The Best of 2002

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

So, it's that time of year. Time to get all retrospective and analytical, time to compare and contrast. And since, God knows, we're incapable of doing this on our own, we need expert advice to tell us what was good, what was bad, what was cool, and what jumped the shark in the last 12 months. So, according to Entertainment Weekly's expert David Browne, the following were the best records of 2002. Read it and weep, or rejoice, or whatever. 1. The Streets (Original Pirate Material) 2. Elvis Costello (When I Was Cruel) 3. Starsailor (Love Is Here) 4. N.E.R.D. (In Search 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) To their credit, EW also lists the Top 10 lists from another reviewer or two. But, again from Mr. Browne, here are the five worst musical moments of 2002: 1. Creed (Weathered) 2. Various Artists (American Idol: Greatest Moments) 3. Various Artists (The Osbourne Family Album) 4. Guns N? Roses at the MTV Video Music Awards 5. Christina Aguilera (Stripped) Well, those all seem like easy targets. Anybody care to make some "best and worst" lists of their own? I don't, but perhaps you might. :) - Jeff

[Jeebus]

I nominate my now-defunct rack thread for Best Thread of 2002.