Have you been keeping your ears to the radio? If you have, you’ve more than likely noticed that a boatload (possibly taking them to the MTV Video Music Awards in Miami?) of music has been released this year. Kelly Clarkson, the winner of the original American Idol series, has been burning up the charts with her hit songs like “Since U Been Gone.” Usher, who’s wowed the ladies from coast to coast with club bangers like “Yeah!,” has also caught the attention of the music world. New discs from Coldplay and Kanye West also revolutionized their respective genres and created blueprints for future albums.

Music is 2005 has not all been pretty though. With Jay-Z skipping his first year of music under his new retirement plan, rappers like 50 Cent and New York’s Cam’ron have had to step in and create the street anthems to keep the rap genre afloat. Rock newcomers Fall Out Boy and their hit song “Sugar, We’re Going Down,” catapulted to the top of the charts along with The Killers and My Chemical Romance. Clearly, 2006 has not been just about the old veterans, but has also launched the hopeful careers of many newer groups.

As 2005 winds down, Madonna is looking to throw her hat back into music’s ring with a new album and rappers Mobb Deep will debut with 50 Cent’s G-Unit, giving renewed life to their careers. Veterans such as these, though from opposite ends of the spectrum, will round out the 2005 year in music and recreate the excitement of the music industry well into 2006. From Clarkson to Jay-Z to 50 to Fall Out Boy to the Live 8 concerts during the summer of 2005 that brought together a range of musical acts, 2005 has been a great year for the industry. Hopefully, that will continue with the New Year of 2006!