2002 didn't suffer from quite the case of multiple personalities that 2001 did, but the changing of the musical guard was almost as apparent. While vets like Beck, Jurassic 5, Sonic Youth, Spoon, the Flaming Lips, and Wilco turned in some of the best work of their careers (
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot tied for first place in our poll), and the teen-pop boom held strong with massive hits like Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful," acts that would shape the sounds of the rest of the decade made themselves known. Interpol's
Turn on the Bright Lights -- arguably 2002's finest debut album -- showed that the New York rock revival was still going strong, while the Libertines'
Up the Bracket found the U.K. responding in kind. Meanwhile, Devendra Banhart's
Oh Me Oh My, which arrived that fall, presaged the folk revival that became a major trend later in the decade. 2002 also had a bumper crop of great singles in all kinds of styles, ranging from "Beautiful" to Missy Elliott's "Work It" to the White Stripes' "Fell in Love with a Girl." It's only fitting, then, that this was also a great year for the mash-up: 2 Many DJ's
As Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 2 felt like the perfect reflection of, and reaction to, 2002's eclecticism.
John Bush
Devendra Banhart -
Oh Me Oh My...
Roots Manuva -
Dub Come Save Me
Beck -
Sea Change
Boards of Canada -
Geogaddi
2 Many DJs -
As Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 2
Brendan Benson -
Lapalco
The Raymond Scott Orchestrette -
Pushbutton Parfait
Sparta -
Wiretap Scars
Kenny Chesney -
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead -
Source Tags & Codes
Queens of the Stone Age -
Songs for the Deaf
The Flaming Lips -
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Missy Elliott -
Under Construction
Badly Drawn Boy -
About a Boy
Deerhoof -
Reveille
Destroyer -
This Night
Blackalicious -
Blazing Arrow
Jurassic 5 -
Power in Numbers
Steinski -
Nothing to Fear: A Rough Mix
The Streets -
Original Pirate Material
Jazzanova -
In Between
The Walkmen -
Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone
Wilco -
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Missy Elliott f/ Ludacris - "Gossip Folks"
Queens of the Stone Age - "No One Knows"
Roots Manuva - "Man Fi Cool"
The Streets - "The Irony of It All"
The Raymond Scott Orchestrette - "Little Miss Echo"
Devendra Banhart - "Michigan State"
Brendan Benson - "Life in the D"
Badly Drawn Boy - "Silent Sigh"
Beck - "The Golden Age"
Boards of Canada - "1969"
Kenny Chesney - "Young"
Broken Social Scene - "Lover's Spit"
The Flaming Lips - "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pts. 1-2"
Jaheim f/ Tha Rayne - "Fabulous"
Jurassic 5 - "Break"
LCD Soundsystem - "Losing My Edge"
The Rapture - "House of Jealous Lovers"
Mum - "Green Grass of Tunnel"
Musiq - "Babygirl"
Ron Sexsmith - "These Days"
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The Libertines -
Up the Bracket
Queens of the Stone Age -
Songs for the Deaf
Interpol -
Turn on the Bright Lights
Supergrass -
Life on Other Planets
Beck -
Sea Change
The Streets -
Original Pirate Material
The Black Keys -
The Big Come Up
Weezer -
Maladroit
Sonic Youth -
Murray Street
Eminem -
The Eminem Show
Spoon -
Kill the Moonlight
Trey Anastasio -
Trey Anastasio
Clinic -
Walking with Thee
Paul Weller -
Illumination
The Walkmen -
Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone
Brendan Benson -
Lapalco
Hot Hot Heat -
Make Up the Breakdown
Sheryl Crow -
C'mon C'mon
Norah Jones -
Come Away with Me
George Harrison -
Brainwashed
Kylie Minogue - "Can't Get You Out of My Head"
Weezer - "Dope Nose"
Pulp - "Bad Cover Version"
No Doubt - "Hella Good"
Tracy Byrd - "Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo"
Eminem - "Lose Yourself"
The Hives - "Hate to Say I Told You So"
Tweet - "Oops (Oh My)"
LCD Soundsystem - "Losing My Edge"
Electric Six - "Danger! High Voltage"
Clinic - "Walking with Thee"
