opularity went through the roof. Within six weeks of his death, close to four million of his albums were sold in U.S. stores alone, while millions more songs were bought online. As a curtain call to the concert series that never was, the rehearsal footage from This Is It was turned into a concert film and released worldwide in October, giving his fans a close look at just what he was working on in the days leading up to his untimely exit.

7. Steve Jobs
After months of speculation about the state of his health, Steve Jobs reemerged in June 2009 to assume his position as CEO of Apple. He had taken an extended leave of absence from his duties at the company to undergo a successful liver transplant in April, and his prognosis has been described as excellent.

The mythical innovator and entrepreneur, regarded as an iconic and eccentric figure in the business world, made his first public appearance in almost a year to introduce new products, including iTunes 9 and upgraded iPods, at the annual Apple music event in San Francisco on September 9. He received a standing ovation from the invitation-only crowd as he expressed his gratitude to the Apple community who supported him during his lengthy battle. Steve Jobs continues to be an innovator more than thirty years after founding Apple, as the volume of sales of iPods, iPhones, and Mac computers justifies Fortune magazine’s decision to name him the most powerful person in business.

8. Roger Federer
Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer set a number of records in 2009, further cementing his reputation as the greatest tennis player in the history of the sport. He reached his record seventh consecutive Wimbledon final in July, defeating Andy Roddick to rack up his sixth Wimbledon victory. Roger Federer also broke the record for most Grand Slam final appearances, which now stands at twenty, and set the record for most Grand Slam men’s titles with fifteen, surpassing Pete Sampras.

His victory at Wimbledon helped him regain the No. 1 spot in the Association of Tennis Professionals’ ranking of top-seeded players, knocking Rafael Nadal out of pole position after eleven months. Roger Federer captured his first French Open title in 2009, and became the first male player to appear in at least two Grand Slam finals a year for six years running. Some of the honors he’s received over the past months include the ESPY Best Male Tennis Player and Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Awards, and he was voted ATPWorldTour.com’s Fan’s Favorite for 2009. To top it all off, the Swiss Maestro has earned over $50 million in prize money during his career, making him the top-earning tennis player of all time.

9. Peyton Manning
Quarterbacks have always held a special place in the pop culture universe. If you’re good, you’re held

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