thumb|Rapper [[Eminem's "Lose Yourself" was the longest-running number-one single released in 2002.]]
The Billboard Hot 100 is a chart that ranks the best-performing singles of the United States. Published by Billboard magazine, the data are compiled by Nielsen SoundScan based collectively on each single's weekly physical sales and airplay. In 2002, there were seven singles that topped the chart, the lowest number of singles to top the chart in a single year ever (if the two songs which peaked in 2001 are included, 2002 would have the second lowest number of chart-topping singles in a year, behind 2005). Although nine singles reached number one in fifty-two issues of the magazine in the calendar year, two songs began their peak position in 2001 and are thus excluded.
In 2002, five acts earned their first U.S. number one single, either as a lead artist or featured guest. These artists were Ashanti, Nelly, Kelly Clarkson, and Eminem. Kelly Rowland, despite having hit number one with Destiny's Child, also earns her first number one song as a solo act. In 2002, Ja Rule, Ashanti, and Nelly had two number-one singles in the Billboard Hot 100.
Most of the number-one singles in 2002 were extended chart-toppers. "Lose Yourself" is the longest-running single, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 consecutive weeks, eight of which were in this calendar year. "Foolish" and "Dilemma" both stayed at number one for 10 weeks, the latter of which was non-consecutive. "Ain't It Funny" by Jennifer Lopez, in its remix version with Ja Rule, peaked at number one for six weeks.
Rock band Nickelback's "How You Remind Me", which first peaked at number one in 2001, is the best-performing single of 2002. "Lose Yourself", which is the soundtrack to the 2002 film 8 Mile, is the second most-successful soundtrack song in the entire rock era. It is behind Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You", having topped the chart for 14 weeks. "Lose Yourself" is also the longest-running Oscar-winning number-one song since singer-actor Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" had 14 weeks on top in the 1940s.
Nelly became the first act to have consecutive number-one singles as the lead artist since 1994, when Boyz II Men had consecutive number-ones.
Chart history
thumb|Singer [[Ashanti (entertainer)|Ashanti's debut single "Foolish" topped the chart for 10 straight weeks.|alt=An African female walking on a ramp. She wears a crimson dress with white stripes and open shoulders while her long black hair falls around her. Keeping her left hand on her waist, the woman has a hint of smile in her face.]]
thumb|Rapper Nelly's "[[Dilemma (Nelly song)|Dilemma" stayed at the top spot for 10 weeks, tying with Ashanti's "Foolish".|alt=An African man sitting on a chair and looking to the right of the image. He wears white T-shirt and navy blue jeans and cap, topped with a watch on his left hand.]]
thumb|Singer [[Kelly Clarkson's debut single "A Moment Like This" is noted for its 52-to-one leap in 2002, breaking the 38-year-old record set by The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love", which jumped from number 27 to one.|alt=Right profile of a blond woman on a stage. She wears a red top and black trousers and sings in a hand-held microphone. The stage is lit by lights from above and a keyboard player is visible behind the woman. Also visible are the back-profiles of the audiences.]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: thumb|The [[Canadian Rockband Nickelback earned their first number one single "How You Remind Me" in the U.S. at the beginning of 2002 and stayed at the top for two consecutive weeks, bringing the total number including 2001 to four consecutive weeks.|alt=A distant image of a band playing on a stage lit with bluish light and.]] -->
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
|+Key
|style="background-color:#FFFFBB"|
|Indicates best-performing single of 2002
|}
{| class="wikitable"
! width=31|
!align="center"|Issue date
!align="center"|Song
!align="center"|Artist(s)
!align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|881
|align="left"|January 5
|bgcolor=#FFFF99 align="center" rowspan="2"|"How You Remind Me"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|Nickelback
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|January 12
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=5|re
|align="left"|January 19
|align="center" rowspan="5"|"U Got It Bad"
|align="center" rowspan="5"|Usher
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|January 26
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|February 2
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|February 9
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|February 16
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|882
|align="left"|February 23
|align="center" rowspan="2"|"Always on Time"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|Ja Rule featuring Ashanti
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|March 2
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=6|883
|align="left"|March 9
|align="center" rowspan="6"|"Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)"
|align="center" rowspan="6"|Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|March 16
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|March 23
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|March 30
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|April 6
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|April 13
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=10|884
|align="left"|April 20
|align="center" rowspan="10"|"Foolish"
|align="center" rowspan="10"|Ashanti
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|April 27
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|May 4
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|May 11
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|May 18
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|May 25
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|June 1
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|June 8
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|June 15
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|June 22
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=7|885
|align="left"|June 29
|align="center" rowspan="7"|"Hot in Herre"
|align="center" rowspan="7"|Nelly
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|July 6
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|July 13
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|July 20
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|July 27
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|August 3
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|August 10
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=7|886
|align="left"|August 17
|align="center" rowspan="7"|"Dilemma"
|align="center" rowspan="7"|Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|August 24
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|August 31
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|September 7
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|September 14
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|September 21
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|September 28
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|887
|align="left"|October 5
|align="center" rowspan="2"|"A Moment Like This"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|Kelly Clarkson
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|October 12
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=3|re
|align="left"|October 19
|align="center" rowspan="3"|"Dilemma"
|align="center" rowspan="3"|Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|October 26
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|November 2
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=8|888
|align="left"|November 9
|align="center" rowspan="8"|"Lose Yourself"
|align="center" rowspan="8"|Eminem
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|November 16
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|November 23
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|November 30
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|December 7
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|December 14
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|December 21
|align="center"|
|-
|align="left"|December 28
|align="center"|
|}
Number-one artists
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of number-one artists by total weeks at number one
! Position
! Artist
! Weeks at No. 1
|-
| 1
| Nelly
| 17
|-
| 2
| Ashanti
| 12
|-
| 3
| Kelly Rowland
| 10
|-
| rowspan=2| 4
| Ja Rule
| rowspan=2| 8
|-
| Eminem
|-
| 6
| Jennifer Lopez
| 6
|-
| 7
| Usher
| 5
|-
| rowspan=2| 8
| Nickelback
| rowspan=2| 2
|-
| Kelly Clarkson
|}
See also
- 2002 in music
- List of Billboard number-one singles
- Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2002
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of the 2000s
References
Additional sources
- Fred Bronson's Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, 5th Edition ()
- Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2008, 12 Edition ()
- Joel Whitburn Presents the Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The 2000s ()
- Additional information obtained can be verified within Billboard's online archive services and print editions of the magazine.