The White Stripes - "Fell in Love with a Girl"
Queens of the Stone Age - "No One Knows"
Cornershop - "Lessons Learned from Rocky I to Rocky III"
Nirvana - "You Know You're Right"
Vanessa Carlton - "A Thousand Miles"
Andrew WK - "Party Hard"
Kid Rock - "Picture"
Christina Aguilera - "Beautiful"
The Strokes - "Someday"
The White Stripes - "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"
Sheryl Crow - "Soak Up the Sun"
Remy Shand - "Take a Message"
Phantom Planet - "California"
Toby Keith - "Who's Your Daddy"
Paula Carino
27 -
Animal Life
Elk City -
Hold Tight the Ropes
Elvis Costello -
When I Was Cruel
Guided by Voices -
Universal Truths and Cycles
Imperial Teen -
On
Jets to Brazil -
Perfecting Loneliness
The Loud Family -
From Ritual to Romance
Mia Doi Todd -
The Golden State
Paul Hyde -
The Big Book of Sad Songs, Vol. 1
Pretty Girls Make Graves -
This Is Our Emergency
Richard Hawley -
Late Night Final
The Soft Boys -
Nextdoorland
Spoon -
Kill the Moonlight
Tanya Donelly -
Beautysleep
The Donnas -
Spend the Night
The Figgs -
Slow Charm
The Green Pajamas -
Lust Never Sleeps
Twinemen -
Twinemen
The Polyphonic Spree -
The Beginning Stages Of...
Matt Collar
Beck -
Sea Change
Boards of Canada -
Geogaddi
Camera Obscura -
Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi
Cody ChestnuTT -
The Headphone Masterpiece
The Decemberists -
Castaways and Cutouts
Goldrush -
Don't Bring Me Down
Neil Halstead -
Sleeping on Roads
Richard Hawley -
Late Night Final
Norah Jones -
Come Away with Me
The Libertines -
Up the Bracket
Luna -
Romantica
Maroon 5 -
Songs About Jane
Kylie Minogue -
Fever
Pulp -
We Love Life
The Roots -
Phrenology
Sonic Youth -
Murray Street
Spoon -
Kill the Moonlight
Velvet Crush -
Soft Sounds
The Walkmen -
Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone
Wilco -
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Greg Heaney
Mr. Lif -
I Phantom
Ben Kweller -
Sha Sha
Oneida -
Each One Teach One
Beck -
Sea Change
Slum Village -
Trinity (Past, Present and Future)
Brendan Benson -
Lapalco
Clinic -
Walking with Thee
Mike Doughty -
Smofe + Smang
Cee-Lo -
Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections
Enon -
High Society
The Flaming Lips -
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
High on Fire -
Surrounded by Thieves
J Mascis + the Fog -
Free So Free
Mastodon -
Remission
The Decemberists -
Castaways and Cutouts
Isis -
Oceanic
OK Go -
OK Go
Queens of the Stone Age -
Songs for the Deaf
Wilco -
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Blackalicious -
Blazing Arrow
David Jeffries
Agent K -
Feed the Cat
El-P -
Fantastic Damage
Missy Elliott -
Under Construction
Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician -
Wave Motion
J-Zone -
Pimps Don't Pay Taxes
Kid606 -
The Action Packed Mentallist Brings You the Fucking Jams
Talib Kweli -
Quality
Madlib -
Blunted in the Bomb Shelter Mix
Metro Area -
Metro Area
Tom Middleton -
The Sound of the Cosmos
Misty in Roots -
Roots Controller
The Notwist -
Neon Golden
John Peel -
Fabriclive.07
Rjd2 -
Dead Ringer
The Roots -
Phrenology
Sandoz -
Sandoz in Dub: Chant to Jah
Scion -
Arrange and Process Basic Channel Tracks
Sean Paul -
Dutty Rock
Steinski -
Nothing to Fear: A Rough Mix
Various Artists -
Select Cuts from Echo Beach
Andy Kellman
Michael Mayer -
Immer
Metro Area -
Metro Area
Farben -
Textstar
Boards of Canada -
Geogaddi
Recloose -
Cardiology
Brooks -
You, Me and Us
Clipse -
Lord Willin
Brandy -
Full Moon
Carl Craig -
The Workout
Scion -
Arrange and Process Basic Channel Tracks
Triple R -
Friends
Nina Nastasia -
The Blackened Air
Donnie -
The Colored Section
Lawrence -
Lawrence
Closer Musik -
After Love
Drexciya -
Harnessed the Storm
Thomas Fehlmann -
Visions of Blah
Dimension 5 -
Alien Artform
Alex Attias -
The Selector Series, Vol. 1
Black Dice -
Beaches & Canyons
Clipse - "Grindin'"
Luomo - "Body Speaking"
Tweet - "Oops (Oh My)"
Missy Elliott - "Work It"
Charles Manier - "Bang Bang Lover"
Amerie - "Why Don't We Fall in Love"
Brandy - "What About Us?"
