In my mind, 2010 will be remembered more for moments of strangeness, oddity, and lessened expectation, than it will be for transcendent music. The throwaway nature of pop has never been more transient or incidental; technology enables us to hear as much as we want and, by the sheer volume of those possibilities, to actively listen as little as we ever have. How else to explain Ke$ha and the Glee cast recordings, much less the continuing nonsense of Black Eyed Peas? Raise your hand if you think Bruno Mars or Rihanna are still going to be churning out hits ten years from now, or that Katy Perry (more about her below) will still be squeezing into latex after she and her pasty Brit hubby have two or three little Russells to contend with, and things start saggin’.

I will remember 2010 for several key moments:

1. The Roots, Being the Roots. Are they the best band on the planet? It’s hard to argue when their versatility is put on display every weeknight, and when they reiterate their overall excellence by turning out two of the best records of the year (How I Got Over and Wake Up, with John Legend).

2. Dio, Chilton Die. We lost metal’s gentle sorcerer (Ronnie James Dio) and Big Star’s genius-in-residence (Alex Chilton) within a few months of one another. May they both rock in peace.

Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler is in the news once again. Tyler has checked himself into rehab in order to treat an addiction to prescription drugs and painkillers. On a happier note, he is dedicated to rejoining the band.

Per Rolling Stone:

In an exclusive statement to Rolling Stone, Tyler also addressed his bandmates’ recent allegations that he demanded a two-year break from the group: “I wish to set the record straight and say that I have read reports of a rumored two-year hiatus and want to be clear that this is completely false and I will enthusiastically be writing, recording and performing with Aerosmith as soon as things are handled.�

In November, Whitford told RS he believed Tyler “doesn’t act like a sober person,� adding, “I’m not hanging with the guy, but his history of drug abuse is well documented.� Tyler fell off the stage during a South Dakota show in early August, forcing the band to cancel the remainder of its injury-plagued summer tour. At the time, Tyler told Rolling Stone he resented implications that the accident occurred while he was intoxicated. “The easiest thing in the world is to say he’s drunk or stoned,� he said. After the tour was canceled, word of strife within Aerosmith began to leak out; in early November, Tyler told a reporter he was taking time off to work on “Brand Tyler� and his bandmates responded by announcing they were beginning to search for a replacement singer.

Here’s hoping he takes care of this problem. An Aerosmith without Steven Tyler singing is an Aerosmith fans will abandon.