Let's turn the clock back 10 years to see what 2002 gave us. Now I'm not going to just throw out a list of the top selling songs from 02, or what are the top 10 songs from that year that still get played...no, I'm going to again use my own formula to create the list. Here are the metrics: could you escape the song in 2002? Is the song, or BAND, still relevant today? Did it add anything to the genre of ROCK music? 

For example, in 2002 bands like Good Charlotte and Coldplay were playing in the rock game, yet today, no one would consider either artist ROCK artists. So even though Coldplay's "Clocks" was a crazy smash, and Good Charlotte's "The Anthem" got play on Rock Radio in 2002, neither even sniff the playlist today. Same can be said for Avril Lavigne and Jimmy Eat World. 

2002 also closed the Rock chapter for the band No Doubt. The band gained serious alternative cred in the late 90s, but when "Hella Good" and "Hey Baby" dropped in 02, we knew it was over.

Let's start this countdown with a song that JUST missed inclusion on the list, only becuase their career didn't take off the way this song suggested it would...when The Used brought "The Taste of Ink" to the party, I thought they'd be around dropping massive hits for a LONG time...but after only crashing the top 10 once in ten years, I've written them off, and so this song, just misses the cut...

Just missed the cut - "The Taste of Ink" - The Used

#10 - "Poem" - Taproot

They came, they owned, they went away...well, they didn't GO AWAY, but they've never been able to achieve the success that "Poem" brought. It was the 5th most played rock song of the year 2002, and cracked the top 5 on radio airplay charts...and it still sees play today. This song would have been a lot higher if songs like "Calling" would have seen more success to help the bands resume

#9 - IT'S A TIE! "Fell In Love With a Girl" - White Stripes

#9 - IT'S A TIE! "No One Knows" - Queens of the Stoneage

Hear me out on this one...Both of these bands carried alternative rock radio for a good chunk of 2002. The White Stripes "Fell In Love With a Girl" was their first single to gain traction on a national level, opening the door for hits like "Blue Orcid", "Icky Thump", and "Seven Nation Army". While Queens of the Stoneage had experienced some success before "No One Knows" this was their first, and only #1 single. I guess all it took was Dave Grohl to be the quest drummer. Grohl jumped on board with the band for the album and tour, but only as a guest, not an official member. The band continued to have success through the 00's and are working on their 6th studio album.

#8 - "The Red" - Chevelle

Welcome to the scene Chevelle...who knew three brothers with only three instruments could make so much noise. Chevelle busted into the top 5 for the first time ever with "The Red", and they've been back to visit a lot since. The song took what Tool had been doing for years, and made it mainstream...and Tool should probably send the Loeffler's a fruit basket, because their popularity led to non-Tool fans finding their music.

#7 - "All My Life" - Foo Fighters

Until 2002, with as much success as the Foo Fighters had, they only had ONE #1 single...that changed when they dropped "All My Life" from their One By One album. The song spent 10 weeks at #1 on rock charts, won a Grammy, and gave the band their heavier sound that they've continued to use to this day. If you needed a bit more, today it is still the second most played song from 2002 on rock radio.

#6 - "Chop Suey!" - System of a Down

WAKEUP! GRABADBUCHSAPERDAMERKAMERKUP! Think about the first time you heard it...you didn't have a damn clue what was just said...but you wanted more. In 2002, you got more. System of a Down OWNED 2002...even though "Chop Suey!" was released in late 2001, it didn't see a rise on the charts until 2002. It was the first Top 10 track for the band, which they saw 2 more of in '02 alone. It wasn't their biggest hit of the year, but it was their first.

#5 - "Bother" - Stone Sour

It was first "Bother" from Corey Taylor...but later the band took full credit for the song that tore up rock charts, along with other formats, including ADULT CONTEMPORARY. The song got its start on the Spider-Man soundtrack, and introduced us all to Stone Sour...which also started A TON of debates between friends when the fact that Corey Taylor was not only the vocalist for Stone Sour, but also his other project, Slipknot. People couldn't grasp that, the guy from this song is the guy who wears a mask and tears it up with Slipknot!??! Yup, and Stone Sour was actually around BEFORE Slipknot...but anyway, the band has continued to see success, even today as we wait for their new album House of Gold & Bones Part 1

#4  - "In The End" - Linkin Park

By 2002, most people knew who Linkin Park was, they'd heard "Crawling" and "One Step Closer" and were starting to embrace the next generation of nu-metal. So when the band threw "In The End" our way, we were ready, and it shot to #1...their first #1 single. It shot Hybrid Theory to 10,000,000 copies sold...really think about that number, in the Napster/Lime Wire era, they sold 10 million copies. And THIS song made that happen.

#3  - "You Know You're Right" - Nirvana

Yes, we're talking 2002, and Nirvana shows up. It was almost a decade into the burtal court battles between the remaining members of Nirvana, and Yoko Ono impersonator Courtney Love over the song, when it happened, they came to an agreement. "You Know You're Right" was going to be released! It was the last song recorded by the band, the last one to ever be released, and it turned out to be one of their best ever. It shot to #1 on almost every rock chart anywhere, and still holds its own today.

#2  - "Blurry" - Puddle of Mudd

Released in late 2001, the song took some time to boil up for 2002, where it spent 9-10 weeks on different rock charts as #1. It became the groups first #1 song, and is their highest selling, most successful song to date. AOL Radio named it the #3 alternative rock song of the decade in 2009. The band is still a "household" name with rock radio, but with Wes Scantlin's recent legal trouble, they've become a topical joke, bu this song was no joke in '02

#1  - "Aerials" - System of a Down

I told you, this was System of a Down's year..."Chop Suey!" is on our list, and "Toxicity" could have been too. But this song, "Aerials" was their only #1 of 2002. Since they've only had TWO ever, that's pretty big. The band has continued to be one of the most demanded acts in rock, which is amazing, since they haven't put out a studio album in 7 years.