Peven Everett - "I Can't Believe I Loved Her"
Theo Parrish - "Solitary Flight"
The Rapture - "House of Jealous Lovers [Morgan Geist Version]"
Underground Resistance - "Transition"
Kylie Minogue - "Can't Get You Out of My Head"
4hero - "Hold It Down [Bugz in the Attic Mix]"
Ms. Dynamite - "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee"
Nas - "Made You Look"
Andrés - "You're Still the One"
Markus Guentner - "Regensburg [Gas Mix]"
LCD Soundsystem - "Beat Connection"
Hood - "You Show No Emotion at All"
Wu-Tang Clan - "Uzi (Pinky Ring)"
Jason Lymangrover
Beck -
Sea Change
Blackalicious -
Blazing Arrow
Boards of Canada -
Geogaddi
Busdriver -
Temporary Forever
Cody ChesnuTT -
The Headphone Masterpiece
Cornelius -
Point
Doves -
The Last Broadcast
Hot Hot Heat -
Make Up the Breakdown
Isis -
Oceanic
The Libertines -
Up the Bracket
Madlib -
Blunted in the Bomb Shelter Mix
Mates of State -
Our Constant Concern
Queens of the Stone Age -
Songs for the Deaf
Sean Paul -
Dutty Rock
Sonic Youth -
Murray Street
Max Tundra -
Mastered by Guy at the Exchange
The Soft Boys -
Nextdoorland
The Streets -
Original Pirate Material
Ween -
Live at Stubb's, 7/2000
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead -
Source Tags & Codes
Ben Kweller - "Wasted and Ready"
Busta Rhymes - "Make It Clap"
Christina Aguilera - "Beautiful"
Clipse - "Grindin'"
The Distillers - "Seneca Falls"
Missy Elliott - "Work It"
Enon - "Natural Disasters"
The Flaming Lips - "Do You Realize??"
Justin Timberlake - "Cry Me a River"
LCD Soundsystem - "Losing My Edge"
MC Paul Barman - "Excuse You"
Nas - "Made You Look"
The Roots - "The Seed (2.0)"
Supergrass - "Grace"
Spoon - "Back to the Life"
Timo Maas - "Shifter"
The Libertines - "Horrorshow"
Wilco - "Radio Cure"
Wire - "The Art of Stopping"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Bang"
James Christopher Monger
Wilco -
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Stew -
The Naked Dutch Painter and Other Songs
The Gourds -
Cow Fish Fowl or Pig
David Bowie -
Heathen
Agalloch -
The Mantle
Baby Dee -
Love's Small Song
Queens of the Stone Age -
Songs for the Deaf
Jim Roll -
Inhabiting the Ball
Augie March -
Strange Bird
Tribalistas -
Tribalistas
Nina Nastasia -
The Blackened Air
Stella Chiweshe -
Talking Mbria: Spirits of Liberation
Dark Tranquility -
Damage Done
Sinead O'Connor -
Sean-Nós Nua
Howard Shore -
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Michael Andrews -
Donnie Darko
Spoon -
Kill the Moonlight
Destroyer -
This Night
Lemon Jelly -
Lost Horizons
Golden Shoulders -
Let My Burden Be
The Delgados - "The Light Before We Land"
Sparks - "The Rhythm Thief"
The Black Heart Procession - "The Tropics of Love"
Paul Westerberg - "Mr. Rabbit"
Eminem - "White America"
Neko Case - Deep Red Bells"
Coldplay - "Politik"
Beck - "Little One"
Brendan Benson - "Tiny Spark"
The Flaming Lips - "Do You Realize??"
