10. Leann Rimes - Life Goes On

I think I posted this already on a previous list. This could have been just another decent-mid song if song by another pop country artist, but I think the extra production subtleties combined with Rimes vocal delivery is what takes it to another level.

9. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop

I think this song has some of my favorite use of backup vocals, the harmonizing voice in the background is like a peer into the soul of the narrator, and then added to the slower bridge part. The lyrics should be nonsensical, but seem meaningful somehow. My 2nd favorite song from them after Otherside.

8. Phantom Planet - California

While I grew up an OTH over OC guy, there's no denying the greatness of the latter's theme song. The best piano riff on the list isn't Carlton's A Thousand Miles, but this song's. That combined with the opening lines "we've been on the run, driving in the sun, looking out for number one" and "hustler's grab your guns, shadow weighs a ton, driving down the 101" makes you feel like on a ride with them. The only reason I didn't have it higher is the chorus is a bit worse than the verses.

I dunno if I member Life Goes On, but definitely member Cant Fight The Moonlight cause of Coyote Ugly.

7. The Dixie Chicks - Long Time Gone (someone tell them it's ok to change their name back)

I always liked the storytelling of this song describing how she had to leave people because she had a different destiny, I read in the original song it's a guy singing about an ex girlfriend but it works great with her singing about a friend as well. Every member of the band contributes in a big way with the banjo and fiddle parts.

6. Regina Spektor - Samson

One of my favorite ballads of the 2000s, growing up I didn't know about the biblical source so the parts about cutting hair and the history books not mentioning us just seemed really romantic to me, and she sings it so well.

That's a wrap for the females on the list.

The Redacted Chicks were pretty huge around then. They got nominated for this album, but didn't win until 07, the big comeback after they had been cancelled for not supporting the Iraq war.

It is funny how their history intersected with cancel culture twice.



5. Our Lady Peace - Innocent

These guys started out as the Canadian Stone Temple Pilots knockoff but then went 2000s pop rock which was my favorite version, with some great songs like Thief, Life and Innocent, the latter my favorite. I think the drumming is key, I like the stories of strugglin kids and the vocals of the pre-chorus, chorus and post-chorus parts are beautifully sung.

4. Bruce Springsteen - Worlds Apart

My favorite song from his 2002 album The Rising and unique for his discography with an African chant type of feel and female backup vocals, but at the same time you can relate to it in a normal relationship way you want. I like how after it builds in momentum it pulls back a bit midway through to deliver the lyrics, before building up again.

I know youre out there, somewhere out there.

3. Eminem - Lose Yourself

What can you say about 2002's most iconic song? A part of me wanted to rank it lower due to overexposure, but I think it wouldn't be fair. The production is great with the guitar and piano parts and I really like the build over every verse as he becomes more successful but comes closer to losing himself, as I mentioned earlier the 3rd verse culminating in taking the leap feet fail me not is my favorite.

2. Coldplay - The Scientist

What a great mix of piano part (simple yet somehow so memorable?), Martin's singing, backup harmonies and guitar and drums kicking in at the perfect time making one of the best best ballads of all time, and having one of the most memorable music videos doesn't hurt either.

I had Eminem and Coldplay in my top 3 similar to Flava'd, but what's #1 over the epic combo of The Scientist and Lose Yourself... it's not Outkast, which must be the omission he was referencing.

I'm glad you posted video for Scientist cause that is the one part definitely better than Clocks.

#1 prediction- Bump Bump Bump by B2K

My random song I forgot about is not Outkast (The Whole World would make 2001 chart if my memory serves.) Hint: its from a movie and it really slaps.

Yeah I messed that up after reading on wiki Stankonia was nominated for "2002" best album grammy (was really 2001 albums, but still not sure why it was eligible)

Grammys are weird. Just do a Jan 1 - Dec 31 eligibility like the oscars.

1. Talib Kweli - Get By

A strong contender for my favorite rap song along with Changes by 2pac, the MVP is arguably producer Kanye who puts together an insane instrumental track, while Kweli has perfect flow and sells the emotion of the song well. The chorus is perfect with a great pump up message. Kweli would go on to kind of rip himself off with I Try feat. Mary J Blige a few years later which I also really like (actually the verses lyrics are probably better), but the production and the chorus can't compete with this song.

Full list:

Great choice! Totally forgot about it even though I just did a Chappelle Show rewatch last year.

My Forgotten song:



Probably seems silly now but 2002 Flava'd would have ranked this in the top ten with no irony whatsoever. Will Smith's movie songs were so much fun.

Updated finalish countdown:

1. Lose Yourself - Eminem
2. Clocks - Coldplay
3. Downfall - TrustCompany
4. No One Knows - Queens of the Stone Age
5. Can’t Stop - Red Hot Chili Peppers
6. Im With You - Avril Lavigne
7. The Taste Of Ink - The Used
8. Cute Without The E - Taking Back Sunday
9. My Friends Over You - New Found Glory
10. A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carlton
11. Fight Test - The Flaming Lips
12.. The Hell Song - Sum 41
13. There Is - Boxcar Racer
14. Show Me How To Live - Audioslave
15. Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake
16. All My Life - Foo Fighters
17. Here To Stay - Korn
18. Up All Night - Unwritten Law
19. March of the fire ants - Mastodon
20. Get Free - The Vines
21. Hot In Herre - Nelly
22. What it is to burn - Finch
23. Dirrty - Christina Aguilera and Redman
24. The Anthem - Good Charlotte
25. She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5
26. Nothin - NORE
27, Not Falling - Mudvayne
28. Oh Boy - Camron
29. Drunken lullabies - Flogging Molly
30. Pass The Courvoisier - Busta Rhymes
31. Its Going Down - X-Ecutioners
32. Made You Look - Nas
33. Grindin - Clipse
34. Black Suits Comin - Will Smith***
35. You know youre right - Nirvana
36. Busted - The Black Keys
37. Headstrong - Trapt
38. The Seed 2.0 - The Roots
39. The Way We Get By - Spoon
40. Our Lady Of Sorrow - My Chemical Romance
41. Send The Pain Below - Chevelle
42. Poem - Taproot
43. The Best of Me - The Starting Line
44. Hero - Chad Kroeger
45. Jenny From The Block - Jennifer Lopez
46. Keep Fishin - Weezer
47. Whats Luv - Fat Joe and Ashanti
48. Stick Em Up - Quarashi
49. Po Folk - Nappy Roots
50. Wanksta - 50 Cent

51. Get By - Taleb Kweli
52. Here Without You - 3 Doors Down
53. Hurt - Johnny Cash
54. I stand alone - Godsmack

Slotted Big Will in the 30s and bumped Godsmack out into the 50s. Sorry to Sully and the Scorpion King.

I think the most interesting difference between our countdowns (other than the usual amount of bands vs solo artists) is that yours feels like a continuation or even end of the 90s era. Mine is more of a start of a new era with plenty of new faces and sounds. Meanwhile, looking forward/backward to 2001, that feels like the end of an era for me and has a crazy amount of all time favorites on it. Will surely tackle it eventually, but the tough part is that, unlike 2002, the song I'd pick for #1 now definitely would not have been #1 back then.

Wow, your favourite song of 2002 is just some generic rap song.