Metacritic: Best Albums of 2002

All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000

What is a Metascore?

sort by name

sort by score

62 50 Cent
70 AFI
65 Air
70 Alice In Chains
53 Kris Allen
78 Amerie
79 Annie
76 Anti-Pop Consortium
86 The Antlers
75 Arctic Monkeys
68 As Tall As Lions
82 Atlas Sound
77 The Avett Brothers
67 Backstreet Boys
59 Bad Lieutenant
68 Devendra Banhart
71 Lou Barlow
88 Baroness
69 Basement Jaxx
81 David Bazan
72 Beak>
72 Brendan Benson
84 Biffy Clyro
72 The Big Pink
95 Big Star
46 Billy Talent
75 The Black Crowes
72 The Black Heart Procession
68 Blitzen Trapper
75 BLK JKS
53 Bon Jovi
76 A.A. Bondy
65 Boys Like Girls
76 Brand New
73 Tyondai Braxton
83 Brother Ali
72 Ian Brown
75 Michael Buble
77 Built To Spill
61 Colbie Caillat
78 Califone
69 Mariah Carey
81 Brandi Carlile
72 Julian Casablancas
83 Rosanne Cash
71 Castanets
65 The Cave Singers
82 Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
64 Exene Cervenka
79 Vic Chesnutt
75 Choir Of Young Believers
81 Circulatory System
67 The Clean
84 The Clientele
72 Cold Cave
85 Converge
71 Eric Copeland
76 The Cribs
79 Cymbals Eat Guitars
62 Dashboard Confessional
71 Datarock
59 Dead By Sunrise
76 Dead Man's Bones
77 Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame One
88 Destroyer
73 Do Make Say Think
63 The Dodos
77 Drive-By Truckers
67 Bob Dylan
58 Echo & The Bunnymen
61 Electric Six
44 The Entrance Band
69 Fanfarlo
71 Jay Farrar And Benjamin Gibbard
63 Felix Da Housecat
68 Fink
66 Orenda Fink
79 The Flaming Lips
66 Flight Of The Conchords
79 Florence And The Machine
67 John Fogerty
83 Fuck Buttons
71 Nelly Furtado
47 Gary Go
68 Ghostface Killah
79 Girls
69 Gossip
62 David Gray
66 David Guetta
65 Calvin Harris
79 Richard Hawley
74 Mayer Hawthorne
66 Headlights
79 HEALTH
77 Joe Henry
67 Hockey
67 Whitney Houston
80 Hudson Mohawke
68 Imogen Heap
59 Jack Ingram
79 Islands
74 Jamie T
65 Jay-Z
51 Jet
68 Daniel Johnston
76 Norah Jones
77 Karen O And The Kids
72 Toby Keith
69 Kid Cudi
75 Kid Sister
66 Kings Of Convenience
62 Sean Kingston
64 KISS
63 Mark Knopfler
73 Kris Kristofferson
68 KRS-One & Buckshot
76 La Roux
85 Miranda Lambert
72 Ledisi
71 Sondre Lerche
56 Juliette Lewis
62 Leona Lewis
82 Lightning Bolt
74 Little Dragon
44 Pixie Lott
83 Patty Loveless
73 Lyle Lovett
79 Lucero
75 Baaba Maal
77 Madness
84 Madonna
85 Manic Street Preachers
61 Maps
73 Mario
55 Massive Attack
57 Matisyahu
62 John Mayer
67 Reba McEntire
66 Tim McGraw
65 Brian McKnight
79 Mew
75 Mika
68 Amy Millan
76 Mission Of Burma
75 Molina And Johnson
80 Monsters Of Folk
66 Morrissey
85 Mount Eerie
76 The Mountain Goats
62 Múm
72 Muse
66 Willie Nelson
82 Nirvana
96 Nirvana
80 No Age
71 Noah And The Whale
75 Noisettes
79 Nudge
64 OneRepublic
47 Dolores O'Riordan
74 Os Mutantes
78 Osso
67 Alec Ounsworth
81 Owen
73 Paramore
78 Pastels And Tenniscoats
54 Sean Paul
80 Pearl Jam
69 Jemina Pearl
72 Jack Penate
65 Phish
82 Pissed Jeans
61 Pitbull
79 A Place To Bury Strangers
79 Polvo
72 Porcupine Tree
72 Port O'Brien
79 Q-Tip
79 R.E.M.
88 Raekwon
69 Rain Machine
70 Ramona Falls
75 Dizzee Rascal
74 The Raveonettes
79 Real Estate
76 Jay Reatard
81 Rodrigo Y Gabriela
66 Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
78 Russian Circles
69 Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
78 Say Anything
61 Sally Shapiro
78 Shudder To Think
70 Simian Mobile Disco
58 Simple Minds
72 Six Organs Of Admittance
80 Slayer
61 The Slits
77 Speech Debelle
58 Spiral Stairs
55 Steel Panther
75 Sufjan Stevens
52 Rod Stewart
68 Joss Stone
83 Barbra Streisand
77 A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74 Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
79 The Swell Season
80 David Sylvian
83 Taken By Trees
80 Tegan And Sara
68 The Temper Trap
78 The Dutchess & The Duke
71 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
74 Them Crooked Vultures
72 Themselves
82 They Might Be Giants
66 J Tillman
69 Times New Viking
57 Tokio Hotel
67 Trey Songz
73 Frank Turner
71 The Twilight Sad
60 Carrie Underwood
56 The Used
68 Various Artists
69 Various Artists
77 The Very Best
70 Kurt Vile
65 Vivian Girls
71 Volcano Choir
73 Rufus Wainwright
78 Wale
57 Weezer
81 White Denim
76 Why?
83 Wild Beasts
80 Wildbirds & Peacedrums
69 Robbie Williams
59 Andrew W.K.
65 Wolfmother
84 The xx
79 Yo La Tengo
83 Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
52 Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59 Zero 7

