Wow. Thanks to everybody who listened to the radio broadcast unveiling the year's top picks - and there were a BUNCH of you, too, judging by the number of e-mails we've received over the past hour. Anyways, click on Read More below to get the FULL final results of our 2002 Members Poll.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR:

1. Coldplay
2. Interpol
3. Doves
4. Flaming Lips
5. White Stripes

Not a contest, really. Coldplay had over 50% of the votes and won by a mile.

THE TOP 50 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR:

1. Doves - The Last Broadcast
2. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
3. Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights
4. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
5. Sigur Ros - ( )
6. Beck - Sea Change
7. Electric Soft Parade - Holes in the Wall
8. Oasis - Heathen Chemistry
9. Badly Drawn Boy - OST About a Boy
10. Ash - Free All Angels
11. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
12. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
13. Idlewild - The Remote Part
14. ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
15. Pulp - We Love Life
16. Ladytron - Light and Magic
17. Suede - A New Morning
18. Starsailor - Love Is Here
19. South - From Here On In
20. The Vines - Highly Evolved
21. The Polyphonic Spree - The Beginning Stages Of...
22. Clinic - Walking With Thee
23. Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed the Fish?
24. Haven - Between the Senses
25. Mull Historical Society - Loss
26. Delgados - Hate
27. The Coral - The Coral
28. The Music - The Music
29. Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World
30. Primal Scream - Evil Heat
31. Elbow - Asleep in the Back
32. Belle & Sebastian - OST Storytelling
33. Sleater-Kinney - One Beat
34. Gene - Libertine
35. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
36. Supergrass - Life on Other Planets
37. Underworld - A Hundred Days Off
38. Beth Orton - Daybreaker
39. Of Montreal - Aldhil's Arboretum
40. David Bowie - Heathen
41. Sonic Youth - Murray Street
42. Gomez - In Our Gun
43. Leaves - Breathe
44. The Notwist - Neon Golden
45. JJ72 - I To Sky
46. Division of Laura Lee - Black City
47. Soundtrack of our Lives - Behind the Music
48. Low - Trust
49. Saint Etienne - Finisterre
50. My Vitriol - Finelines

The Doves pretty much had a lock on 1st place by over 200 points to Coldplay at #2, but below #5, it was a total horse race to the end - MANY of these placings were decided by a mere single point. In total, 396 albums were nominated by our members as an Album of the Year candidate for 2002, which shows off the diversity of the past year in music.

THE TOP 25 SONGS OF THE YEAR:

1. Doves - There Goes the Fear
2. Coldplay - The Scientist
3. Interpol - PDA
4. Doves - Pounding
5. Coldplay - Clocks
6. Doves - Caught By the River
7. Coldplay - In My Place
8. The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize?
9. Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows
10. Interpol - NYC
11. The Hives - Hate to Say I Told You So
12. Badly Drawn Boy - You Were Right
13. The Polyphonic Spree - Section 9
14. Badly Drawn Boy - Silent Sigh
15. Oasis - Little By Little
16. Oasis - Stop Crying Your Eyes Out
17. Turnerjoy - Tortuous
18. Bright Eyes - Lover I Don't Have To Love
19. Idlewild - American English
20. Interpol - Obstacle I
21. Sigur Ros - (Untitled Track 4)
22. Saint Etienne - Action
23. Pet Shop Boys - Home and Dry
24. Of Montreal - Jennifer Louise
25. The Sunshine Fix - Age of the Sun

Well, we certainly know what bands YOU were rooting for in 2002, don't we? As Coldplay, Doves, and Interpol all had multiple entries in the Top 10. It was a race to the wire for #1 & #2, and in the end, it was decided by one person's vote within 4 minutes of our poll's closing. There were a total of 393 songs nominated this year.