The Sights - "Don't Want You Back"
The Negro Problem - "Is This the Single?"
Neil Cleary - "When All of Us Get Famous"
Ron Sexsmith - "Former Glory"
Shearwater - "Soon"
The Decemberists - "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect"
The Streets - "Has It Come to This?"
Of Montreal - "Old People in the Cemetery"
Against Me! - "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong"
Johnny Cash - "Hurt"
Heather Phares
Add N to (X) -
Loud Like Nature
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead -
Source Tags & Codes
Beck -
Sea Change
Boards of Canada -
Geogaddi
Clinic -
Walking with Thee
Cornelius -
Point
Deerhoof -
Reveille
Enon -
High Society
The Flaming Lips -
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Interpol -
Turn on the Bright Lights
Ladytron -
Light & Magic
Laub -
Filesharing
The Libertines -
Up the Bracket
The Mountain Goats -
Tallahassee
The Organ -
Sinking Hearts
Out Hud -
S.T.R.E.E.T. D.A.D.
Queens of the Stone Age -
Songs for the Deaf
Sonic Youth -
Murray Street
The Streets -
Original Pirate Material
The Walkmen -
Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone
Add N to (X) - "Take Me to Your Leader"
... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - "Another Morning Stoner"
Clinic - "Walking with Thee" (
YouTube)
Cooler Kids - "All Around The World"
Cornelius - "Smoke" (
YouTube)
Missy Elliott - "Work It"
Eminem - "Lose Yourself"
50 Cent - "In da Club"
Interpol - "Obstacle 1"
Norah Jones - "Don't Know Why"
Khia - "My Neck, My Back"
Nelly - "Hot in Herre"
No Doubt - "Hella Good"
Paul Oakenfold - "Starry Eyed Surprise"
Queens of the Stone Age - "No One Knows"
Pretty Girls Make Graves - "Speakers Push the Air"
Santana - "The Game of Love"
The Streets - "Let's Push Things Forward" (
YouTube)
Justin Timberlake - "Like I Love You"
The Walkmen - "We've Been Had"
Pemberton Roach
Audioslave -
Audioslave
Blue Sandcastle -
If You Only Knew...
Cadet -
The Observatory
Clive Gregson -
Comfort and Joy
David Cross -
Shut Up, You Fucking Baby!
The Elms -
Truth, Soul, Rock & Roll
Gov't Mule -
The Deep End, Vol. 2
James McMurtry -
Saint Mary of the Woods
Jimi Hendrix -
Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight
Johnny Cash -
At Madison Square Garden
Los Lobos -
Good Morning Aztlán
Matt Keating -
Tilt a Whirl
Doña Oxford -
Raw
Palomar -
Palomar II
Paul Weller -
Illumination
The Reverend Horton Heat -
Lucky 7
Rush -
Vapor Trails
Sixpence None the Richer -
Divine Discontent
The Sound of Urchin -
You Are the Best
Warren Zevon -
My Ride's Here
Avril Lavigne - "Complicated"
Blue Sandcastle - "Starting Gun"
Bruce Springsteen - "The Rising"
Cadet - "Nobody"
Chad Kroeger - "Hero"
The Elms - "Burn and Shine"
Jennifer Lopez - "Jenny from the Block"
John Mayer - "Your Body Is a Wonderland"
Kenny Chesney - "The Good Stuff"
Kid Rock - "Picture"
Moby - "We Are All Made of Stars"
Nelly - "Hot in Herre"
Norah Jones - "Don't Know Why"
Palomar - "Knockout"
Paul Weller - "It's Written in the Stars"
Randy Travis - "Three Wooden Crosses"
Rush - "One Little Victory"
Sheryl Crow - "Soak Up the Sun"
Toby Keith - "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue"
Vanessa Carlton - "A Thousand Miles"
Tim Sendra
2 Many DJ's -
As Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 2
The Anniversary -
Your Majesty
Bikeride -
Morning Macumba
The Brunettes -
Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks
Comet Gain -
Realistes
Down MF -
The Law of Diminishing Returns
Neil Halstead -
Sleeping on Roads
Richard Hawley -
Late Night Final
Heavy Blinkers -
Better Weather
Madlib -
Blunted in the Bomb Shelter Mix
Metro Area -
Metro Area
PasCal -
The Handbag Memoirs
Saturday Looks Good to Me -
Love Will Find You
Sean Paul -
Dutty Rock
Young and Sexy -
Stand up for Your Mother
Jason Thurston
Interpol -
Turn on the Bright Lights
Spoon -
Kill the Moonlight
Badly Drawn Boy -
About a Boy
Sleater-Kinney -
One Beat
Wilco -
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Sixpence None the Richer -
Divine Discontent
The Streets -
Original Pirate Material
Jurassic 5 -
Power in Numbers
Elvis Costello -
When I Was Cruel
The Get Up Kids -
On a Wire
Solomon Burke -
Don't Give Up on Me
Cousteau -
Sirena
Aimee Mann -
Lost in Space
Nas -
The Lost Tapes
Badly Drawn Boy -
Have You Fed the Fish?
