Best Albums of 2002

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Explore the best albums of 2002, based on over 2 million album rankings across 61,000 charts. Last updated: 4 hours ago

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2002 year summaryThe best artists of 2002 were Wilco, Interpol, Coldplay, The Flaming Lips, Queens Of The Stone Age, Broken Social Scene, Beck, Sigur Rós, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Boards Of Canada.

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Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilco

"The songwriting is top-notch, it's not as experimental as everyone suggests, but it sure as hell not Appetite for Destruction either. There isn't a bad song here and for those accusing it of being boring need to listen more carefully, there is a lot to enjoy from this album it is just very discreet." Reply

sulmagnificent | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 9

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

1,704 charts

Rank Score:

16,043

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

85 (1,977 votes)

Comments:

174

Turn On The Bright Lights

Interpol

"In the earliest days of the 21st century, New York City was not only a dominant fulcrum for the arts, it also stood as a mecca for some of the best up-and-coming indie rock artists of the era. Bands such as The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. If these wonderful acts were assembl...""In the earliest days of the 21st century, New York City was not only a dominant fulcrum for the arts, it also stood as a mecca for some of the best up-and-coming indie rock artists of the era. Bands such as The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. If these wonderful acts were assembled at a legendary NYC party, deep in the corner, pensively camouflaging would be Interpol. Always tastefully suited and donning black, Interpol were surely the most brooding and moody of these groups and their music brilliantly reflected the sentiment of a city that they loved but was holding them prisoner. Their crowning achievement was 2002's Turn on the Bright Lights, an introspective compendium of social alienation and the poetic juxtaposition of perception and reality in the city they called home. Lead singer Paul Banks pulls no punches on third track NYC, claiming, "The subway is a porno, The pavements they are a mess, I know you've supported me for a long time, Somehow I'm not impressed". Lead guitarist Daniel Kessler vigorously drives fifth track Say Hello to the Angels. The breakneck pace is notably apt when uncovering the song's inspiration, unfailing sexual yearning during a rocky relationship. Fan favorite Obstacle 1 is often noted as an anthem for the turn-of-the-century indie revival. It was seemingly influenced by the death of a model that willingly pierced her own throat. The relevance to the narrator is still up for interpretation but lines such as, "But it's different now that I'm poor and aging, I'll never see this face again, And you go stabbing yourself in the neck," imply a distant, one-sided affinity. The darkness only purveys further from there. Playfully titled track Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down describes another flesh-centric liaison gone awry due to the title bearer's personal instability. Sam Fogarino's burst-guided drumming creates the sensation that the song itself is slowly descending deeper and deeper into the Hudson. Banks croons, "Bottom of the ocean she dwells, bottom of the ocean she dwells", as he too drifts into the abyss. The lion's share of the band's attention appeared to revolve around their status as dead ringers for legendary post-punk foursome Joy Division. Interpol, while respecting Joy Division's legacy, dismissed the strategic intention of such comparisons, not content to live in another's shadow or (Shadowplay). While The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem concocted hits that were not out of place at Columbia University parties and the sprawling New York City club scene, Turn on the Bright Lights' target was an entirely different audience. A sector of listeners that felt petrified at the notion of being present at a social soiree or those who desired whole-hearted love in favor of booze-soaked escapades. It's a shame that these days that Interpol are perceived to have lost their labels as critical darlings, lost to a new generation sporting deaf ears on which the band's music falls on. Shamefully, they often get lost in the shuffle when commenting about the impact of early 2000's indie rock, swiftly swept to the side by more thematically positive acts that potentially have less provocative things to say. How appropriate of the band to be caught up in such a woebegone story. Hindsight suggests that Interpol just may have been the finest act to grace that era. They certainly released its most polished, brilliantly arranged artifact. You can find it gracing the shelves of a Greenwich Village antique shop. "I had seven faces Thought I knew which one to wear But I'm sick of spending these lonely nights Training myself not to care" -NYC Standout Tracks: 1. Obstacle 1 2. Leif Erikson 3. Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down 97.8" Reply