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

The following table displays the highest-scoring albums for the year in Metacritic's database with a minimum of 7 reviews. Also listed at the bottom of the page are year-end top ten lists provided by various critics and publications.

You may also view an index of all albums in our database alphabetically by artist.
In addition, you may view the top-rated albums by year: All | 2008 | '07 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00

The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year
1	Original Pirate Material by The Streets	2002	90
2	Alice by Tom Waits	2002	90
3	Songs For The Deaf by Queens Of The Stone Age	2002	89
4	Kill The Moonlight by Spoon	2002	88
5	Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco	2002	87
6	Phrenology by The Roots	2002	87
7	The Creek Drank The Cradle by Iron & Wine	2002	87
8	Rings Around The World by Super Furry Animals	2002	86
9	OST by 24 Hour Party People	2002	86
10	Didn't It Rain by Songs: Ohia	2002	85
11	Don't Give Up On Me by Solomon Burke	2002	85
12	Source Tags & Codes by ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead	2002	85
13	One Beat by Sleater-Kinney	2002	85
14	The Last Broadcast by Doves	2002	85
15	Geogaddi by Boards Of Canada	2002	84
16	No! by They Might Be Giants	2002	84
17	S.T.R.E.E.T. D.A.D. by Out Hud	2002	84
18	Veni Vidi Vicious by The Hives	2002	84
19	Blood Money by Tom Waits	2002	84
20	Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips	2002	84
21	The Beginning Stages Of... by The Polyphonic Spree	2002	84
22	We Love Life by Pulp	2002	84
23	Cobblestone Runway by Ron Sexsmith	2002	84
24	In Search Of... [Second Version] by N.E.R.D. [The Neptunes]	2002	83
25	God's Son by Nas	2002	83
26	Skyscraper National Park by Hayden	2002	83
27	() by Sigur Rós	2002	82
28	Blacklisted by Neko Case	2002	82
29	Cookie: The Anthropological Mix Tape by Me'Shell NdegéOcello	2002	82
30	Come Away With Me by Norah Jones	2002	82

Music Critics' Year-End Top Ten Lists

Village Voice 2002 Pazz & Jop Poll (a survey of 695 critics) Read The Full Results
1	Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2	Beck: Sea Change
3	The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
4	The Streets: Original Pirate Material
5	Sleater-Kinney: One Beat
6	Bruce Springsteen: The Rising
7	The Roots: Phrenology
8	Eminem: The Eminem Show
9	Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head
10	Missy Elliott: Under Construction

Blender

1. Eminem: The Eminem Show

2. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head

3. Pink: M!ssundaztood

4. VA: The Best Bootlegs In The World Ever

5. Beck: Sea Change

6. Dixie Chicks: Home

7. The Roots: Phrenology

8. Missy Elliott: Under Construction

9. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head

10. Tori Amos: Scarlet's Walk

Urb
(Note: Ranking of albums was not specified; listed in alphabetical order)

Atmosphere: God Loves Ugly

EL-P: Fantastic Damage

Felix Da Housecat: Kittenz And Thee Glitz

High Contrast: True Colors

J-Live: All Of The Above

Timo Maas: Loud

N.E.R.D.: In Searh Of

Recloose: Cardiology

DJ Shadow: The Private Press

Underworld: A Hundred Days Off

The Onion A.V. Club
(Andy Battaglia)

