2002: The Year That Pop Lost Popularity<BR>By NEIL STRAUSS<P>It wasn't long ago that 'N Sync, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys dominated the music charts. But this year, the musical taste of the country seems to have changed. <P>If pop is defined as middle-of-the-road music designed to appeal to the broadest spectrum possible, being generic still didn't necessarily sell. Pop music was not all that popular. A look at the list of CD's that reached No. 1 shows that what sold were extremes. <BR> <BR>Two genres of music dominated the top spot on the pop charts. One, of course, was rap. It was, after all, the year of Eminem, who spent eight weeks at No. 1 thanks to his "Eminem Show" album and "8 Mile" film soundtrack.<P>As for the other genre, fans of rock, R & B, Latin music and polka may be surprised to learn that it was country. Nearly a third of the No. 1 slots this year went to country releases, even more than went to rap. <P>Since 1991, when Billboard began using the data collection company Soundscan (which scans bar codes) to compile its charts instead of relying on verbal reports from store employees, the pop charts have been filled with more country than many in the coastal offices of the record labels had previously expected. Since then, modern country has long outgrown its association with the rural South to enjoy an acknowledged popularity in urban and suburban areas. <P>Moreover, amid heightened patriotism and Republican election victories, country music seems to be even more consonant with the national mood. With singers like Faith Hill and Shania Twain further streamlining their sound on new albums, the case could be made that country is the new pop.<P>Together, country and rap have held 30 of the 50 No. 1 slots so far this year. The next leading genre was rock, thanks in large part to its long history that extends from pioneers like Elvis Presley to hippie-era icons like Carlos Santana to current bands like Disturbed. Rock albums filled 12 slots, leaving just 8 for R & B and the genre officially named pop.<P>The dominance of country and rap on the charts could be seen partly as a reaction to consumers' being spoon-fed manufactured boy bands for years. Slightly older audiences are regaining control of music trends and are gravitating toward styles led by solo artists who seem to have some point of view and connection to everyday life. Although it could be argued that much of what passes for country is virtually indistinguishable from generic pop, country music still represents a more specific aesthetic, national identity and, at least in today's music, upwardly mobile lifestyle than other forms of manufactured pop.<P>A look at the 25 albums that reached No. 1 this year reveals a mix of all-too-familiar names as well as some surprisingly unfamiliar ones. The albums are listed in the order they appeared at the top of the pop charts.<P>WEATHERED by Creed, three weeks at No. 1. Genre: Christian-Tinged Grunge. Critic's Take: Where Candlebox feared to trend, Creed boldly goes. Competitive Edge: They look and sound like Pearl Jam, but actually tour and do interviews.<P>DRIVE by Alan Jackson, four weeks. Genre: Classic New Country. Take: Resisting the dominant Nashville impulse to cross over or record schlock, Mr. Jackson releases another album of neo-traditionalist country sung with a deep, moving twang and cements his status as one of country's current treasures. Edge: "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" was not Mr. Jackson's best song, but it was one of the fastest and most honest and universal responses to the Sept. 11 attacks. And then he wisely put it on this album twice.<P>J TO THA L-O! THE REMIXES by Jennifer Lopez, two weeks. Genre: Star Privilege. Take: Releasing albums almost as fast as she does husbands, Ms. Lopez turns in the first remix album ever to claim the No. 1 spot, and while not a great album, it is at least an improvement on her pricey pop. Edge: The audiences not reached by Ms. Lopez's celebrity reach were catered to with the guests on the album: Ja Rule, Marc Anthony, 50 Cent and more. <P>UNDER RUG SWEPT by Alanis Morissette, 1 week. Genre: Expose-Myself Rock. Take: Ms. Morissette matures, taking over all the production and writing details on an album on which she occasionally lightens the mood of her relationship problems and soul-searching with unexpected humor. Edge: She released "Hands Clean," a strong single detailing a relationship she had with her producer when she was under age. And some 130,000 girls start puberty every day. <P>O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? by various artists, two weeks. Genre: Bluegrass and Roots Music. Take: The pop miracle of this year and last: a soundtrack of mostly old-time bluegrass reached the tipping point. Edge: The soundtrack was helped first of all by a strong musically minded movie in which the climactic scene involved a memorable rendition of "Man of Constant Sorrow," which appears on the album in three versions. But it was when the album took the top prize at the Grammy Awards that it climbed from No. 15 to No. 1.<P>NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC! 9 by various artists, one week. Genre: Pure Pop. Take: This installment of the formulaic but successful series collects hits of the moment, regardless of genre, bringing together singles from Britney Spears, U2, Shakira, Mr. Cheeks, Aerosmith and Destiny's Child. Edge: The "Now" compilations, which began years ago in Britain with similar success, are as close to a sure thing as is possible in the fickle music market.<P>A NEW DAY HAS COME by Celine Dion, one week. Genre: Perfectionist Pop. Take: Here are Disney ballads without the Disney movie, plus, for variety, a Cher song without Cher. Edge: It was Ms. Dion's first release after a much-publicized sabbatical that, at just over two years, was not really much longer than the standard span superstars take between albums. It also shares its title with that of Ms. Dion's much-publicized three-year Vegas run.<P>ASHANTI by Ashanti, three weeks. Genre: Coming-of-Age Pop R & B. Take: A little bit of Lauryn Hill, a little bit of TLC and, for listeners with attention-deficit disorder, one-word song titles and an introduction that samples songs on which she has sung in the past. Edge: Her guest turn on Ja Rule's single helped prime the market, and then, as a further boost, her label gave retailers $2 rebates for sales made in the first two weeks.<P>NO SHOES, NO SHIRT, NO PROBLEMS by Kenny Chesney, 1 week. Genre: Pretty-Boy Country Pop. Take: Beginning to gather a little respect from country purists, Mr. Chesney plays the pop sentimentalist, looking back on family, relationships and youth on his seventh album, most movingly on "A Lot of Things Different." Edge: After earning his reputation as a ladies' man in 1999 with "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy," Mr. Chesney solidified his appeal with a greatest-hits collection to pave the way for this long-awaited CD. <P>HOOD RICH by Big Tymers, one week. Genre: Southern Hip-Hop. Take: The producers behind Cash Money Records run hot and cold on their fourth record of Southern hip-hop, a spotty affair highlighted by an irresistible "Gilligan's Island"-sampling single, "Still Fly." Edge: It was a slow week in record stores and, on the strength of "Still Fly," the Big Tymers slipped into the No. 1 slot with relatively weak sales of 160,000.<P>JUSLISEN (JUST LISTEN) by Musiq, one week. Genre: Stevie Wonder Fan Club. Take: On his second album, Musiq adds himself to the ranks of neo-soul singers like D'Angelo and Maxwell, distinguishing himself with an updated interpretation of the Philadelphia sound. Edge: Finding success means sacrifices, so Musiq shortened his name (from Musiq Soulchild), repressed his instincts for musical experimentation, scrapped his socially aware songs for romantic ballads and let his label talk him into covering a Beatles song he had never heard before. <P>P. DIDDY & BAD BOY RECORDS PRESENT . . . WE INVENTED THE REMIX by various artists, one week. Genre: Hip-Hopportunism. Take: The artist formerly known as Puff Daddy smashes Ashanti, Faith Evans, Carl Thomas, Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, L'il Kim and many more, including an old Notorious B.I.G. vocal, onto one album that is not greater than the sum of its parts. Edge: Only Kevin Bacon was missing as a guest on this album.<P>THE EMINEM SHOW by Eminem, six weeks. Genre: Persecution-Complex Rap. Take: Bending not one degree to criticism, Eminem lashes out once again at his enemies with music's most nimble rhymes, clean West Coast beats and a cameo from his daughter. Edge: Hated even by his mother, no musician had a higher profile this year. To combat Internet leaks, his label released the CD earlier than scheduled and included a bonus DVD. The result: "The Eminem Show" became the best-selling record of this year so far.<P>NELLYVILLE by Nelly, three weeks. Genre: Tongue-Twisting Rap. Take: When his last album of fast-paced bouncing St. Louis rap proved to be such a commercial and critical success, he decided to make the same album again. Edge: He had singles holding the No. 1 and No. 2 positions at the same time on the pop charts, and then as soon as they faded he released rap's greatest song about tennis shoes since "My Adidas," "Air Force Ones."