AllMusic Loves 2002
July 14th, 2009 | 3:45 pm est |
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
Aardvarck – Find the Cow
Alex Attias – The Selector Series, Vol. 1
Boards of Canada – Geogaddi
Brandy – Full Moon
Brooks – You, Me and Us
Clipse – Lord Willin’
Closer Musik – After Love
Carl Craig – The Workout
Dimension 5 – Alien Artform
Drexciya – Harnessed the Storm
Farben – Textstar
Thomas Fehlmann – Visions of Blah
Interpol – Turn on the Bright Lights
Lawrence – Lawrence
Michael Mayer – Immer
Metro Area – Metro Area
Recloose – Cardiology
Scion – Arrange and Process Basic Channel Tracks
Triple R – Friends
Tweet – Southern Hummingbird
Agent K – “Feed the Cat”
Amerie – “Why Don’t We Fall in Love”
Amp Dog Knight – “I’m Doing Fine”
Brooks – “Dripping in Gold”
Clipse – “Grindin’”
Closer Musik – “You Don’t Know Me”
Coloma – “Transparent”
Missy Elliott – “Work It”
Peven Everett – “I Can’t Believe I Loved Her”
4hero – “Hold It Down (Bugz in the Attic Mix)”
Freeway – “What We Do”
Talib Kweli – “Get By” (YouTube)
LCD Soundsystem – “Beat Connection”
Luomo – “Body Speaking”
Charles Manier – “Bang Bang Lover (Dance Mix)”
Ms. Dynamite – “Dy-Na-Mi-Tee” (YouTube)
Theo Parrish – “Solitary Flight” (YouTube audio)
The Rapture – “House of Jealous Lovers (Morgan Geist Version)”
Sugababes – “Freak Like Me”
Tweet – “Oops (Oh My)”
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”
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Sparks – “The Rhythm Thief”
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The Black Heart Procession – “The Tropics of Love”
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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”
Previously
AllMusic Loves 1968
AllMusic Loves 1974
AllMusic Loves 1977
AllMusic Loves 1980
AllMusic Loves 1984
AllMusic Loves 1987
AllMusic Loves 1988
AllMusic Loves 1993
AllMusic Loves 1999
AllMusic Loves 2000
AllMusic Loves 2001
Good stuff.
Omissions worthy of a mention include:
GYBE! – Yanqui U.X.O.
Meshuggah – Nothing
Opeth – Deliverance
Six Organs of Admittance – Dark Noontide
My favourites of 2002:
Gogol Bordello: Multi Kontra Culti vs Irony
Jazzanova: In Between
Metro Area: Metro Area
Parkinsons: A Long Way To Nowhere
Peter Murphy: Dust
Queens of the Stone Age: Songs For The Deaf
Sonic Youth: Murray Street
The Libertines: Up The Bracket
The Streets: Original Pirate Material
The Walkmen: Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone
glaring omission: the church’s after everything, now this… i know and like many of the albums on the above lists, but the church’s 2002 release blows ‘em all away
I’d include The Execution of All Things, by Rilo Kiley.
Songs For The Deaf is by far the best album of 2002…. and perhaps the decade!
My favourite 2002 LPs:
*mentioned in the list
Eminem – The Eminem Show
George Harrison – Brainwashed
Maroon 5 – Songs About Jane
Metro Area – Metro Area
Michael Andrews – Donnie Darko
Queens of the Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf
Sixpence None the Richer – Divine Discontent
Steinski – Nothing to Fear: A Rough Mix
The Streets – Original Pirate Material
Weezer – Maladroit
*not mentioned in the list
The Adicts – Rise And Shine
Anti-Flag – Mobilize
Avril Lavigne – Let Go
Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975 – The Rolling Thunder Revue
Bruce Springsteen – The Rising
Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Dream Theater – Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
Dropkick Murphys – Live on St. Patrick’s Day from Boston, MA
Dropkick Murphys – The Singles Collection
Echolyn – Mei
Eric Johnson – Souvenir
Face To Face – How To Ruin Everything
Green Day – Shenanigans
HammerFall – Crimson Thunder
Kerrs Pink – Tidings
The Mars Volta – Tremulant EP
Nada Surf – Let Go
Nightwish – Century Child
Nuclear Valdez – In A Minute All Could Change
Opeth – Deliverance
Pain Of Salvation – Remedy Lane
Plush – Fed
Red Hot Chili Peppers – By The Way
Robert Plant – Dreamland
Sepultura – Under a Pale Grey Sky [live]
Shania Twain – Up!