1. The Streets: Original Pirate Material

2. Recloose: Cardiology

3. Kylie Minogue: Fever

4. Michael Mayer: Immer

5. 2 Many DJ's: As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2

6. Metro Area: Metro Area

7. Fennesz, O'Rourke, Rehberg: The Return Of Fenn O'Berg

8. MRI: All That Glitters

9. Clipse: Lord Willin'

10. Spoon: Kill The Moonlight

The Onion A.V. Club
(Josh Modell)

1. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

2. Low: Trust

3. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head

4. The Promise Ring: Wood/Water

5. Ugly Casanova: Sharpen Your Teeth

6. Beck: Sea Change

7. McLusky: McLusky Do Dallas

8. Pedro The Lion: Control

9. Radar Brothers: ...And The Surrounding Mountains

10. Hot Hot Heat: Make Up The Breakdown

The Onion A.V. Club
(Noel Murray)

1. Spoon: Kill The Moonlight

2. Josh Rouse: Under Cold Blue Stars

3. Life Without Buildings: Any Other City

4. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

5. The Reigning Sound: Time Bomb High School

6. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head

7. Rhett Miller: The Instigator

8. Lambchop: Is A Woman

9. Hot Hot Heat: Make Up The Breakdown

10. Cornelius: Point

The Onion A.V. Club
(Keith Phipps)

1. Beck: Sea Change

2. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

3. Blackalicious: Blazing Arrow

4. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

5. Josh Rouse: Under Cold Blue Stars

6. The Streets: Original Pirate Material

7. Tom Waits: Alice

8. The Roots: Phrenology

9. Solomon Burke: Don't Give Up On Me

10. Bruce Springsteen: The Rising

The Onion A.V. Club
(Nathan Rabin)

1. Blackalicious: Blazing Arrow

2. Count Bass D: Dwight Spitz

3. The Roots: Phrenology

4. People Under The Stairs: O.S.T.

5. J-Live: All Of The Above

6. N.E.R.D.: In Searh Of

7. Common: Electric Circus

8. Cody Chesnutt: The Headphone Masterpiece

9. Devin The Dude: Just Tryin' Ta Live

10. Talib Kweli: Quality

The Onion A.V. Club
(Stephen Thompson)

1. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

2. Me'Shell NdegéOcello: Cookie: The Anthropological Mix Tape

3. Josh Rouse: Under Cold Blue Stars

4. Andrew W.K.: I Get Wet

5. Rhett Miller: The Instigator

6. Iron & Wine: The Creek Drank The Cradle

7. Blackalicious: Blazing Arrow

8. Sigur Rós:( )

9. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head

10. Ron Sexsmith: Cobblestone Runway

Playlouder

1. The Streets: Original Pirate Material

2. Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster: Horse Of The Dog

3. Doves: The Last Broadcast

4. Queens Of The Stone Age: Songs For The Deaf

5. Sonic Youth: Murray Street

6. Eminem: The Eminem Show

7. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

8. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head

9. McLusky: McLusky Do Dallas

10. Idlewild: The Remote Part

Stylus

1. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

2. The Streets: Original Pirate Material

3. N.E.R.D.: In Searh Of

4. 2 Many DJs: As Heard on Radio Soulwax Part II

5. Interpol: Turn On The Bright Lights

6. City of Caterpillar: City of Caterpillar

7. Xinlisupreme: Tomorrow Never Comes

8. Various Artists: Improvised Music From Japan Box Set

9. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

10. Super Furry Animals: Rings Around the World

Pop Matters
(Sarah Zupko, PopMatters Editor & Publisher)

1. The Streets: Original Pirate Material

2. Steve Earle: Jerusalem

3. The Libertines: Up The Bracket

4. The Coral: The Coral

5. Ms. Dynamite: A Little Deeper

6. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head

7. Doves: The Last Broadcast

8. Common: Electric Circus

9. The Vines: Highly Evolved

10. Idlewild: The Remote Part

Mixer

1. Timo Maas: Loud

2. Underworld: A Hundred Days Off

3. High Contrast: True Colors

4. Royksopp: Melody A.M.

5. Miss Kittin & The Hacker: The First Album

6. Jurassic 5: Power In Numbers

7. Metro Area: Metro Area

8. DJ Shadow: The Private Press

9. Felix da Housecat: Kittenz and Thee Glitz

10. ILS: Soul Trader

E! Online

1. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head

2. Norah Jones: Come Away with Me

3. Beck: Sea Change

4. Missy Elliott: Under Construction

5. Solomon Burke: Don't Give Up on Me

6. Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel

7. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

8. David Gray: A New Day At Midnight

9. Bruce Springsteen: The Rising

10. Beth Orton: Daybreaker

E! Online
(David Adelson)