Ben Folds -
Ben Folds Live
Ivy -
Guest Room
David Cross -
Shut Up, You Fucking Baby!
The Roots -
Phrenology
The Flaming Lips -
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
The Hives - "Hate to Say I Told You So"
Badly Drawn Boy - "You Were Right"
Interpol - "Obstacle 1"
Sixpence None the Richer - "Breathe Your Name"
Eminem - "Without Me"
Jurassic 5 - "What's Golden"
Cousteau - "Talkin' to Myself"
The Flaming Lips - "Yoshimi vs. the Pink Robots, Pt. 1"
Ryan Adams - "Nuclear"
Clipse - "Young Boy"
The Promise Ring - "Become One Anything One Time"
Genius/GZA - "Fame"
Luna - "Renee Is Crying"
Our Lady Peace - "Innocent"
My Vitriol - "Always: My Way"
Matthew - "Everybody Down"
Pulp - "Trees"
Ash - "Shining Light"
Sean Westergaard
Tim Berne's Science Friction -
Science Friction
Jim Black & AlasNoAxis -
Splay
The Books -
Thought for Food
The Nels Cline Singers -
Instrumentals
David Cross -
Shut Up, You Fucking Baby!
The Fab Four -
Christmas with the Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute
Gomez -
In Our Gun
Boris Grebenshikov -
Terrarium
Jonas Hellborg/Shawn Lane/Jeff Sipe -
Personae
The Claudia Quintet -
The Claudia Quintet
Rick Holmstrom -
Hydraulic Groove
Zony Mash -
Live in Seattle
Mike Keneally -
Wooden Smoke
The Meat Purveyors -
All Relationships Are Doomed to Fail
Medeski, Martin & Wood -
Uninvisible
The Residents -
Demons Dance Alone
Sonic Youth -
Murray Street
Spaceways Inc. -
Version Soul
Uncle Wiggly -
Farfetchedness
Otomo Yoshihide New Jazz Quintet -
ONJQ Live
Carly Wray
The Mountain Goats -
All Hail West Texas
The Mountain Goats -
Tallahassee
Wilco -
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
The Flaming Lips -
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead -
Source Tags & Codes
The Notwist -
Neon Golden
Neko Case -
Blacklisted
Crooked Fingers -
Reservoir Songs
Iron & Wine -
The Creek Drank the Cradle
Bad Religion -
The Process of Belief
Andrew Bird -
Fingerlings
The Decemberists -
Castaways and Cutouts
Spoon -
Kill the Moonlight
Songs: Ohia -
Didn't It Rain
Nickel Creek -
This Side
The Mountain Goats - "The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton"
The Mountain Goats - "First Few Desperate Hours"
Wilco - "Heavy Metal Drummer"
The Roots - "Break You Off"
Spoon - "The Way We Get By"
Crooked Fingers - "Sunday Morning Coming Down"
Iron & Wine - "Muddy Hymnal"
The Decemberists - "California One"
Frank Black and the Catholics - "California Bound"
Aimee Mann - "Invisible Ink"
Neko Case - "Things That Scare Me"