Simon & Garfunkel – Live from New York City, 1967
Steve Vai – The Elusive Light And Sound, Vol. 1
System Of A Down – Steal This Album!
Tangerine Dream – Inferno
Tesla – Standing Room Only [live]
P.S.: Quite a lot of those links don’t lead where they should. Try to fix them…
i can’t believe no one mentioned nada surf’s ‘let go’ ? that cd was the biggest surprise of the year.
* Guy Clark–The Dark: Everything a great Guy Clark set can be–
intimate, no frills, while comforting the soul and cutting to the bone.
* Neko Case–Blacklisted
* Solomon Burke–Don’t Give Up on Me
* Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
* John Trudell–Bone Days
* Bruce Springsteen–The Rising
* Patty Griffin–1,000 Kisses
* The Black Keys–The Big Come Up
* Tom Waits–Blood Money
* Linda Thompson–Fashionably Late
* Compilations: Sam Cooke–Keep Movin’ On: The greatest singer ever in the last year of his life; we’ll never know what brilliant music was still in him. Includes two unreleased tracks and the still-astonishing “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
* Various Artists–Love That Louie: The Louie Louie Files:
The U.K.’s Ace Records (the finest reissue label?) outdoes itself yet again.
The 00’s are ok and all, but how about a 50’s or 40’s one next?
Oh Oh also I really love The Blood Brothers’ March On Electric Children from this year.
Also the Ugly Casanova record isn’t the greatest thing Isaac Brock has ever done but it ain’t too shabby either
Renegades – Rage Against The Machine
Thanks for mentioning Morning Macumba and Love Will Find You Mr. Sendra, probably my favorite albums of 2002. I like your taste, for sure I´ll check the rest of the albums from your list.
Not mentioned:
Aluminum Group´s Happyness, that album has one of my songs, “Pop”, I actually made a mix-cd with the Pedals album in its entirety and that song at the end, Kick ass.
Talking about lose songs, not singles, Belle & Sebastian´s storytelling is in my opinion on of their best tracks, the album was kind of a disappointment though, well at least it was better than the crappy film.
Enrique Bunbury´s Flamingos deserves a spot in my list as well, great album.
Simian´s We Are Your Friends, lots of fun for those who like caressing the dance floor.
Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It In People (awesome)
Camera Obscura – Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi (eighties fan)
Jane Birkin – Arabesque
Jon Brion – Punch-Drunk Love
Philip Glass – Naqoyqatsi
Volován – Volován (mexican chamber pop?)
Also, Thanks for making lists of years I actually lived, the amount of music I´m missing is overwhelming.
Holy crap.
No love for Sigur Ros’ “( )”?
Coldplay’s “A Rush of Blood to the Head”?
Low’s “Trust”?
Bright Eyes’ “Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground”?
I’m surprised.
Only one mention of Iron and Wine’s “The Creek Drank the Cradle”?
Glad at least one AMG writer mentioned Mastodon’s “Leviathan,” too. What a great record. One that’s definitely on my top 10 list for ‘02. Also glad to see Isis’ “Oceanic” on two lists.