DriftingOrpheus | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 6

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

1,319 charts

Rank Score:

12,808

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

84 (1,655 votes)

Comments:

130

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

"This is not a good album. This is a complete masterpiece by one of the best bands of the 2000s. Dont let anyone tell you otherwise. There is not a single weak moment on this record. Filled with beautiful melodies, gorgeous singing, and what is most important, GREAT songs, one after the other. I c..." Reply

- | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 6

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

1,372 charts

Rank Score:

11,729

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

100

Average Rating:

79 (2,232 votes)

Comments:

189

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips

"This is basically what "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" would have sounded like if the technology to make this album existed at the time. And also if "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was any good to begin with." Reply

40footwolf | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 5

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

1,336 charts

Rank Score:

10,818

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

Queens Of The Stone Age

"It's so beautiful, i think i'm going to cry" Reply

awesomness425 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 7

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

1,173 charts

Rank Score:

9,943

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

130

Average Rating:

83 (1,543 votes)

Comments:

You Forgot It In People

Broken Social Scene

"Don't let their name fool you, this band is nowhere close to the type of music you would expect with the name 'Broken Social Scene.' I find this album to be so unique and interesting that it is honestly one of my very most listened to albums of the past year." Reply

Mattdup279 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 2

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

653 charts

Rank Score:

5,215

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

317

Average Rating:

82 (721 votes)

Comments:

Sea Change

Beck

"Stands as one of the best he has put out. It's got quiet buttferly in the cave of the human mind. It doesn't disturb and doesn't get the party started. It simply thinks. reminisces to the the time they stood on that cliff looking out to sea and the private beach below. No one was allowed to swim ..." Reply

- | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 2

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

752 charts

Rank Score:

4,892

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

"This could be just me, but I feel the genius of this album is the way I can project a different meaning onto it each time. It feels like the emotional equivalent of a mirror, when I'm happy its happy, when I'm sad its sad, when I feel isolated its about isolation and so on. I don't think its poss..." Reply

andy_hunter | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 6

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

688 charts

Rank Score:

4,429

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

Red Hot Chili Peppers

"A pleasant and well made album, but too many songs are mellow and similar for it to ever be considered a great album. The big singles are still the best songs unfortunately. It's totally fine for an artist to experiment, but in the case of TRHCP, the experiments don't quite work like it did on th..." Reply

- CJMishellsan | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 2

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

621 charts

Rank Score:

4,022

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

409

Average Rating:

76 (1,095 votes)

Comments:

10.

Geogaddi

Boards Of Canada

"This is such a great album. It should be number one in 2002 over the great 4 alt/indie albums of that year which I still love, Rush of Blood To the Head, Turn On the Bright Lights, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and Yankee Foxtrot Hotel. This is so different and so much more and I know why it's..." Reply

- | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 7

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

411 charts

Rank Score:

3,325

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

520

Average Rating:

80 (478 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of 2002 composition

Artist	Albums	%

Various Artists	16	2%
Acid Mothers Temple	2	0%
Björk	2	0%
Nine Inch Nails	2	0%
Drexciya	2	0%
Porcupine Tree	2	0%
Nas	2	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	462	46%
	189	19%
	38	4%
	38	4%
	36	4%
	27	3%
	25	3%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	932	93%
Yes	68	7%

Live?	Albums	%
No	962	96%
Yes	38	4%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	982	98%
Yes	18	2%

Best Albums of 2002 chart changes

Biggest climbers Biggest climbers in top 100 since last month
Up 8 from 100th to 92nd Life On Other Planets by Supergrass
Up 7 from 77th to 70th Blazing Arrow by Blackalicious
Up 3 from 96th to 93rd The Big Come Up by The Black Keys

Biggest fallers Biggest fallers in top 100 since last month
Down 3 from 75th to 78th Home by Dixie Chicks
Down 3 from 76th to 79th Beaches & Canyons by Black Dice
Down 3 from 93rd to 96th Hate by The Delgados

« View best albums of 2001View best albums of 2003 »

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