Rock: 2009

Modern rock's frantic playing field wasn't just leveled in 2009; it was blown wide open, as the charts were conquered by everything from blog-bred pop phenomena (the inescapable, synth-spiked hooks of Phoenix, the psych-infused madness of MGMT) to the alt-nation anthems of Pearl Jam ("The Fixer," "Brother") and the high-def heights of U2 ("Magnificent"). And connecting all the dots in between were bands that paid tribute to the past and pointed the way to the future, like the pedal-pushing Smashing Pumpkins nods of Silversun Pickups ("Panic Switch") and Muse's heady mix of Radiohead-like peaks and interplanetary prog ("Uprising").

The rock doesn't stop in our Next Steps, either, right down to the triumphant returns of two drastically different headliners.

Five years. That's how long it took Metallica and the Offspring to release their first albums in far too long. And while both albums technically came out in 2008, they were still ruling modern-rock stations a year later, thanks to standout tracks like the throwback thrash of "Cyanide" and the jittery half-pipe hooks of "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid." Speaking of raucous reunions, Mudvayne closed off the '00s with enough material for two new albums, as heard in the throat-scorching verses of "Scream With Me" and undeniably heavy chords of "Do What You Do."

Rock stars of yesterday and today tower over our Deep Cuts as well, as we say goodbye to 2009 with more guitar solos than a dusty Jimi Hendrix bootleg.