Some others worth mentioning:
McLusky – McLusky Do Dallas
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – The Rising
Foo Fighters – One by One
Dälek – From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots
Mum – Finally We Are No One
DJ/Rupture – Minesweeper Suite
Felix Da Housecat – Kittenz And Thee Glitz
Underworld – A Hundred Days Off
Top ten albums of 2002:
Supergrass- Life On Other Planets
The Libertines- Up The Bracket
Suede- A New Morning
Queens of the Stone Age- Songs For The Deaf
Michael Marra- Posted Sober
Coldplay- A Rush of Blood to the Head
Oasis- Heathen Chemistry
Doves- The Last Broadcast
Idlewild- The Remote Part
The Black Keys- The Big Come Up
Songs:
Supergrass- “Za”
Supergrass- “Can’t Get Up”
Supergrass- “Run”
Supergrass- “Grace”
Queens of the Stone Age- “Another Love Song”
Queens of the Stone Age- “No One Knows”
The Libertines- “Death on the Stairs”
The Libertines- “Time For Heroes”
The Fall- “Susan vs. Youthclub”
The Bees- “A Minha Menina”
Oasis- “The Hindu Times”
Coldplay- “A Rush of Blood to the Head”
Coldplay- “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face”
Idlewild- “In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction”
Suede- “When The Rain Falls”
Coldplay- A Rush of Blood to the Head
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – The Rising
Foo Fighters – One by One
Robert Plant – Dreamland
Tom Waits–Blood Money
Chuck Prophet – No Other Love
The Greenhornes -Dual Mono
Mountain Goats – Tallahassee
Ray Davies – Other People’s Lives
Spoon – A Series of Sneaks
Tragically Hip – In Violet Light
Counting Crows’ “Hard Candy” was pretty good.
Also, is this series only going to be chronological through the 21st Century now?
My favourites include
Beck – Sea Change
Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head
Suede – A New Morning
Bright Eyes – Lifted
Interpol – Turn on the Bright Lights
Weezer – Maladroit
Eminem – The Eminem Show
Pulp – We Love Life
I take it there aren’t too many Granpaboy fans here. Anyway, I’d like to add the Westerberg/Grampaboy twofer Stereo/Mono to the list as well as Lambchop’s Is a Woman.
And who’d have thought I would have mispelled “Grandpaboy” twice in the same post?
The Best of…
Albums:
Beck – Sea Change
The Black Keys – The Big Come Up
Boards of Canada – Geogaddi
Cornelius – Point
The Derek Trucks Band – Joyful Noise
The Dillinger Escape Plan with Mike Patton – Irony is a Dead Scene
DJ Shadow – The Private Press
eels – Souljacker [US]
The Handsome Family – Live at Schuba’s Tavern
George Harrison – Brainwashed
Richard Hawley – Late Night Final
Jorma Kaukonen – Blue Country Heart
Nickel Creek – This Side
Noonday Underground – Surface Noise
Oasis – Heathen Chemistry
ON – Make Believe
Pearl Jam – Riot Act
Supergrass – Life on Other Planets
Tonic – Head on Straight
Weezer – Maladroit
Compilation:
Chicago – Only the Beginning
Singles/Choice Cuts:
The Black Keys – “The Breaks”
The Derek Trucks Band with Solomon Burke – “Home in Your Heart”
eels – “Fresh Feeling”; “Friendly Ghost”; “World of S#!t”
George Harrison – “The Rising Sun”
Avril Lavigne – “Sk8er Boi”
Nickel Creek – “Spit on a Stranger”
Noonday Underground – “Boy Like a Timebomb”
Oasis – “The Hindu Times”; “Better Man”
The Rolling Stones – “Don’t Stop”; “Keys to Your Love”
Weezer – “Burndt Jamb”
Warren Zevon – “Genius”
Videos:
Kylie Minogue – “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”; “Love at First Sight”; “Come Into My World”
There.
Oh, yeah! Forgot “Lose Yourself,” silly me.
