I prefer "Go with the Flow" to "No One Knows", but both are excellent, and I'm not sure if the former is 2002. Anyway, decent recap of what was my era of music.

A Rush of Blood to the Head was such a good album, though I would have picked the Scientist.

Lose Yourself is definitely one of the best rap songs (and the 3rd verse especially is amazing), I also really like 8 Mile the song.

I may post a top 10 or 20. I think I had some of my picks already in a 2000s list.

Album of the year:



-No surprises here. Once again, Eminem was so It in 2002 that he didn't even need the song of the year on his album to win this award. Without Me is my overall fav from the album still, but the opening strech of White America, Business, Square Dance, Cleain Out My Closet and Soldier is just incredible, and then to close things off we have Superman, D12, Dr. Dre and an unforgettable hook by Nate Dogg on Till I Collapse.

Not gonna do a full albums list since I'm still working on the all time one. Flaming Lips would be #2, and then I'll leave the other contenders unordered.

1. The Eminem Show - Eminem
2. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips
Songs For The Deaf - Queens of the Stone Age
A Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay
By The Way - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Used - The Used
Songs About Jane - Maroon 5
Let Go - Avril Lavigne
Kill The Moonlight - Spoon
Audioslave by Audioslave

My list will be a top 20

Honorable mentions



Foo Fighters - Times Like These

They have always seemed like safe dad rock to me but this was one of their better songs.



Shania Twain - I'm Gonna Getchya Good

Close call between this and Up!, which I wish I could trade some of the 3423432 times I've heard Man I Feel Like a Woman and Don't Impress Me Much on the radio for. Big fan of the costume work in this video.



3 Doors Down - Here Without You

Another near tie with this and When I'm Gone, but this one hits a little harder.



Matchbox 20 - Unwell

I've always been a fan of Rob Thomas voice and the lyrics get more relatable with time.



Box Car Racer - I Feel So

I started listening to this song again since Flava'd put There Is on his list. I think I was into it back in the day too.



Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows

Covered by the previous list, but really cool guitar riff.



Chad Kroeger feat. Josey Scott - Hero

I have a soft spot for these early 2000s Nickelback type songs, and it’s perfect for a superhero movie.



Taking Back Sunday - Cute Without the E (Cut from the Team)

This has the perfect emo lyrics to me.



Hot Hot Heat - Bandages

I remember thinking these guys visual and sound vibe was cool back in the day.

I was going to HM Basic Thugonomics, but alas, it was 2003.

21. Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi

I almost left my 2002 crush off the list as favorite songs from her are post Let Go. But what takes Sk8er Boi over the top is the narration shift in the second half about how he's her boyfriend now and rubbing it in the original girl's face. A nice storytelling song.

20. Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles

The piano part is one for the ages (and can't forget about the violins) and the iconic music video adds to the appeal. If I could fall into the sky, do you think time would pass me by?

19. Good Charlotte - The Anthem

I think there was a brief time in 2002 or 2003 I was a genuine fan of Good Charlotte and listened to their album. As I alluded to in previous comment, I think the instrumental members are key to this song with a great guitar riff and the drumming is good too I believe. A great anti conformist anthem.

18. Mariah Carey - Through the Rain

This is the rare song on the list that I didn't actually know in early 2000s, as I became a semi Mariah fan later in life. One thing I found relatable about her is learning she's obviously messed up due to her family background (hence the alcohol and pills), Through the Rain is the type of I can make it through troubles song that taps into that.

Bandages was a close call for me too. I think their next album in 04 was their best.

I thought I had caught everything, but I missed a song, so it's now top 21, if I miss another it can at least be top 22

17. Santana feat. Michelle Branch - The Game of Love

I really like Branch's vocal performance in this and its blend with Santana, I read the original plan was Tina Turner but I think the youth gives it heart with its true to life lyrics.

This list is mostly females in the first half and males in the second half



16. Chantal Kreviazuk - Time

An admittedly random pick by an artist who probably should've been bigger considering she lined up perfectly with that female singer songwriter time period in the late 90s and early 00s I recently This or That'd. Maybe she got too distracted having kids with the Our Lady Peace guy (who will also be appearing). I like other songs on her album as well In This Life and Feels Like Home, however this one was my favorite when I was younger.

Love Michelle Branch. Everywhere and All You Wanted were killer jams (in 2001.)

I realized that I missed a big song too. I'll wait till you are done to post it though just in case it shows up on your list.

I thought you might have forgot the very old man about to die.

15. Alanis Morissette - Hands Clean

This song has aged well after the MeToo era. I think Alanis does a great job singing the older male's sinister lines, and I like the sense of time after fast forwarding to a few years later.

14. Wilco - Jesus Etc.

The standout from one of the best albums of the year, the violin is what really takes it to another level. The "you were right about the stars" part is my favorite.

I forgot two songs then lol. Though I do prefer the original Trent Reznor version, Johnny's cover is definitely worthy of being here.

Is Hands Clean the video where she was naked or was that earlier?

That was an earlier one (Thank You)

13. Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around

I love this album and some other songs like Hurt and I Hung My Head would be close, but I’ll go with the sole “original” (it’s mostly bible verses obviously) which I originally got into after it was used for Bray Wyatt vs Undertaker Wrestlemania video package. He makes all these ancient quotes sound badass by the way he sings them and the guitar helps make it catchy.

12. Counting Crows feat. Sheryl Crow - American Girls

This ended up being one of my favorite songs from them, I think Duritz vocal performance is great kind of having a self loathing about what his chance relationship with the American girl did to him, by the time of the verse saying she took everything from me and I'm trying on her clothes it feels like he's really broken. Crow doesn't make the list since I never got into the Soak up the Sun era, but she does have some nice backup vocals on this.

My favorite late game Cash song besides Hurt is "Gods Gonna Cut You Down" but mostly cause Cody Allen used it as his intro music during Cleveland's 2016 world series run (so close!!! )

I've been watching TNA this year since I'm so far behind on WWE and Eric Young's entrance goes harder than it has any right to because of a version of it

11. Goo Goo Dolls - Here Is Gone

I've been a fan of this since it came out from the great guitar intro to catchy chorus, and is one of those songs where he's not really saying anything unique but it works. The music video despite not totally matching the song on paper, just fits somehow and makes you think that's what the song is about.