Top 77 Albums of 2002
| ARTIST | ALBUM | LABEL | ||
| 1 | Beck | Sea Change | Geffen | |
| 2 | The Flaming Lips | Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots | Warner | |
| 3 | The Soviettes | S/T 7" AND S/T split EP (with The Valentines) | Pop Riot | |
| 4 | Sleater Kinney | One Beat | Kill Rock Stars | |
| 5 | Tegan and Sara | If It Was You | Vapor | |
| 6 | Sigur Ros | ( ) | PIAS America | |
| 7 | Wilco | Yankee Hotel Foxtrot | Nonesuch | |
| 8 | Interpol | Turn on the Bright Lights | Matador | |
| 9 | Clinic | Walking With Thee | Domino | |
| 10 | Selby Tigers | Curse Of The Selby Tigers | Hopeless | |
| 11 | RJD2 | Deadringer | Definite Jux | |
| 12 | Mclusky | Mclusky Do Dallas | Too Pure | |
| 13 | Paul Westerberg | Stereo | Vagrant | |
| 14 | A Whisper in the Noise | Throught the Ides of March | (self-released) | |
| 15 | Jurassic 5 | Power In Numbers | Interscope | |
| 16 | Low | Trust | Kranky | |
| 17 | Mark Mallman | The Red Bedroom | Guilt Ridden Pop | |
| 18 | Johnny Cash | The Man Comes Around | Lost Highway | |
| 19 | Har Mar Superstar | You Can Feel Me | Record Collection | |
| 20 | Spoon | Kill the Moonlight | Merge | |
| 21 | 12 Rods | Lost Time | (self-released) | |
| 22 | Tom Waits | Alice | Anti | |
| 23 | Atmosphere | God Loves Ugly | Rhymesayers | |
| 24 | Black Heart Procession | Amore Del Tropico | Touch and Go | |
| 25 | Traditional Methods | S/T | (self-released) | |
| 26 | Pretty Girls Make Graves | Good Health | Lookout! | |
| 27 | Dillinger Four | Situationist Comedy | Fat Wreck Chords | |
| 28 | Aimee Mann | Lost In Space | SuperEgo | |
| 29 | Sahara Hotnights | Jennie Bomb | Jetset | |
| 30 | White Stripes | B-Sides from White Blood Cells | V2 | |
| 31 | Neko Case | Blacklisted | Bloodshot | |
| 32 | Ladytron | Light & Magic | Emperor Norton | |
| 33 | Work of Saws | The Pious Flats | Thick Furniture | |
| 34 | Mary Lou Lord | Speeding Motorcycle | Rubric | |
| 35 | Apartment Music | V/A | Free Election | |
| 36 | Bright Eyes | There Is No Beginning to the Story EP AND Lifted or the Story Is In The Soil…. CD | Saddle Creek | |
| 37 | Heiruspecs | Small Steps EP | Interlock | |
| 38 | The Breeders | Title TK | Elektra | |
| 39 | Blackalicious | Blazing Arrow | MCA | |
| 40 | The Hives | Veni Vidi Vicious | Burning Heart | |
| 41 | Song of Zarathustra | A View From Hight Tides | Troubleman Unlimited | |
| 42 | DJ Shadow | The Private Press | MCA | |
| 43 | The Promise Ring | Wood/Water | Anti | |
| 44 | Fog | Pneumonia (including 'Check Fraud' 12" remix) | Ninja Tune | |
| 45 | Death Cab For Cutie | You Can Play These Songs With Chords +10 AND The Stability EP | Barsuk | |
| 46 | Rilo Kiley | The Execution of All Things | Saddle Creek | |
| 47 | Sean Na Na | My Majesty | Frenchkiss | |
| 48 | Ben Kweller | Sha Sha | ATO | |
| 49 | Sweet J.A.P. | Virgin Vibe | 1+2 | |
| 50 | Lauryn Hill | Unplugged 2.0 | Columbia | |
| 51 | Elvis Costello | When I Was Cruel | Island | |
| 52 | The Shins | Know Your Onion! | Sub Pop | |
| 53 | Hem | Rabbit Songs | Bar None | |
| 54 | Polara | Jetpack Blues | Susstones | |
| 55 | Grandpa Boy | Mono | Vagrant | |
| 56 | Cornelius | Point | Matador | |
| 57 | Jon Spencer Blues Explosion | Plastic Fang | Matador | |
| 58 | The Icicles | Pure Sugar | Drive-In | |
| 59 | St. Germain | Boulevard | PIAS America | |
| 60 | Morcheeba | Charango | Reprise | |
| 61 | Future Bible Heroes | Eternal Youth | Instinct | |
| 62 | Cinerama | Torino | Manifesto | |
| 63 | Queens of the Stone Age | Songs for the Deaf | Interscope | |
| 64 | Pedro the Lion | Control | Jade Tree | |
| 65 | The Crush | This Is Where I Cross My Fingers | Adeline | |
| 66 | Verve//Remixed | V/A | Verve | |
| 67 | Radio 4 | Gotham! | Gern Blandsten | |
| 68 | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | s/t | Shifty | |
| 69 | Stereo Total | Musique Automatique | Kill Rock Stars | |
| 70 | Cornershop | Handcream for a Generation | Beggars | |
| 71 | Müm | Finally We Are No One | Fatcat | |
| 72 | All Girl Summer Fun Band | S/T | K | |
| 73 | The Streets | Original Pirate Material | Vice Recordings | |
| 74 | Underworld | A Hundred Days Off | JBO | |
| 75 | Jets to Brazil | Perfecting Loneliness | Jade Tree | |
| 76 | Enon | High Society | Touch and Go | |
| 77 | Mia Doi Todd | The Golden State | Columbia |
