the hits "My Name Is," "Guilty Conscience" and "Role Model." Em went on to world domination and a string of three huge albums before taking a hiatus in 2005 following a stint in rehab for a dependency on sleeping medication. He's laid low for several years, but is plotting his return in 2009 with an album called Relapse.

Kid Rock
Why you know the name: Fellow Detroit rapper Rock had been kicking around the industry for years, releasing albums on small labels, when he smashed the big time in 1998 with Devil Without a Cause. After a slow start, the disc blew up and became one of the best-selling rap albums of all time (11 million copies) thanks to hits — and "TRL" favorites — like "Bawitdaba," "Cowboy" and "I Am the Bullgod." Rock has continued to spin off hits with his signature country rock/hip-hop sound, most recently defying the odds (and iTunes) with the 2 million-selling Rock N Roll Jesus.

Getting pumped about the Britney Spears documentary? Share your thoughts by uploading a video to YouRHere.MTV.com, or sound off in the comments section below. "For the Record" airs Sunday, November 30, at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

• The Class Of '99: Britney, 'NSYNC, More

• Britney Spears
• *NSYNC
• Eminem
• Jessica Simpson
• Kid Rock

Who Should Replace Steven Tyler In Aerosmith?

• Aerosmith
• Eminem
• Kelly Clarkson
• Adam Lambert
• Kid Rock

2009 Grammy Awards Show

• Whitney Houston
• Justin Timberlake
• Jennifer Hudson
• U2
• Coldplay

2009 Grammy Weekend Parties

• Lil Wayne
• Rihanna
• Akon
• T.I.
• Cassie

Be The Change: Youth Inaugural Ball Photos

• Kanye West
• Fall Out Boy
• Usher
• Kid Rock

Total Finale Live: Show Highlights

• Taylor Swift
• Snoop Dogg
• Justin Timberlake
• Kid Rock

EMA 2008: Show Highlights

• Kanye West
• Kid Rock
• Beyoncé
• P!nk
• Katy Perry

EMA 2008: Performers

• Duffy
• P!nk
• Beyoncé
• Kid Rock
• The Killers

Stars Descend On The VH1 Hip Hop Honors Red Carpet

• Busta Rhymes
• Kid Rock
• Cypress Hill
• De La Soul
• Eve

MTV's Artist of the Week 08.11.08: Kid Rock

• Kid Rock

Paramore, Kid Rock, More At Warner Music Group Grammy Afterparty

• Paramore
• Kid Rock