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Today is the last day of 2009 and it’s time, therefore, for a Top 10 Worst of the Year list. But not this year. There’s only one contender.

Fred Wilhelms responds to SX’s Laura Williams, addressing her statements point-by-point.

The tunes add up to the first million downloads, say the guys, pointing out the music has been distributed through the BitTorrent and Gnutella networks with FrostWire.

‘ … please understand that a small organization with a low administrative fee must prioritize.’

‘Casual fans … abandon you the moment you have an opinion on anything … or try something different. Casual fans buy the “greatest hits” compilations because they only want the radio hits.’

The music business is in ‘rude health’. It’s the record business that’s ’screwed’.

Good news? You’re finally in charge of your career. The bad news? That face in the mirror, it’s the only one to blame if things don’t go well.

“The music industry has long hit a trifecta of thin value — crappy music, ripped-off artists, and ethically dubious tactics.”

To date, all that the industry has accomplished through its brute force efforts is to waste time, lose money, and squander goodwill. No time remains for stopgap measures.