Whoever said “After Everything Now This” by the Church – bump the rock, man. That album is awesome. A musical highlight for me. It’s absense is a crime. The same goes for the following:
-Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon – “Clone” (sounds like little else out there)
-Pet Shop Boys – “Release”
-Wire – both “Read & Burn” EPs
-Dave Douglas – “The Infinite” I love the approach of this album
-No one mentioned Peter Gabriel! He had two releases in 2002, and one was nearly flawless!
-Midnight Oil – “Capricornia,” so much better than what I see above
-Oh, and Wayne Shorter seemed to wake up from a long nap that year
AND allmusic gave this album 5 stars when it came out in 2002: “In Our Times” by School Days!
Most of my faves (Wilco, Solomon Burke, Sleater-Kinney, Blackalicious) got some love from the AMG gurus, but my top 10 for ‘02 also included “Barricades & Brickwalls” by Kasey Chambers, “The Worst You Can Is Harm” by the Long Winters, and “Volume Two” by the Sid Hillman Quartet — all three stand up seven years later. And, yes, I’ll admit that Coldplay’s “A Rush of Blood to the Head” made my list. It’s the one album by that band I love. Can’t sit through the other Coldplay albums, but, for me at least, they nailed it that time.
Chirkle, Other People’s Lives by Ray Davies wasn’t released until 2006…
Deserving Mention
– A couple of fine releases by Steve Earle “Jerusalem” and the “Sidetracks” compilation
– Porcupine Tree “In Absentia”
– OK Go’s self titled debut
– Luna “Romantica”
– Babasonicos “Jessico”
– Jellyfish “Fan Club 4 CD Box”
Where’s the love for DJ Shadow?! And kudos to Jason Lymangrover for mentioning Max Tundra’s “Mastered by Guy at the Exchange” – an avant-garde pop masterpiece!
No mention of the second most played song in Def Jam history: Cam’ron “Oh Boy”? One of the few songs that reminds me of 2002.
While I like many of the albums mentioned, 2002 is simply too recent to analyze from a historical perspective. You really need to concentrate on the older stuff before your staff is too old (or too young) to remember it. How about 1967 or 1969 next?
I agree with “Tim”–2002 is so recent that it’s hard to evaluate it with any perspective. Of course, 2002 may also not resonate that much for me because I’m not as focused on newer music as I once was (having kids will do that to you!). Has Allmusic done the year 1987 yet? That was quite a banner year for music and I’ve been compiling a list.
Note to Mark and others: You can access the other years AMG has covered by going to the end of the staff’s picks for this particular year–they’ve already done 1987.
No Xiu Xiu?
What about “The Last Broadcast” by Doves? Incredible production where they established themselves. Don’t for get their epic song “There Goes The Fear.”
Thanks for the tip, J.J.!
I’m surprised nobody mentioned Fischerspooner’s #1.
A lot’s happened since 2002. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to at least somewhat dissect it’s historical significance in music history. A bit premature, sure, but where’s the harm in giving it a shot?