REISSUE/COMPILATION/SOUNDTRACK OF THE YEAR:

1. Ride - OX4
2. New Order - Retro
3. Various - OST 24 Hour Party People
4. Ash - Intergalactic Sonic 7's
5. Badly Drawn Boy - OST About a Boy
6. Manic Street Preachers - Forever Delayed
7. Stone Roses - Very Best of the Stone Roses
8. Pulp - Hits
9. U2 - Best Of 1990-2000
10. Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted Redux
11. 2 Many DJ's - As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2
12. David Bowie - Best of Bowie
13. Bjork - Family Tree
14. Nirvana - Nirvana
15. Belle & Sebastian - OST Storytelling

We're pretty sure this is the first time that an artist has won ANY category in our poll with the identical title for the second year running. When Ride released "OX4" in Europe in 2001, it ended up winning our 2001 reissue category... but since it wasn't released stateside until 2002, it became eligible AGAIN for the category, and again swept it by a mile. No competition whatsoever.

YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS (STILL AROUND:)

1. Coldplay
2. Radiohead
3. Oasis
4. Doves
5. Blur
6. Charlatans
7. Spiritualized
8. Super Furry Animals
9. Suede
10. Pulp

Coldplay and Doves both benefitted here from their 2002 releases, but Radiohead, while not releasing a thing during 2002, still held on to take the #2 slot.

FAVORITE NORTH AMERICAN ARTIST:

1. The Flaming Lips
2. Interpol
3. The Strokes
4. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
5. White Stripes
6. ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
7. Ivy
8. Mercury Rev
9. Beck
10. The Dandy Warhols

A LOT of newer bands (Interpol, BRMC, etc.) making the list this year. It's interesting here that Interpol beat the Flaming Lips in every category this year except this one...

PERSONAL DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR:

1. Interpol
2. The Polyphonic Spree
3. Ballboy
4. Soundtrack of our Lives
5. Spoon
6. Felix Da Housecat
7. Rilo Kiley
8. Bright Eyes
9. ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
10. Wire

Does anybody here listen to anything OTHER than Interpol? Oh, yeah, I forgot about Doves and Coldplay. In all seriousness, though, it's either a testament to the current state of music or a testament to my age, but I can't help feeling a bit sad that people are just NOW discovering Wire. What a great band. At least it means people have picked up the new record and are hopefully scoring some of their fantastic back catalogue.

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR:

1. Richard Ashcroft - Human Conditions
2. Suede - A New Morning
3. Oasis - Heathen Chemistry
4. John Squire - Time Changes Everything
5. The Vines - Highly Evolved

And lo, Richie Ashcraft does not disappoint us in disappointing us with his second record, this one a little more pretentious, overbearing, smug, and adult contemporary than the last. And speaking of adult contemporary music, how about that Suede record? It's perfect for your mom to relax to. You want screaming? No? Then throw that Vines album away. And what's that thing that sounds like a goat being strangled? Oh, it's just John Squire's voice. And, hey isn't that an Oasis record over there? Let's just toss it into the bin without even hearing it... The views expressed above are not necessarily the views of Excellent Online, but appear to be the views of Excellent Online's members as a general rule.

BRIGHTEST HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:

1. Interpol
2. The Electric Soft Parade
3. The Music
4. Radiohead
5. Ballboy

Welcome to the #1 Interpol fansite - would you like to join our Interpol webring? We might as well stop pretending to be anything else these days... Best TV Show? "INTERPOL!"... Best Pizza? "INTERPOL!" Is there a category they won't place in??

DANCE ARTIST OF THE YEAR:

1. DJ Shadow
2. Underworld
3. The Chemical Brothers
4. Paul Oakenfold
5. Felix Da Housecat

Okay, I'd like a show of hands, please? Who among you has EVER danced to a DJ Shadow tune in his or her life??? Anyone??

BEST TV SHOW OF 2002:

1. TIE: 24, The Simpsons
2. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
3. The Amazing Race
4. Six Feet Under
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm

Finally a show to match the success of "The Simpsons," who have won this category every year we've been around. And a very nice push from Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," which almost made it a 3-way tie!

FILM OF THE YEAR:

1. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2. 24 Hour Party People
3. Bowling for Columbine
4. Adaptation
5. About a Boy

If I were a betting man, I'd be mighty broke by now. I would have put ANY amount of money down on our movies of the year going 1,2 to 24 Hour Party People and About a Boy, because usually if there's a British film out that has a strong element of music to it, it's our #1 film of the year. But I guess it shows to show you that dirty smelly Hobbits are more entertaining than a dirty smelly Shaun Ryder.

