Top Alternative Songs of 2009

Some of the Top Alternative Songs this year were totally unexpected hits, others were obvious winners. One band produced a rock song out of a Wham! hit; another band wrote a theme song for a smashing sci-fi movie. Some bands made sure to tweet their songs straight to the masses. The other songs touched people's hearts, with lyrics that were profoundly emotional and filled with hope. Here are the Top Alternative Rock Songs of 2009 as voted by AOL Radio listeners.

10) Paramore: 'Ignorance'

Lead singer Hayley Williams joined the Farro brothers at the age of 13, forming the half emo-pop and half rock music group. 'Ignorance' was the first single in 'Brand New Eyes,' an album that sold more than 175,000 copies. And if you're a huge fan and capable of cyberstalking, Williams regularly tweets about her whereabouts and chats about her performances.

9) Muse: 'Uprising'

Lead singer Matt Bellamy was in London during the G20 protests, and wrote this song about how people feel betrayed by the government and suffer from the economic crisis. The album was inspired by George Orwell's book, '1984.'

8) Seether: 'Careless Whisper'

This is the rock version of Wham!'s 'Careless Whisper,' originally recorded as a fun song that would appear in the Valentine's Day album for iTunes. Now it appears as an extra song in the album, 'Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces.' It was an unexpected hit and was even voted the fifth best cover song and the ninth best rock song of 2009 by AOL listeners.

7) 30 Seconds to Mars: 'Kings and Queens'

Jared Leto is the singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the 30 Seconds to Mars, a band that was created by his brother Shannon Leto 11 years ago. Jared wrote part of this top alternative song on his way to the airport, busted out the guitar, and got so carried away that he almost didn't make his flight. 'Kings and Queens' is the lead single off 'This is War,' the band's third studio album.

6) Flyleaf: 'Again'

Flyleaf first played 'Again' live in 2007, but changed the lyrics to get closer to what the band was really feeling. The song encourages people to relinquish the feeling of carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders and to know when to let go. 'Again' also made our list of best rock songs in 2009.

5) Chevelle: 'Jars'

This top alternative song is about saving the environment, by literally putting the earth in a jar and preserving it. The song is from their newest album 'Sci-Fi Crimes,' which features album artwork painted by Chevelle's bassist Dean Bernardini.

4) Three Days Grace: 'Break'

'Break' is the first single from 2009's 'Life Starts Now,' an album that is chock-full of songs that helped the band members deal with personal and family problems. The lyrics, "Break! Away from everybody / Break! Away form everything!" encourages people to break free from the negativity in their life.

3) Linkin Park: 'New Divide'

'New Divide' was used in Michael Bay's movie, 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.' The futuristic theme song is so perfectly sci-fi, but it still manages to sound like many of Linkin Park's other songs.

2) Breaking Benjamin: 'I Will Not Bow'

The song was featured in the movie, 'Surrogates,' and the music video was filmed at the World Trade Center Building 7. However, the real connection won't make sense until you watch this video for a behind the scenes look.

1) Three Days Grace: 'The Good Life'

At the end of the day, we all just want to have fun and live a good life. The lyrics ask for a lot: "The one thing I need before I die / All I want Is a little of the good life." The beat is catchy, the words are strong. It's not surprising that Three Days Grace's 'The Good Life' is our No. 1 Alternative Song.