2002: The Year In Music

2002 – The US deploys forces in Afghanistan as part of Operation Anaconda. Crime drama “The Wire” debuts on HBO. “American Idol” premiers on Fox-TV. Ronaldo scores twice in the World Cup final as Brazil beat Germany. Serena Williams beats older sister Venus for her first Wimbledon singles title. Not the most interesting year for news … so hopefully the music can pick up the pace!

I’ll be looking at the popular and highest-rated songs / albums of the year, giving my opinions on their musicality and longevity as well as an overall verdict for the year as a whole.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Billboard Top 10 (Popular) Singles

Source: Wikipedia

10 – Blurry (Puddle of Mudd)

With a name like “Puddle of Mudd”, I didn’t expect much of “Blurry”.

It wasn’t as bad as I feared – it’s a more generic take of something like Linkin Park, but it has a time and a place.

9 – U Got It Bad (Usher)

Generic RnB.

8 – What’s Luv? (Fat Joe feat. Ashanti)

That synth riff is pretty catchy. In fact, the whole thing is quite the earworm.

7 – In The End (Linkin Park)

2.4 billion streams on Spotify. That’s insane!

“In The End” may be the quintessential NuMetal song. Is it a bit corny and dated? Maybe, but that doesn’t stop it being awesome.

6 – A Thousand Miles (Vanessa Carlton)

Memes have ruined “A Thousand Miles” for me.

It’s a harmless piano-centric Pop song … but it’s become laughable.

5 – Wherever You Will Go (The Calling)

I remember hearing this song on radios all the time. I never quite vibed with it.

“Wherever You Will Go” isn’t bad, per se, but it’s very generic.

4 – Dilemma (Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland)

One of the catchiest songs of the year. Kelly Rowland’s vocals get stuck in your head.

3 – Hot in Herre (Nelly)

Same album as “Dilemma”, and similarly catchy. Big year for Nelly.

It’s definitely the song in this top ten most likely to get me moving.

2 – Foolish (Ashanti)

“Foolish” tries to be catchy, but I find that piano riff to be too repetitive and annoying.

1 – How You Remind Me (Nickelback)

Once you’ve heard one Nickelback song you’ve heard them all … which is another way of saying “How You Remind Me” is their best song.

It’s not ground-breaking, but it hits hard when it needs to.

FAVOURITE – “In The End” (Linkin Park)

LEAST FAVOURITE – “Foolish” (Ashanti)

Top-Rated Songs

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

10 – Go With The Flow (Queens Of The Stone Age)

Queens Of The Stone Age didn’t do anything particularly stand-out with their production or songwriting, but they knew how to write a catchy Rock hit.

“Go With The Flow” gets my head banging.

9 – Untitled (Interpol)

The opener to “Turn On The Bright Lights”, and a solid one at that.

It’s a great tone-setter, albeit not a very interesting track on its own.

8 – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1 (The Flaming Lips)

The Flaming Lips wore their eccentricities on their sleeves, and there’s no better example of how weird their production could be than “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1”.

The whole album is a trip (more on that later), but this song in particular is a psychedelic journey.

7 – Lose Yourself (Eminem)

If there’s one Eminem song everyone on planet earth knows and loves, it’s “Lose Yourself”.

It’s anthemic rap of the highest degree, and it always gets me pumped.

6 – I Am Trying To Break Your Heart (Wilco)

A solid album opener to “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”.

Wilco bring a very nostalgic sound, and the lyrics are full of melancholy and regret.

5 – Do You Realize?? (The Flaming Lips)

I remember the first time I heard “Do You Realize??” I was blown away, and that sense of magic and wonder has stayed with me through the years.

It’s The Flaming Lips’ best song, bar none, and the ethereal production and sentimental lyrics always lull me into a trance.

4 – Obstacle 1 (Interpol)

I found the second song on “Turn On The Bright Lights” to be much better than the first.

The vocal delivery is fantastic, and I can hear where Arctic Monkeys got their bouncy guitars from.

3 – No One Knows (Queens Of The Stone Age)

Queens Of The Stone Age’s most iconic song.

It’s very on-beat, which makes each drum beat and guitar chord very hefty as a result. The chorus and bridge switch-ups are what make it stand out, though.

2 – Jesus, Etc. (Wilco)

Wilco’s most popular song, and definitely the best from “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”.

It’s got a great groove, and despite the more positive melodies there’s a sense of anxiety permeating under the surface.

1 – Hurt (Johnny Cash)

Johnny Cash’s version of “Hurt” is similar but different to the original Nine Inch Nails song. It sounds more like an old man recounting his many regrets (which it is, in a way), which arguably makes it even sadder.

I don’t like it as much as Trent Reznor’s version, but Cash brings a gravitas that’s bound to give you goosebumps.

BEST SONG OF 2002 – “Do You Realize??” (The Flaming Lips)

Top-Rated Albums

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

5 – Songs For The Deaf (Queens Of The Stone Age)

A great Rock album in an era where pure Rock is starting to die out.

I’ve always loved songs like “No One Knows” and “Go With The Flow”, but I also wanted to shout out the opener “You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire” and closer “Mosquito Song” for bookending the album with flair.

4 – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (The Flaming Lips)

The most out-there album of 2002, and I loved it.

The Flaming Lips made one of my favourite songs ever with “Do You Realize??”, and I genuinely like every other song here.

3 – A Rush Of Blood To The Head (Coldplay)

If you told me “A Rush Of Blood To The Head” was the best Coldplay album, I wouldn’t argue with you.

It has some all-time classics like “The Scientist” and “Clocks”, and the first half of the album especially is particularly strong.

2 – Turn On The Bright Lights (Interpol)

“Turn On The Bright Lights” was one of the most acclaimed albums of the early 00’s … but I find it a bit boring compared to other 2002 albums.

The highlight was definitely “Obstacle 1”, whereas the rest sort of blended together.

1 – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Wilco)

Wilco’s sound is very nostalgic to me – the folky, Indie Rock songwriting paired with subtle electronica makes for a really engrossing listen.

There aren’t many stand-out individual songs other than maybe “Jesus, etc.”, but the whole thing is delightful.

BEST ALBUM OF 2002 – “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots” (The Flaming Lips)

Final Thoughts

2002 didn’t necessarily have my favourite songs and albums, but I could appreciate the musicianship all-round.

Overall Grade: B

Aaaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: