20 Signs of Life in 2002

Quantifying and ranking music is always a dicey game, but we wanted to share with you our 20 favorite CDs of last year. Yours are different, no doubt, and if you think you can do better, start your own magazine. Wait ... I take that back. Instead, vote in our Reader’s Poll. In the meantime we’d like to give mad props both to some celebrated and some overlooked albums that rose through the din and connected with us the way only beautiful music can. Click on each of the 20 artists and albums below to read about the best of 2002:

Vote in our Reader’s Poll

Honorable Mentions:
Doves - The Last Broadcast, Linda Thompson - Fashionably Late, Michelle Shocked - Deep Natural, Chuck Prophet - No Other Love, Sigur Rós - (), Steve Earle - Jerusalem, The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Damien Jurado - I Break Chairs, John Austin - Busted at the Pearly Gates, Mark Olson & the Creekdippers - December's Child, Josh Ritter - The Golden Age of Radio, Bennett & Burch - The Palace at 4 am (Part 1), Tift Merritt - Bramble Rose, Peter Case - Beeline, Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights, Various - 1 Giant Leap, Denison Witmer - Philadelphia Songs, Archer Prewitt - Three, Buddy Miller - Midnight and Lonesome, Joan Osborne - How Sweet It Is, Rhett Miller - The Instigator, Richard Buckner - Impasse, and though we're a little biased because our sister company released them (but c'mon they're great records), Bill Mallonee - Fetal Position and Locket Full of Moonlight.