2009
Top Selling Singles
- LADY GAGA – POKER FACE
- BLACK EYED PEAS – I GOTTA FEELING
- LA ROUX – IN FOR THE KILL
- LADY GAGA – JUST DANCE
- KINGS OF LEON – SEX ON FIRE
- KINGS OF LEON – USE SOMEBODY
- BLACK EYED PEAS – BOOM BOOM POW
- JAMES MORRISON / NELLY FURTADO – BROKEN STRINGS
- DAVID GUETTA FT AKON – SEXY CHICK
- JAY-Z FT ALICIA KEYS – EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
Christmas No.1: Rage Against the Machine – Killing in the Name
Top Selling Albums
- SUSAN BOYLE – I DREAMED A DREAM
- LADY GAGA – THE FAME
- MICHAEL BUBLÉ – CRAZY LOVE
- THE BLACK EYED PEAS – THE E.N.D.
- KINGS OF LEON – ONLY BY THE NIGHT
- JLS – JLS
- BEYONCÉ – I AM SASHA FIERCE
- PAOLO NUTINI – SUNNY SIDE UP
- LILY ALLEN – IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU
- ROBBIE WILLIAMS – REALITY KILLED THE VIDEO STAR
At the Box Office
- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
- Up
- Slumdog Millionaire
- The Twilight Saga: New Moon
- The Hangover
- Star Trek
- Monsters Vs. Aliens
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
- Night At the Museum 2
Cost of Living
| Average house price | £157,234 |
| Average salary | |
| Average car price | |
| Petrol | £1.00/litre |
| Pint of beer | £2.81 |
| Packet of 20 Cigarettes | £5.43 |
| Pint of milk | 44p |
In the News
- Gordon Brown was Prime Minister
- Cold weather consisting of snow and freezing temperatures causes widespread disruption across the UK
- Waterford Wedgwood, makers of the famous Wedgwood pottery, enter administration
- The closure of Woolworths is completed across the UK, having started at the end of December, spelling an end to 100 years of the retail chain
- The Bank of England cuts its base interest rate to 1.5% amid the global economic downturn, the lowest it has been in the bank’s 300-year history
- In March The Bank of England reduces the base interest rate to 0.5%, its lowest ever level.
- The G-20 London summit is held in response to the ongoing global financial crisis. The summit ends in the leaders announcing various measures, including a $1.1 trillion investment in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.
- Conservative MP John Bercow is elected as the 157th Speaker of the House of Commons [clip]
- The Evening Standard becomes a free newspaper in central London
- Many towns and villages in Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway are flooded following several days of heavy rain. Three bridges collapse, one of them leading to the death of a police officer standing on the bridge when it collapsed.
- ITV closes its news and information service on Teletext after 35 years
- After 27 years, Sir Terry Wogan presents his final radio breakfast show.
- A pilot crash-landed an airliner in New York’s Hudson River after birds disabled its engines. All 155 passengers and crew were rescued.[clip]
- Showbiz news in October was led by the sudden death of Boyzone singer Stephen Gately on holiday in Majorca.
On the Telly
- Ray Quinn and dance partner Maria Filippov win the fourth series of Dancing on Ice
- Diversity win the third series of Britain’s Got Talent, beating bookies favourite Susan Boyle into second place
- TV chef Gino D’Acampo wins the ninth series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
- Joe McElderry wins the sixth series of The X Factor.
- Fern Britton announces she is to quit This Morning after 10 years
- The 2009 Eurovision Song Contest is held in Moscow and sees Graham Norton taking on the role of presenter of the BBC’s coverage following Terry Wogan’s decision to step down.
- A memorial service for Michael Jackson, who died on 25 June, is broadcast live around the world, with an estimated audience of one billion
- ITV announces plans to drop the “bongs” of Big Ben from the opening credits of News at Ten.
- There was a new Doctor, as Matt Smith was named as the actor to take over from David Tennant in Doctor Who. At 27, he will be the youngest to take on the role [clip]
Top Selling Christmas Toys
- Spice Girls Dolls
- Thunderbirds
- Tamagotchis
- Power Rangers
- Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
- Nintendo Gameboy
Gadgets
- Microsoft Zune HD music player
- Android mobile OS
