The decade started so well for Britney Spears. She was at the top of her game at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards when she strutted across the stage crooning “I’m a Slave 4 U,” a larger-than-life snake slithering above her taut abs.

Even Madonna wanted a piece of her. Their kiss at the 2003 VMAs made headlines around the world and is still one of MTV’s most-talked-about moments.

By 2006, it appeared the pop princess was ready to abdicate her throne, her marriage to Kevin Federline and custody of their two boys, Sean Preston and Jayden James. A months-long saga of bad behavior that included multiple flashes of her private parts, countless nights on the town and allegations of drug and alcohol abuse culminated in February 2007 with Spears buzzing off her famous locks at a Tarzana, Calif., hair salon while photographers snapped away outside. Later that year, she gave what has become a widely ridiculed performance at the VMAs.

It took nearly two years and her father taking charge of her life before Spears regained her footing. Musically, she ends the decade on an up note. Her 2008 song “Womanizer” put her back at the top of the singles charts for the first time since the 1990s. And her album “Circus” is approaching double-platinum status, while her 2009 concert tour was the year’s highest-grossing in the United States.

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