1. Eminem: The Eminem Show

2. Ralph Stanley: Ralph Stanley

3. Norah Jones: Come Away with Me

4. Audioslave: Audioslave

5. Solomon Burke: Don't Give Up on Me

6. Jurassic 5: Power In Numbers

7. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head

8. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

9. Foo Fighters: One by One

10. Nirvana: Nirvana

The Wire

1. Sonic Youth: Murray Street

2. Derek Bailey: Ballads

3. Boards of Canada: Geogaddi

4. Asa-Chang & Junray: Jun Ray Song Chang

5. Various Artists: Improvised Music From Japan

6. Jim O'Rourke: Insignificance

7. Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Yanqui UXO

8. Cecil Taylor Feel Trio: 2 Ts For A Lovely T

9. DJ/Rupture: Minesweeper Suite

10. Philip Jeck: Stoke

Uncut

1. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

2. Bruce Springsteen: The Rising

3. EL-P: Fantastic Damage

4. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

5. The Streets: Original Pirate Material

6. Lambchop: Is A Woman

7. My Computer: Vulnerabilia

8. Beck: Sea Change

9. Suicide: American Supreme

10. David Bowie: Heathen

Entertainment Weekly
(David Browne)

1. The Streets: Original Pirate Material

2. Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel

3. Starsailor: Love Is Here

4. N.E.R.D.: In Searh Of

5. Bruce Springsteen: The Rising

6. Audioslave: Audioslave

7. Sonic Youth: Murray Street

8. Moby: 18

9. Clipse: Lord Willin'

10. Norah Jones: Come Away With Me

Entertainment Weekly
(Tom Sinclair)

1. Stew: the Naked Dutch Painter... And Other Songs

2. The Soundtrack of Our Lives: Behind The Music

3. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head

4. The Mooney Suzuki: Electric Sweat

5. N.E.R.D.: In Searh Of

6. Solomon Burke: Don't Give Up on Me

7. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

8. Bruce Springsteen: The Rising

9. The Greenhornes: Dual Mono

10. Robert Randolph and the Family Band: Live at the Wetlands

Spin

1. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells

2. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

3. Beck: Sea Change

4. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

5. Eminem: The Eminem Show

6. Weezer: Maladroit

7. Missy Elliott: Under Construction

8. Queens Of The Stone Age: Songs For The Deaf

9. N.E.R.D.: In Searh Of

10. The Hives: Veni Vidi Vicious

Mojo

1. Solomon Burke: Don't Give Up on Me

2. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

3. Queens Of The Stone Age: Songs For The Deaf

4. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

5. Beth Gibbons and Rustin' Man: Out of Season

6. Supergrass: Life On Other Planets

7. Beck: Sea Change

8. Brendan Benson: Lapalco

9. N.E.R.D.: In Searh Of

10. The Coral: The Coral

Inkblot

1. Blackalicious: Blazing Arrow

2. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

3. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

4. Gomez: In Our Gun

5. The Streets: Original Pirate Material

6. Common: Electric Circus

7. Paul Westerberg: Stereo/Mono

8. And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead: Source Tags And Codes

9. FC/Kahuna: Machine Says Yes

10. Extra Glenns: Martial Arts Weekend

Metacritic.com | Music Editor

1. Interpol: Turn On The Bright Lights

2. Spoon: Kill The Moonlight

3. The Delgados: Hate

4. Cornelius: Point

5. Sonic Youth: Murray Street

6. Wire: Read & Burn 01 / Read & Burn 02

7. Ladytron: Light & Magic

8. Out Hud: S.T.R.E.E.T. D.A.D.

9. Sing-Sing: The Joy of Sing-Sing

10. Clinic: Walking With Thee

CultureDose.com

1. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

2. Beck: Sea Change

3. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

4. Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel

5. The Roots: Phrenology

6. Blackalicious: Blazing Arrow

7. Frank Black & The Catholics - Black Letter Days

8. And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead: Source Tags And Codes

9. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head

10. Iron & Wine: The Creek Drank The Cradle

New York Magazine

1. Raphael Saadiq: Instant Vintage

2. DJ Shadow: The Private Press

3. Jason Moran: Modernistic

4. Queens Of The Stone Age: Songs For The Deaf

5. The Streets: Original Pirate Material

6. Bright Eyes: Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground

7. Akufen: My Way

8(tie). Various:2 Many DJ’s, As Heard on Radio Soulwax series; Various Artists: Disco Nouveau; Ellen Allien: Weiss Mix

9. The Parallax Corporation: Cocodisco

10. Nas: God's Son

Return to top of page

Music

The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year

Music Critics' Year-End Top Ten Lists