BEST MUSIC OF 2002
[31 December 2002]
by PopMatters Music Staff
Best Music of 2002 Lists

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Following several less than stellar musical years, 2002 shaped up to be the best year for new music since 1997. Hip-hop was vastly reinvigorated by ambitious and grand albums like Common's Electric Circus, Blackalicious' Blazing Arrow, and Talib Kweli's Quality. UK garage fulfilled its promise and went global with The Streets' Original Pirate Material and the rocketing stardom of North London's Ms. Dynamite. Rock 'n' roll was in very good health and surged ahead with Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot scoring major critical acclaim, Coldplay's massive A Rush of Blood to the Head, and the emergence of The Hives and The Vines. Alt-country reached new heights and touched the US national consciousness with Steve Earle's Jerusalem and Ryan Adams' continued artistic prolificness. Only dance and electronic music seemed to shine less brightly with few classic records this year. A great, banner year.

OK, on to the picks for 2002 . . .

Sarah Zupko, PopMatters Editor & Publisher

Best of Music 2001

Best of Music 2000

Best of Music 1999

— 31 December 2002

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RECENT MUSIC
In bold are PopMatters Picks, the best in new music.
CD REVIEWS
Abe Duque
be your own PET
Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys
The Bottle Rockets
The Brand New Heavies
Camille
Johnny Cash
Slaid Cleaves
Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
Cut Chemist
Dabrye
Miles Davis
Daedelus
Dinosaur Jr.
Dr. Octagon
Alejandro Escovedo
Fatboy Slim
Four Tet
The Handsome Family
Matthew Herbert
India.Arie
Ise Lyfe
Jefferson Airplane
Kaada
Keane
Lord Jamar
Mission of Burma
Mr. Lif
Mojave 3
Allison Moorer
Paul Oakenfold
Oneida
Grant-Lee Phillips
Priestess
The Procussions
Corinne Bailey Rae
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Rhymefest
Julie Roberts
Diana Ross
7L & Esoteric
Alice Smith
Snow Patrol
Sonic Youth
Soul Asylum
Sound Team
Regina Spektor
Sufjan Stevens
Matthew Sweet
Vetiver
Rhonda Vincent
Wa-Zimba
Thom Yorke

EVENT REVIEWS
Baby Dayliner
The BellRays
Brookville
Cat Power
The Clientele + Great Lakes
The Coup + T-Kash
Mike Doughty Band
Download Festival 2006
Fiery Furnaces + Man Man
The Futureheads
The Handsome Family
High Sierra Music Festival
Billy Idol
Joi
Bettye Lavette
Love Parade
Nine Inch Nails + Bauhaus
Pretenders
Sonic Youth
Splendour in the Grass 2006
The Streets
Sunset Rubdown

 
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