<P>BUSTED STUFF by Dave Matthews Band, one week. Genre: Everyman Rock. Take: Mr. Matthews seems to go out of his way to put pop polish on this solid set of songs, most of which were leaked in darker, more introspective versions on the Internet before this album's release. Edge: The worst disaster â?? an early bootleg of the album spreading online and in the streets â?? may have turned out to be the best publicity for this disc, which added CD-ROM features to enhance sales.<P>UNLEASHED by Toby Keith, one week. Genre: Wrapped-in-the-Flag-With-a-Six-Pack Country. Take: Rushing to release this less than a year after his last album, Mr. Keith sings of vengeance, vacation and the rodeo, becoming the Hank Williams Jr. of the moment. Edge: His profile was boosted by possibly the most over-the-top slice of jingoism to find success in the wake of 9/11, "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," and the controversy that ensued when Peter Jennings stopped the song from being performed on an ABC special. <P>THE RISING by Bruce Springsteen, two weeks. Genre: Catharsis Rock. Take: It's not just the first album to take on 9/11 in a personal, genuine, complex and thought-provoking way, showing different sides of each story, but it's also just a great rock 'n' roll album all around. Edge: It was his first album of new material with the E Street Band in 18 years, and a very nonexploitative way of coming to grips with a tragedy.<P>HOME by Dixie Chicks, three weeks. Genre: Modern Purist Country. Take: The Dixie Chicks recruited one of their fathers, Lloyd Maines, to produce an acoustic bluegrass album paying tribute to their influences and, on the whimsical "White Trash Wedding," sending them up. Edge: Suing Sony Records gave the Dixie Chicks the freedom to record a seemingly noncommercial album and the leverage to negotiate for their own label imprint, granted in the settlement.<P>BELIEVE by Disturbed, one week. Genre: New Pop-Rap-Metal Cloning. Take: With agonized vocals, push-button guitar riffs and military rhythms, Disturbed, for some reason, abandons the experimentation that made it interesting and makes heavy metal boring again. Edge: The band came late to the new metal genre, but worked hard to build a relatively loyal and growing fan base.<P>30 NO. 1 HITS by Elvis Presley, three weeks. Genre: Elvis. Take: Following the success of "Beatles 1," RCA Records tries to make some money off its Elvis catalog with a collection of 30 classic songs plus a great remix of "A Little Less Conversation." Edge: The album came with a marketing avalanche: books, a PBS special, Nike commercials, charity singles, a Disney movie and tie-ins with car racing and online services.<P>CRY by Faith Hill, one week. Genre: Ex-Country. Take: Faith Hill sets aside most of her country pretensions for an album of straight-up pop and rhythm-and-blues. Edge: Thanks to her superstar status, crossover efforts and celebrity marriage with Tim McGraw, Ms. Hill sold more records in one week than any other female country singer in recent memory.<P>SHAMAN by Santana, one week. Genre: Mystical Rock Comeback. Take: Carlos Santana remakes his last album, "Supernatural," with different guest singers. Edge: This success was yet another aftershock from his phenomenal comeback, Grammy win and pop dominance two years ago.<P>8 MILE by various artists, two weeks. Genre: Mostly Hip-Hop. Take: To accompany his own picture show, Eminem pairs his own posse â?? D-12, Obie Trice, 50 Cent â?? with top rappers like Nas, Jay-Z and Rakim. Edge: The biggest music figure of the moment stars in the biggest music movie of the moment and succeeds so well that a whole new (and older) generation falls for him.<P>THE BLUEPRINT 2: THE GIFT AND THE CURSE by Jay-Z, one week. Genre: Capitalist Rap. Take: Jay-Z stretches out on this double album with a hip-hop cover (of Tupac Shakur), a collaboration with Lenny Kravitz, and his obligatory left-field pop sample, this one of "My Way." Edge: Already one of rap's top draws, Jay-Z was further helped along by the marketing wizards at his label, Def Jam, which offered fans two discs for the price of one.<P>UP! by Shania Twain, four weeks. Genre: Choose-Your-Own-Adventure. Take: On her first new album in five years, Ms. Twain chirps often-insipid but always-likable lyrics over countless infectious pop hooks. Edge: Taking no chances, Ms. Twain and her husband-producer, Mutt Lange, released 19 songs in three versions â?? a pop version with 80's rock guitar, a country version with fiddle and steel guitar, and a world version with an Indian orchestra. And the gambit worked: all they lacked was a rap version.