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

1. White Stripes - Fell in Love with a Girl
2. Death Cab for Cutie - A Movie Script Ending
3. U2 - Electrical Storm
4. Weezer - Keep Fishin'
5. Pulp - Bad Cover Version

Muppets, Legos, & impersonators, oh my!

BEST ALBUM ARTWORK/PACKAGING:

1. Sigur Ros - ( )
2. Doves - The Last Broadcast
3. New Order - Retro
4. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
5. Andrew WK - I Get Wet

The first award that I (Shane) clearly agree with. When I heard the Sigur Ros album was going to be untitled down to the songs, I was expecting a very simplistic "White Album" sort of packaging - instead we got lush, delicate, semi-transparent perfection. However, am I the only one whose little plastic slipcover is bowing in the middle now? It looks like my jewel case has a beer belly now...

BEST LIVE ACT OF 2002:

1. Coldplay
2. Belle and Sebastian
3. Doves
4. Sigur Ros
5. Oasis

What, does Interpol suck in concert or something? A category they didn't place in?! (GASP!)

BIGGEST LOSS OF THE YEAR:

Joe Strummer

Not even a contest, nor should it be. We were already over a week into the voting process when Joe passed, and what resulted was a mass crush of people to our site to change their poll entries in honor of the late Clash frontman. It's also VERY necessary to explain that prior to Strummer's untimely death, we would have taken this space to honor the memory of Mary Hansen of Stereolab who was tragically killed in a bicycle accident in late 2002. Rest in peace.

SECOND BEST WEBSITE OF THE YEAR:

1. www.NME.com
2. www.theonion.com
3. www.pitchforkmedia.com
4. www.rathergood.com
5. www.playlouder.com

Ah, the NME. Love 'em or hate 'em, we all still go there for scraps of info from time to time. And we all go to The Onion to get our laughs. And then we go to Rather Good to see squirrels dancing to the White Stripes. And we love our friends at Playlouder, which should prove to you that music websites can exist in harmony without ill will or competition - we really ARE mates - you guys rock. Except Pitchfork. We hate those SOB's. (Just kidding!)

INDIEBOY OF THE YEAR:

1. TIE: Mike Skinner (The Streets,) Chris Martin (Coldplay)
2. Jack White
3. Jarvis Cocker
4. Damon Gough
5. Graham Coxon

Errr. Yeah. No votes for Shane or Ajay or Stu. Once again. One of these days you will all pay.

INDIE GIRL OF THE YEAR:

1. Bjork
2. Sarah Cracknell
3. Karen O
4. Peaches
5. Mary Hansen

Second year in a row that we've had nominations for Robbie Williams in this category, but sadly there's just other BETTER women out there. Liz and Vroo extend their hatred to all of you as well. I tried my damnedest to stack the deck for the TATU girls, but the other admins just weren't having it.

INDIE GIT OF THE YEAR:

To henceforth be known as the EXCUSE TO CALL LIAM GALLAGHER A PRAT AWARD, as one again our noble Liam swept the rest of the field under the rug. Other candidates included Julian Casablancas, Ryan Adams (what did he ever do to YOU?), Damon Albarn, and that Craig Nicholls kid who I'd like to kick all the way back to the Outback personally.

THE EXCELLENT ONLINE 2002 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES:

THE CLASH
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

This will be my last post for a while, as I'm going in hiding for fear of rabid Dusty Springfield fans. Liz mounted an EXCEPTIONAL campaign for Dusty on our mailing list this year, and though it was ALMOST a triumph, it was the death of Clash frontman Joe Strummer that secured enough votes for The Clash to squeak by Dusty. There's always next year... unless I roll out my "Housemartins for 2003" campaign a bit early... ;)

Wow, my fingers hurt. I'm putting this year to bed. Starting with me. Right now. Thanks to everybody for voting (FANTASTIC turnout this year!)