2002:  The Year-End Chart

Before we get to the chart, here's a little about what happened this year...There were 23 hits that made it to the pole position ("In Your Eyes" by Kylie held the top for 7 weeks; "Can't Get You Out of My Head" 6 weeks; and "Letting Go" by Kristine W 5 weeks) in 2002 (2000-27; 2001-22) and there were nine tunes that made the runner-up peak position ("Loved" by Kim Wilde spent 4 weeks there; Gabrielle's "Don't Need the Sun to Shine (To Make Me Smile)" spent its second week there--one week was spent at #2 in 2001; "Something" by Lasgo; 
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Ronan Keating; "18 Wheeler" by Pink; "Tear it All Apart" by Sky Tyler; "Caught in the Middle" by A1; "Life Goes On" by Leann Rimes; and "New Direction" by S Club Juniors all hit #2)...the top DEBUT HIT is a tie between the #4-bowing "Letting Go" by Kristine W (5 weeks at #1) and "Solsbury Hill" by Erasure (3 weeks at #1)..."Die Another Day" by Madonna broke two big records by taking the biggest jump within the Top 50 and the biggest point gain within the Top 50 (#33 to #2; +58 pts)...Last year, there were seven Top 50 positions at which a song didn't peak...this year, the chart is down to four (38, 42, 49, 50--38 and 49 were missed last year as well)...277 songs charted on the Top 50 in 2001...in 2002, we had 293...

You can read more comments on the 2002 Year In Review Page as well as after the chart...

songs with no information in the peak column are still charting and haven't peaked yet

song title and artist highlighted in mint green represent artists' debuts (first Top 50/first solo Top50)

song title and artist in blue represents those debut hits that went to number one

YEAR-END CHART COMMENTARY

   It's the first time since 1999 that Gabrielle hasn't graced the #1 spot of Craig's Top 50 year-end chart.  In 2000 and 2001, she took the top with "Rise" and "Out of Reach," respectively.  This year, as predicted on the year-end pages for 2002, it was all about Kylie Minogue.  The year started with the US release of her international smash hit "Can't Get You Out of My Head," which returned to the pole position for an additional six weeks (it spent three weeks at #1 in Autumn 2001).  Mingoue then spent another seven weeks at #1 with the follow-up single "In Your Eyes."  Thirteen consecutive weeks at #1 was a record, but Kylie made it fourteen consecutive weeks with "Tightrope," a B-side track to the UK single for "In Your Eyes" and the thirteenth track on the Australian version of FEVER.  Not only did she score a fourteenth week at #1, but she logged an amazing 174 weeks in total on the chart this year and "Tightrope" earns the honor of stealing the #1 spot on the year-end chart.  This is the third year that a single-week #1 has finished at the pole position.

   Minogue doesn't stop there, however.  She holds the #1, #3, #4, #5, #8, #11, #178, and #254 positions on the year-end countdown.  Minogue has the entire top 5 of the chart with the exception of the #2 spot (see the next paragraph).  "Tightrope" spent a lengthy 38 weeks in total on the chart, giving it the edge over "In Your Eyes," despite the latter's seven-week run at the top.  "Can't Get You Out of My Head" charted for many weeks in 2001 and finished the year at #6.  Placing at #4 this year, the song is actually Minogue's biggest chart hit but split its point earnings over two chart years.  Kylie's chart success with music from FEVER is, of course, no surprise.

   The big chart surprise, in my opinion, was Pink's placement at #2 with a song from her album MISSUNDAZTOOD that didn't even get further than two weeks at #5 on the weekly Top 50.  "Just Like a Pill" surpassed Pink's former biggest chart hit "Most Girls" as it racked up more than thirty weeks in the Top 50.  The third single from Pink's sophomore album, the song actually charted prior to its official release.  It hit the Top 50 before the second album single "Don't Let Me Get Me," which ends the year at #21.  Just behind that, at #25 for the year, is my favorite song from the album--the non-single album track "18 Wheeler."  The song hit #2 and managed more than 20 weeks on the chart.  Pink's highest-charting single, 2002's first weekly #1 hit "Get the Party Started," only remained on the Top 50 for five weeks after hitting #1 and finished the year at a low #159.  The fourth radio single from the album, "Family Portrait," failed to repeat the success of its predecessors, stalling at #29 on the weekly charts and landing at #204 overall.  How anyone could resist the Pink album is beyond me as it was the perfect blend of Rock, Dance, Blues, and R&B and showed that, despite critics claiming her career would be over for making such a drastic change in musical style, there is some hope for the US music industry.

   Man, is it a woman's world or what?  A1's #2 hit "Caught in the Middle" is the highest charting song that features a male on vocals.  Beyond that, Darren Hayes--at #27 with his solo debut "Insatiable" (ooooohwa!!)--is the next male artist we see on the year-end, followed by Prezioso featuring Marvin with "Somebody" at #29.  So, besides Kylie and Pink, who are all of these other women who occupy chart positions in the top 30?  In the top 10, the most recognizable is Cher with "Love is a Lonely Place Without You" which spent two weeks at #1 on the weekly charts.  It lands at #6 overall.  Cher also occupies three other positions in the top 30--"Alive Again" at #16, "(This is) A Song for the Lonely" at #18, and "A Different Kind of Love Song" at #26.  That's a far cry from the success she has with tracks and singles from BELIEVE in 2000, but something to be proud of nevertheless.  Next up, at #7, is LA-based Sky Tyler.  Tyler, a fusion of old fashioned R&B, hip hop, pop, and dance, scored three Top 50 hits.  "Tear it All Apart," her second, is her highest charter and hit #2.  Her debut Top 50 hit, the top 10 "I'm Not Alone Anymore," lands at #44 overall and "It's Only Sex," a top 20 hit, is at #123.  Word from Robin, Tyler's manager, is that a national push is on the schedule for 2003 with more new music and live shows to come--and look for her on the charts again with songs like "Society Girl," "Fireworks," and "Be With U." 

   Kristine W, who owned the charts in 2000, modestly scoots in at #14 with the 5-week #1 hit "Letting Go."  Ms. W surfaced mid-year with this tune that was very reminiscent of the material on her fantastic 1996 debut album LAND OF THE LIVING.  Continuing to impress, she soared into the chart, breaking her own highest debut ever record at #4 ("River Divides" debuted at #6 in 2001).  Working with producers Murk, Kristine W also charted with the top 15 hit "Some Lovin'" late in 2002.  That song finishes at #124.  Another dance diva--Anastacia--had her second year-end top 10 finisher with "One Day in Your Life" at #10 on the year end chart.  Back in 2000, Anastacia hit #1 and finished at #6 with her debut single "I"m Outta Love."  Anastacia also has other records on the year-end countdown:  "Overdue Goodbye" #81; "BOOM (Official Theme from the 2002 World Cup)" #131; "Paid My Dues" #146; "You'll Never Be Alone" #193; and "Why'd You Lie to Me?" #223.

More comments to come later...

2002 YEAR IN REVIEW

2002 ARTISTS PAGE