2002 albums in my collection (e.g. My favorites for the year)
New Releases
Agalloch – The Mantle
And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – Source Tags & Codes
Atmosphere – God Loves Ugly
Blackalicious – Blazing Arrow
Boards of Canada – Geogaddi
Bobby Previte – The 23 Constellations of Joan Miro
Boris – Heavy Rocks
Botch – We Are the Romans
Bright Eyes – Lifted, or the Story is in the Soil…
Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It In People
Cinematic Orchestra – Every Day
City of Caterpillar – City of Caterpillar
David Cross – Shut Up You Fucking Baby
Dillinger Escape Plan – Irony is a Dead Scene
Distillers – Sing Sing Death House
DJ Shadow – The Private Press
Edan – Primitive Plus
El-P – Fantastic Damage
Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Giddy Motors – Make It Pop
Interpol – Turn On the Bright Lights
Iron & Wine – The Creek Drank the Cradle
Isis – Oceanic
Jello Biafra – Machine Gun in the Clown’s Hands
Jenny Scheinman – The Rabbi’s Lover
John Zorn – IAO
John Zorn – Film Works XIII: Invitation to a Suicide
Mastodon – Remission
Matthew Shipp – Nu Bop
Maudlin of the Well – Leaving Your Body Map
Michael Mayer – Immer
Murcof – Martes
Opeth – Deliverance
Roots – Phrenology
School Days – In Our Times
Six Organs of Admittance – Dark Noontide
Sonic Youth – Murray Street
Sunburned Hand of the Man – Headdress
System of a Down – Steal This Album
Tabla Beat Science – Live in San Francisco
Tragedy – Vengeance
Venetian Snares – Higgins Ultra Low Track Glue Funk Hits
Victory at Sea – The Good Night
Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Compilations/Reissues
Albert Ayler – Lorrach 1966
Dizzy Gillespie – The Best of Odyssey, 1945-1952
Joe Gibbs & the Professionals – No Bones for the Dogs
Linval Thompson – Phoenix Dub
Lloyd “Bullwackie” Barnes – Wackies, Vol. 1
NOFX – 22 or 23 Songs That Weren’t Good Enough (Vinyl)
T. Rex – 20th Century Boy
Various Artists – Flashing Echo: Trojan in Dub 70-80
enjoyed seeing qotsa “songs for the deaf” on nearly every list. enjoy it even more after re-reading the horrid review STE wrote on it upon it’s release.
New releases for 2002:
Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot; Reigning Sound – Time Bomb High School; Mekons – Oooh (out of our heads); Spoon – Kill the Moonlight; Broken Social Scene – You Forgot it in People; Buff Meadways – This is This
Re-releases for 2002:
Roky Erickson – Evil One plus one; Billy Childish – 25 years of being childish; Simply Saucer – Cyborgs Revisited
The Rising by Bruce Springsteen not mentioned at all in the list or blog? You guys are better than that!
Favourite albums of 2002 in no particular order;
Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Queens of the Stone Age-Songs For the Deaf
Interpol-Turn On The Bright Lights
Breeders-Title TK
Veda Hille-Auditorium
Little Wings-Light Green Leaves
Mary Timony-The Golden Dove
Roots-Phrenology
Libertines-Up The Bracket
Nasty On-CitySick
Favorites Albums of 2002 (By Artist)
Alanis Morissette – Under Rug Swept
… And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – Source Tags & Codes
Ani DiFranco – Reprieve
Beck – Sea Change
Beth Orton – Daybreaker
Brendan Benson – Lapalco
Bright Eyes – Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground
Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It In People
Cássia Eller – Acústico MTV
Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Counting Crows – Hard Candy
David Matthews Band – Busted Stuff
David Bowie – Heathen
Dixie Chicks – Home
Elvis Costello – When I Was Cruel
India.Arie – Voyage To India
Iron & Wine – The Creek Drank The Cradle
Ivy – Guestroom
Joanna Newsom – Walnut Whales
Joni Mitchell – Travelogue
Laura Cantrell – When The Roses Bloom Again
Lauryn Hill – MTV Unplugged Nº 2.0
The Libertines – Up The Bracket
Mary J. Blige – No More Drama
Missy Elliott – Under Construction
Neko Case – Blacklisted
Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
Of Montreal – Aldhils Arboretum
Queens Of The Stone Age – Songs For The Deaf
Regina Spektor – Songs
The Roots – Phrenology
Sheryl Crow – C’mon, C’mon
Sigur Rós – ( )
Sinéad O’Connor – Sean-Nós Nua
Sonic Youth – In The Fishtank 9
Sonic Youth – Murray Street
Spoon – Kill The Moonlight
The Streets – Original Pirate Material
Tegan & Sara – If It Was You
Tom Waits – Alice
Tom Waits – Blood Money
Tori Amos – Scarlet’s Walk
Tribalistas – Os Tribalistas
Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Oops! I Forgot the Interpol album: Turn On The Bright Lights, one of the greatest of this decade!
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