I know we’re well into 2010 and the golden opportunity for this post is long gone, but what the hey, I’m doing it anyway. That rhymed. I may not have any musical education to speak of but I do love movie music, and I want to share with you my favorite soundtracks from 2009. Let’s be clear, these are my  top soundtracks of ’09. These are not the critics’ picks. For example, the soundtrack for The Hurt Locker was nominated for an Academy Award, but its not on my list. While I think it aided the film immensely, the Hurt Locker soundtrack was predominantly non-musical; it was more of a soundscape than a soundtrack. The set of soundtracks I’ve picked is diverse, but all of them are, at least in part, listenable in day-to-day settings. I hope you enjoy.

Preview some of the best tracks while you read with this little gizmo.

20. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Mark Mothersbaugh. You wouldn’t expect an animated kids movie to have a great score, but then again, Up won the Oscar for Best Original Score in 2010. I’ll be honest, I loved Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I thought it was hilarious and heartwarming, and I love how the score transitions in an instant from overly-serious, sweeping strings to cartoonish electro-beats.

19. Coco Before Chanel, Alexandre Desplat. Desplat was a busy man in 2009, scoring seven different films, several of which appear on this list. He has an enchanting piano-centric style that he uses to great effect on Coco Before Chanel.

18. Public Enemies, Elliot Goldenthal. My favorite track is the bluesy ”Ten Million Slaves” by Otis Taylor that made that first theatrical trailer look so cool. Most of the soundtrack, however, is more suited to the film’s 1930′s Chicago setting–slinky jazz tunes by Billie Holiday and a somber classical score by Eliot Goldenthal.

17. Moon, Clint Mansell. Moon has to be one of the most underrated films of 2009, and Clint Mansell’s eerie score is one of the best things about it. Simple piano, unearthly synths, and pounding drums set a mysterious, lonely tone on the dark side of the moon.

16. Angels & Demons, Hanz Zimmer. Angels & Demons may not be Zimmer’s most original work ever, but it has one standout track. “503″ builds from mystery to grand revelation in a lovely mix of organ, big strings, and a soaring solo violin.

15. Julie & Julia, Alexandre Desplat. Desplat is back with his trademark piano tinkering, accompanied by a whimsical solo violin, and occasional Parisian accordion. The score is carefree and happy and makes the perfect soundtrack for adventures in the kitchen.

14. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Steve Jablonsky. Seriously, the score is the only saving grace of this movie. Steve Jablonsky is a graduate of the Hanz Zimmer school of scoring modern blockbusters. Thundering drums and simple sweeping melodies are the staples of his work. On this outing, he worked with Linkin Park to get a techy guitar sound that appears in samples throughout the score.

13. Whip It, Robert Miller. Girl punk has never been so much fun. The opening track from Tilly and the Wall is a let’s-go rocker and the rest of the album carries that energy through with a grungy, lo-fi, dirty bar sound. Highlights include “Sheena is a Punk Rocker” by the Ramones and “Your Arms Around Me” by Jens Lekman.

12. The Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman. Randy Newman is back with more endearing songs for an animated Disney film. Here he channels New Orleans jazz and even some bayou Zydeco sounds to form big musical numbers about the importance of hard work.

11. The Young Victoria, Ilan Eshkeri. My main complaint with this film is that nothing really bad ever happens; the story remains in safe, positive territory for the entire arc. However, I won’t make that complaint about the score because I can’t get enough of the elegant, uplifting sounds of Ilan Eshkeri’s very Victorian score.

10. Sherlock Holmes, Hans Zimmer. I love how different the Sherlock Holmes score is from Zimmer’s usual stuff. It’s zany and brusque like the atmosphere in an Irish pub. Zimmer mixes banjo with whiney violins to create a sound that’s as mysterious, smart, and crazy as Holmes himself.

9. (500) Days of Summer, Mychael Danna and Rob Simonsen. Right here in the middle of my lineup fall two indie rock compilations. Solid tunes from Doves, The Temper Trap, and the indie princess herself, Zooey Deschanel singing for She and Him, highlight this stellar mix tape.

8. Twilight: New Moon, Alexandre Desplat. The only thing edging the Twilight soundtrack over (500) Days of Summer is Alexandre Desplat’s angsty piano piece “The Meadow” that is included in the mix. It is a gem. Tracks by rock powerhouses Muse, The Killers, Death Cab for Cutie, Thom Yorke, and Editors among others also make this album great. DISCLAIMER: My fondness for this soundtrack does not equate to a fondness for New Moon the movie.

7. Fantastic Mr. Fox, Alexandre Desplat. This score shows Alexandre Desplat’s ability to tailor his style to his material. Banjos toy with the high keys on a piano to make a quaint, playful, rural sound. “Une Petite Ile” by French film composer Georges Delerue is also an excellent addition to the soundtrack.

6. Crazy Heart, Ryan Bingham. Crazy Heart won the Oscar for Best Original Song with “The Weary Kind,” but it didn’t win for the whole score. Ryan Bingham wrote and performed the songs on the Crazy Heart soundtrack, and Jeff Bridges’ voice also appears on several tracks. The old country tunes tell a powerful story, but unless you really love old country, I doubt you’ll get many plays out of this album.

5. Up, Michael Giacchino. Michael Giacchino, who is also J.J. Abrams right-hand man (scoring Lost and Star Trek), won the Academy Award earlier this year for best original score with Up. His pleasant blend of piano and horns really did deserve the honor, but the soundtrack loses some of my interest in the action segments. The best tracks are those at the beginning and end, ”Up with Titles” and “Up with End Credits.”

4. The Soloist, Dario Marianelli. A movie about a phenomenal homeless cellist  better have a good score right? The Soloist does. Marianelli takes inspiration from the sounds of Los Angeles freeways to create grand Beethovenesque symphonies which inevitably feature a lot of solo cello. “Cello Lesson” is the improvisational piece featured in the trailer and is one of the highlights of the soundtrack.

3. Adventureland, Yo La Tengo. Apparently I like carefully crafted compilations as much as I like beautiful classical scores. The soundtrack to Adventureland is a mix of choice 80′s material that fits this funny, heartaching 80′s story like a glove.

2. Inglourious Basterds, Mary Ramos. I credit Mary Ramos here because she is listed as the Music Supervisor, however, Quentin Tarantino, being the movie nerd he is, generally handpicks his soundtracks from old movie themes. Here he uses several Ennio Morricone pieces to great effect. The opening track, “The Green Leaves of Summer,” was originally written by Dimitri Tiomkin for the John Wayne version of The Alamo.

1. Avatar, James Horner. James Horner faced quite a challenge matching the visuals of Avatar with music. His score is epic, tribal, otherworldly, and at the same time powerful in a human way. It illuminates Avatar, makes the lush planet more colorful and alive. It clearly matches the wonder of the visuals if it doesn’t surpass it.