Spend any time on this site and you'll see that certain names keep popping up: [artist id="501686"]Britney[/artist], [movieperson id="365131"]Robert Pattinson[/movieperson], [artist id="510062"]Lil Wayne[/artist]. But dig a little deeper and you realize that the realm of MTV News runs rather vast and deep -- from Afro-punk to lo-fi, from Obama to "Beverly Hills, 90210." Maybe you don't care about some of these stories, but so what? We do. So, as the year draws to a close, we decided to take a deep breath and look back at our favorite segments from 2008.

10. [video id="230691"]Choosing to Go Lo-Fi[/video]

Enough with the over-produced, over-hyped pop stars pervading the airwaves and Internet -- let's get back to the music. John Norris examines the latest trend in punk: lo-fi. With unpolished recordings and everyday amps, bands like [artist id="2007067"]Times New Viking[/artist] and [artist id="2542022"]No Age[/artist] have garnered devoted fan followings.

9. [video id="262923"]I'm Not That Nervous 'Cause Our Band's, Like, Really Good[/video]

Sorry, Hayley -- rock is definitely still a men's club ... but not for too long, if the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls has anything to do with it. Every year, the camp brings together toddlers and teens with wide ranges of experience and teaches them to rock out. We dare you to watch this and not smile.

8. [video id="250757"]G-Unit Perform Until They Have Nothing Left[/video]

Mr. Mandela, [artist id="860639"]Fiddy[/artist]. Fiddy, Mr. Mandela. Back in early June, [artist id="1237480"]G-Unit[/artist] headed to Africa for a series of concerts, and the guys were nice enough to invite MTV News along for the ride. While they were there, the crew endured theft and illness, but still managed to thrill a heck of lot of fans along the way who never thought they'd lay eyes on the rap heavyweight. Expanding his global brand or cheap publicity stunt? You tell us.

7. [video id="280093"]It's Airships, Pirates and Goggles[/video]

You've never heard of "steampunk"?! OK, maybe that's not too surprising. Luckily, John Norris explains the importance of goggles -- yes, goggles -- in this vibrant subculture, which takes the styles of the past and bridges them with the gadgetry of the future.

6. [video id="315369"]The Race Kicked Off Before Spencer Was on "The Hills"[/video]

Each week during the "American Idol" season, MTV News' Jim Cantiello recaps the pop culture phenomenon in 60 seconds. That means that during the other seven months of the year, he sits around doing nothing. So, in order to keep him off the streets, we asked him to tackle the entire presidential election -- all two years of it -- Jim Cantiello-style. So here it is: the election in 60 seconds.

5. [video id="227627"]Chamillionaire Gives Props to Prep School[/video]

"How was your day at school?" "Oh, same old, same old -- study hall, math, [artist id="1746755"]Chamillionaire[/artist] dropped by." When a group of students at the low-income YES Prep school in Houston, Texas, decided to raise money to fight malaria, hip-hop star Chamillionaire got wind of it and dropped by to wish the students well.

4. [video id="225263"]We Just Want Our School Back to Normal[/video]

Anyone who worked at MTV News in 2007 will never forget the tragic events that happened on April 16 at Virginia Tech. That's why it was so uplifting to visit the school one year later and see how well the students were carrying on. We got to check in with some old friends who continue to overwhelm us with their Hokie spirit.

3. [video id="269906"]Kelly Taylor Got Around![/video]

No matter how you feel about the new version of "Beverly Hills, 90210," as a journalistic organization it was our job to bring you up to speed on the old show before the new one began. Kim Stolz takes you through all 10 years of "90210" relationships in about 90 seconds.

2. [video id="278506"]Charlize Likes Our Reporter Very Much[/video]

MTV News Movies Editor Josh Horowitz has been called a lot of names over the years, but perhaps he's never been called such a bad name by someone so beautiful. [movieperson id="183155"]Charlize Theron[/movieperson] may not like him very much, but, unlike most of the other women that Josh meets, at least she'll never forget him.

1. [video id="254691"]The MTV "Newsical" Lives On[/video]

There are good ideas, there are bad ideas and then there's this: "Hey guys, why don't we deliver the news each week in a short musical segment, complete with choreography and an appearance by famous Internet star/drag queen Britney Houston?" This pilot never quite made it to air, but we put it here for you to check out all the same. Go ahead and watch it. We dare you.

Share your favorite stories, albums and artists of 2008 by uploading a video to YouRHere.MTV.com or leaving a comment below.