Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke at the MTV VMAs
2013 has been a mega year for music, with some of the biggest names in the industry releasing more new tracks and records than ever.
There have been highs (Beyonce's Halftime Super Bowl extravaganza) and lows (Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke at the VMAs), but we've decided to take a look at some of our favourite moments from the entire year.
1) There was no slow start in January, as the 'Harlem Shake' was released to iTunes on January 8, kick starting a whole host of videos all over the world of people being absolutely ludicrous to the track. Soon, people started to get creative and edit clips from their favourite shows to suit the video style as well as getting involved themselves. Check out some of the best in the video below.
2) While the world donned creepy masks and ridiculous outfits, it was Beyonce who was gearing up for her first ever Super Bowl halftime show, which was an extravaganza like no other, reforming the Destiny's Child girls for one night only. Pumping through some of her greatest hits, she truly owned the stage and left everybody thinking they'd been to a Beyonce concert that just so happened to also include American Football.
3) Skip forward to March, and a relatively unknown musician by the name of Robin Thicke is about to make one of the biggest impacts on music to-date. With his super-catchy smash hit single 'Blurred Lines' came a rather controversial and explicit music video featuring nude women. Thicke defended his song from critics, saying he wrote it with his wife - Paula Patton in mind, who revealed in an interview with Chelsea Handler that she was the one who convinced her husband to film an explicit version. Still, the video was banned from YouTube, with only the censored version - featuring T.I. and Pharrell being allowed to stay.
4) Meanwhile, Justin Bieber was hitting headlines for all the wrong reasons, and was stopped in a German airport when he tried to smuggle his new pet monkey into the country. Authorities were not happy with the teen-pop sensation, and rumours were rife that he could face a hefty fine. Mally - the monkey - soon became "the property of Germany" and the sanctuary who took Mally in demanded a payment of around $6,500 for Mally's care.
Justin Bieber with pet monkey Mally / Credit: Instagram @justinbieber5) Ray J didn't want to let the past rest in peace as he released his Kim Kardashian focused track 'I Hit It First' on April 9. The song was predominantly a Kim diss track about her then-new relationship with Kanye West, and hinted that if she was ever to come back to Ray, they'd "make another movie". Yikes.
6) The annual music festival Glastonbury kicked off on June 26, when two musical giants took to the stage in the shape of Mumford & Sons, and the legendary Rolling Stones. The sets were a treat for any fan in one of the biggest lineups in history, and shockingly was the first time that The Rolling Stones had performed at the festival.
7) MTV's Video Music Awards came a month later on August 25, and some of the performances did more than just catch the eye. Miley Cyrus set the world on fire with her raunchy performance of 'We Can't Stop', followed by her duet with Robin Thicke on 'Blurred Lines', but it was when she chose to twerk on the married star's groin that caused the biggest uproar.
8) One of the best moments of the night however were when *N Sync got back together - if only for just a couple of minutes. Headed by Justin Timberlake, the group led the singer into his Suit & Tie collaboration with Jay-Z, sending the star-studded crowd and viewers at home absolutely wild.
9) In September, Radio 1 and Zane Lowe were treated to an hour-long interview with the always-surprising hip-hop star Kanye West. What they got was an hour of chat about fashion, glass ceilings and Kim Kardashian, amongst other topics. Barely letting Lowe get a word in, Kanye truly delivered in one of the most bizarre chats on-air ever.
10) October kicked off what was set to be one of the most exciting last few months in female pop history, as Miley Cyrus released her fantastic solo album 'Bangerz'. Katy Perry's 'Prism' followed later in the month, and Lady Gaga made her comeback with the surprising 'ARTPOP', just before Princess of Pop Britney Spears released her eighth studio album and "most personal album yet", Britney Jean.
10.5) Then, of course, came the surprise release of Beyonce's fifth album - the visual self-titled record that took the world by storm in just a matter of hours. She didn't need hype or massive promotional stunts - she simply unveiled a whole host of new tracks and seventeen (yep, count-em!) new music videos. Iconic.
11) The end of the month also saw the unfortunate split of The Jonas Brothers, who had cancelled their 19-city tour the month before. A "unanimous decision" saw the trio all go their separate ways, and more recently, Joe Jonas revealed more than anyone really wanted to know in 'Joe Jonas: My Life As a Jonas Brother' - a magazine feature that appeared in New York Magazine on December 9.
Joe Jonas12) Lady Gaga wasn't willing to let her album launch for ARTPOP go off without an elaborate show to go alongside it, and she performed some of the songs from the record at an exciting 'Vevo Presents' concert in New York City. Battling her way through the crowds while holding some impressive notes, she eventually got to the stage and ran through more tunes and fashion changes than you can shake a stick at.
13) November didn't disappoint old-school boyband fans, as Busted and McFly joined together - without Charlie - to form the supergroup McBusted. The news sent females wild up and down the country, and with a performance on Children In Need - which saw them sing a medley of 'It's All About You' and 'Year 3000', as well as 'Air Hostess' and 'Shine A Light' - came more news of a massive UK arena tour.
14) Directioners weren't left feeling out in the cold, as 1D Day happened for the first time ever on November 23, featuring a seven-hour livestream that included celebrity guests, sketches and behind-the-scenes moments with the group.
15) Perhaps the oddest moment occured at a charity gala, where Bon Jovi shared the stage not only with the incomparable Taylor Swift for a unique rendition of 'Living On A Prayer', but the future King of the United Kingdom, Prince William. Looking embarrassed and nervous, Will let himself go in the moment and crooned along to the classic hit. ""I didn't have ear monitors on, the guy was right here (next to me). He really belted it out, he was in tune, he can sing, he knew the words and everything." said Jon Bon Jovi himself about the Prince's singing. We think he may have just been being polite.
What were some of your favourite moments in the world of music this year? Let us know if we've missed them out in the comments section below!