Another year, another batch of bloated dead celebrities to melodramatically mourn over with flagrantly excessive tributes and special edition catalogue reissues. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out that death is great for business - hell, Michael Jackson's more popular now than he's been since long before he turned white.

The Grim Reaper beat the everloving hell out of the music world in 2009, stacking the bodies high and deep. Hell, a famous rocker died while this piece was being written (I'm not kidding), if that gives you any indication to the die-off rate. 

We decided to get one up on the old cloak and sickle by putting together a list of rock stars most likely to die in 2010. Here's hoping they all make it through, but this batch of ten are on the lower end of survival likelihood.

1. Steven Tyler

The odds were running strong against Tyler even making it to New Year's, with relapse rumors and an old lady spat with guitarist Joe Perry making everybody uncomfortable, seeing their geriatric asses sprawled on front pages for days. But the massive-mouthed vocalist has reportedly checked into rehab to deal with his addiction to painkillers. He doesn't seem the type of rock star to hop a wall, ditch rehab and go MIA for a few days before gobbling a shotgun a la Kurt Cobain, so we'll see. 

Chances of dying in 2010: 40% (+20% if he doesn't stay in rehab)

2. Courtney Love

Courtney's no stranger to death watch lists, having a celebrated history of narcotic frenzies and general batshittery. But her newfound hobby of pouring out her conspiracy-loving soul on Twitter and Facebook, entirely punctuation and spellcheck-free, no less, coupled with the loss of custody and resulting restraining order from her daughter Frances Bean, puts her high on the list of celebs likely to take a dirt nap in 2010. 

For a few weeks I engaged in the mind-crushing pastime of following the former Mrs. Cobain's endless stream-of-consciousness run-on tweets in some vague attempt to make sense of the woman's flagrant insanity. Yeah, that was a waste of time. What I gathered was that, according to Love, there are several lawyers, Jews (yes, Jews) and celebrities conspiring against her, creating fake trusts and estates in her late husband's name and transferring funds from dummy accounts to... ah forget it. Even if it were all true, she's too far out of her goddamn mind to convince anyone it's not all in her head. 

Oh yeah, and she lets homeless guys suck on her titties just for the photo-op. Who says she's a bad mother?

Chances of dying in 2010: 65% (+25% if she's banned from Facebook/Twitter)

3. Scott Weiland

Resurrected grunge bandwagon riders Stone Temple Pilots are putting the finishing touches on another new album, which should move the bipolar narcotic-loving frontman into the touring/self-destruction part of his own little hell-cycle in the early stages of 2010. Watch for this rock ultra-diva next summer in an alleyway near you, shooting up before going onstage and mumbling his way through "Interstate Love Song" before pissing on a fan wearing a Velvet Revolver T-shirt and passing out mid-song. If he makes it that far.

Chances of dying in 2010: 40% (+30% if STP's new album fails)