Electric dreams for pop in 2009
Will the next 12 months see the rebirth of electro-pop and the death of landfill indie?

You should love this music because...
Top pop pundits speak up for the new acts they have picked for the BBC Sound of 2009 list.

1. Little Boots
New synth-pop queen aims for the stars

2. White Lies
London rockers with dark, deathly anthems

3. Florence and the Machine
A striking, fearless and quirky new singer-songwriter

4. Empire of the Sun
Australian fantasy pop heroes on a spiritual mission

5. La Roux
London synth duo aim to revive the sound of 1984

6. Lady GaGa
Fifteen of the best rising music stars are announced on the longlist for the BBC's Sound of 2009.

7. VV Brown
Fifteen of the best rising music stars are announced on the longlist for the BBC's Sound of 2009.

8. Kid Cudi
Fifteen of the best rising music stars are announced on the longlist for the BBC's Sound of 2009.

9. Passion Pit
Fifteen of the best rising music stars are announced on the longlist for the BBC's Sound of 2009.

10. Dan Black
Fifteen of the best rising music stars are announced on the longlist for the BBC's Sound of 2009.

See the longlist of 15 acts
Watch and listen to 15 of the best rising music stars, picked by leading UK tastemakers to be on the BBC's Sound of 2009 list.

The best of the rest
Want more new acts for this year? Sound of 2009 compiler Ian Youngs shares his personal picks for the 12 next months.

Find out more about how Sound of... works
How the BBC's Sound of 2009 list - which aims to highlight some of the best new music talent for the coming year - works.

The full list of Sound of 2009 pundits
The BBC's Sound of 2009 canvasses more than 130 influential and impartial UK-based music critics and broadcasters to find their favourite new acts.

Sound of 2008: Adele and Duffy
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Sound of 2007: Mika
Find out about the Sound of 2007's top 10 artists and listen to full tracks.

Sound of 06: Corinne Bailey Rae
Find out about the Sound of 2006's top 10 artists and listen to full tracks.

Sound of 2003: 50 Cent
Controversial rapper 50 Cent comes top of a BBC News Online poll of music critics to find the stars of 2003.