With no rhyme or reason, our editorial staff chooses the top 10 biggest music-related news stories of 2008. Coming in at #9: The Meg White sex tape.

What started as a funny post on the Hipinion message board spread like wild fire, eventually becoming the 7th most searched phrase on the internet.

From The Daily Swarm: On Monday, September 17, at 6:17 AM, a long time member of the Hipinion forum community started a thread entitled MEG WHITE SEX TAPE with a simple link to a homemade porn video featuring a female sex partner who bore more than a passing resemblance to a certain rock and roll drummer. A brief 8-hour, 40-post debate ensued over the authenticity of its subject — with many of the same jokes that were soon to be made all over the world — before the thread slipped into the archives.

You can see the (obviously pornographic) video in question here.

The hoax became so wide spread that both the poster (Itsmecraig) and The White Stripes‘ publicist were forced to make public statements.

From Itsmecraig: Oh shit dudes, I found this video through random wank mining efforts and put it up here cause I figured you guys would have a laugh. It had nothing to do with Meg White when i found it.

From The White Stripes’ publicist: Some people have a very twisted sense of humor and this prank is in particularly bad taste. The tape circulating on the internet as featuring Meg White is fake. It’s definitely not Meg.

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3. Biggest News Stories Of 2008, #2 - The Election Of Barack Obama
4. Biggest News Stories Of 2008, #5 - Billy Corgan Being A Prick To His Fans
5. Biggest News Stories Of 2008, #3 - Noel Gallagher Attacked On Stage