Top Songs of 2002

The musical landscape of 2002

Physical albums were still important, but digital distribution and online discovery began changing how listeners found and acquired individual songs.

The Top 20 is spread across 20 different credited artists, giving the year an unusually broad cast of performers.

What to listen for

Listen for the overlap among pop, hip-hop and R&B, along with the continued strength of rock and country crossover.

This list contains 20 different credited artists. The number gives a quick indication of whether the year was concentrated among repeat hitmakers or spread across a wider field.

Billboard Year-End Top 20 songs of 2002

Build a 2002 playlist

Start with “How You Remind Me” by Nickelback, then alternate familiar high-ranking records with contrasting selections from the lower half of the list.

Open the playlist builder

How this page should be used

Year-End charts summarize performance across an extended chart year. They are not simply a list of songs that reached number one, and historical methodology has changed. Treat this page as a guided listening resource and compact chart-history reference rather than a mathematical comparison with other eras.