Los Angeles Times's top ten list (2002)

LOS ANGELES (LA TIMES) - Beck and Eminem, the winners of the consensus poll of The LA Times' pop music contributors in 1999 and 2000, respectively, went head to head in 2002, and the kinder, gentler folk singer squeezed out a victory over the fiery rap star.

The rest of the field chosen by the 16 voters ranges from grizzled critics' favorites Tom Waits, Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen to new critical favorite Bright Eyes.
Albums are awarded 10 points for a first-place vote, nine points for second place, etc.

The Los Angeles Times pop music contributors Top 10 for 2002 (the year in review):

1. Beck "Sea Change"
2. Eminem "The Eminem Show"
3. Wilco "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
4. Queens of the Stone Age "Songs for the Deaf"
5. Bright Eyes "Lifted or the Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground"
6. The Roots "Phrenology"
7. Bruce Springsteen "The Rising"
8. Tom Waits "Alice"
9. Flaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"
10. Elvis Costello "When I Was Cruel"