Hey everyone, I hope you had a good holiday season. I wanted to get Pop 40 Showdown going again in the new year, and I figured no better way to start would be a look back on the year that's been. That's why I'm starting 2010 with a special "Best of 2009 Edition" of Pop 40 Showdown. For the occasion, I've expanded the tournament to the top 80 songs of last year, according to Mediabase! Below, you'll find the draw:
Best of 2009 Tournament Draw
BRACKET 1
1 The All-American Rejects "Gives You Hell" vs. 80 Rihanna f/ Justin Timberlake "Rehab"
40 Pink "So What" vs. 41 Jason DeRulo "Whatcha Say"
21 Britney Spears "Womanizer" vs. 60 Drake "Best I Ever Had"
20 Beyonce "Halo" vs. 61 Rihanna "Disturbia"
11 Britney Spears "Circus" vs. 70 Pitbull "Hotel Room Service
30 Pink "Please Don't Leave Me" vs. 51 The Pussycat Dolls "I Hate This Part"
31 Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA" vs. 50 Kid Cudi "Day 'N Nite"
10 Kelly Clarkson "My Life Would Suck Without You" vs. 71 Jeremih "Birthday Sex"
BRACKET 2
2 Lady Gaga f/ Colby O'Donis and Akon "Just Dance" vs. 79 Britney Spears "3"
39 Cobra Starship f/ Leighton Meester "Good Girls Go Bad" vs. 42 Ne-Yo "Mad"
22 Shinedown "Second Chance" vs. 59 Matt Nathanson "Come On Get Higher"
19 Beyonce "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" vs. 62 The Fray "Never Say Never"
12 T.I. f/ Rihanna "Live Your Life" vs. 69 Beyonce "If I Were a Boy"
29 Lady Gaga "LoveGame" vs. 52 Saving Abel "Addicted"
32 Soulja Boy Tell'em f/ Sammie "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" vs. 49 Daughtry "No Surprise"
9 Taylor Swift "You Belong With Me" vs. 72 Justin Bieber "One Time"
BRACKET 3
3 Lady Gaga "Poker Face" vs. 78 The Black Eyed Peas "Meet Me Halfway"
38 Sean Kingston "Fire Burning" vs. 43 Akon "Right Now (Na Na Na)
23 Kings of Leon "Use Somebody" vs. 58 Kanye West "Love Lockdown"
18 3OH!3 "Don't Trust Me" vs. 63 The Ting Tinhs "That's Not My Name"
13 Jason Mraz "I'm Yours" vs. 68 Theory of a Deadman "Not Meant To Be"
28 Pitbull "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" vs. 53 Nickelback "If Today Was Your Last Day"
33 T.I. "Whatever U Like" vs. 48 Kelly Clarkson "I Do Not Hook Up"
8 The Fray "You Found Me" vs. 73 Flo Rida f/ Wynter "Sugar"
BRACKET 4
4 The Black Eyed Peas "Boom Boom Peas" vs. 77 Secondhand Serenade "Fall For You"
37 Jesse McCartney f/ Ludacris "How Do You Sleep" vs. 44 Lady Gaga "Paparazzi"
24 Kevin Rudolf f/ Lil Wayne "Let It Rock" vs. 57 Akon f/ Colby O'Donis and Kardinal Offishall "Beautiful"
17 Kanye West "Heartless" vs. 64 Mariah Carey "Obsessed"
14 T.I. f/ Justin Timberlake "Dead and Gone" vs. 67 Jay-Z f/ Rihanna and Kanye West "Run This Town"
27 Keri Hilson f/ Ne-Yo and Kanye West "Knock You Down" vs. 54 Boys Like Girls "Love Drunk"
34 Jamie Foxx f/ T-Pain and Yung Joc "Blame It (On the Alcohol)" vs. 47 Beyonce "Sweet Dreams"
7 The Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feeling" vs. 74 David Cook "Light On"
BRACKET 5
5 Flo Rida f/ Kesha "Right Round" vs. 76 Kristinia DeBarge "Goodbye"
36 Jordin Sparks "Battlefield" vs. 45 Britney Spears "If U Seek Amy"
25 Katy Perry "Hot N Cold" vs. 56 Ne-Yo "Miss Independent"
16 Katy Perry "Waking Up in Vegas" vs. 65 Kelly Clarkson "Already Gone"
15 Pink "Sober" vs. 66 Leona Lewis "Better In Time"
26 Jay Sean f/ Lil Wayne "Down" vs. 55 The Veronicas "Untouched"
35 Miley Cyrus "The Climb" vs. 46 Nickelback "Gotta Be Somebody"
6 Taylor Swift "Love Story" vs. 75 Owl City "Fireflies"
Because of the massive nature of the tournament, I'll start things off by going through each bracket individually. Bracket 1 will be up first. Please vote on the following match-ups:
BRACKET 1
1 The All-American Rejects "Gives You Hell" vs. 80 Rihanna f/ Justin Timberlake "Rehab"
40 Pink "So What" vs. 41 Jason DeRulo "Whatcha Say"
21 Britney Spears "Womanizer" vs. 60 Drake "Best I Ever Had"
20 Beyonce "Halo" vs. 61 Rihanna "Disturbia"
11 Britney Spears "Circus" vs. 70 Pitbull "Hotel Room Service
30 Pink "Please Don't Leave Me" vs. 51 The Pussycat Dolls "I Hate This Part"
31 Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA" vs. 50 Kid Cudi "Day 'N Nite"
10 Kelly Clarkson "My Life Would Suck Without You" vs. 71 Jeremih "Birthday Sex"
My example ballot:
BRACKET 1
80 Rihanna f/ Justin Timberlake "Rehab"
40 Pink "So What"
21 Britney Spears "Womanizer"
61 Rihanna "Disturbia"
11 Britney Spears "Circus"
51 The Pussycat Dolls "I Hate This Part"
50 Kid Cudi "Day 'N Nite"
10 Kelly Clarkson "My Life Would Suck Without You"
Voting on this bracket will continue for a few days, and then we'll move on. Just post your ballot in the thread below. Feel free to campaign for songs and artists as you like. Happy voting!