List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 2002

A woman with long brown hair wearing a purple dress and singing into a microphone
Celine Dion's "A New Day Has Come" held the number one spot on the Adult Contemporary chart for a record-breaking 21 consecutive weeks.

Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 2002, nine different songs topped the chart in 52 issues of the magazine, based on weekly airplay data from radio stations compiled by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems.

In the first issue of Billboard of the new year, the number one song was "Simple Things", a collaboration between pianist Jim Brickman and singer Rebecca Lynn Howard, which moved into the top spot that week.[1] Unusually, despite going all the way to number one on the AC listing, the song did not enter Billboard's all-genre chart, the Hot 100, at all. Brickman, whose recordings mix pop and New-age music,[2] has regularly placed songs on the AC chart since the 1990s,[3] but "Valentine", which reached number 50 in 1997, is his only song ever to cross over to the Hot 100.[4] After one week in the top spot, "Simple Things" was displaced by "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias, which spent eleven weeks at number one, adding to the four which it had accumulated at the end of 2001.

In the issue of Billboard dated March 30, Canadian singer Celine Dion, one of the most successful pop/AC acts of all time, reached number one with "A New Day Has Come", the lead single from her first album after a hiatus from the music business during which she gave birth to her first child.[5] The song would go on to hold the top spot for 21 consecutive weeks, breaking the record for the highest total number of weeks atop the AC chart previously shared by "You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins (1999) and Dion's own "Because You Loved Me" (1996), both of which spent 19 weeks at number one.[6] Such lengthy spells in the top spot would become a feature of the AC chart in the 21st century: by 2019 a further eight songs had spent 20 or more weeks at number one.[7] None of 2002's AC chart-toppers reached number one on the Hot 100;[8] in the fall "Do It for Love" by Hall & Oates became the second song of the year to top the AC listing without entering the Hot 100 at all.[9] The number one position on the Hot 100 was largely dominated in 2002 by R&B and hip-hop artists such as Ashanti and Nelly.[8] The only act with more than one AC number one during the year was vocalist Josh Groban, who topped the chart for two weeks with "To Where You Are" in August and returned to the top spot in the final issue of Billboard of the year with his rendition of the 19th century Christmas song "O Holy Night".

Chart history

A dark-haired man wearing a dark shirt and jeans, sitting with his hands folded in his lap
Pianist Jim Brickman collaborated with vocalist Rebecca Lynn Howard on "Simple Things", the year's first chart-topper.
A young man wearing jeans and a hockey jersey singing into a microphone on stage
Singer Josh Groban was the only act with more than one AC number one in 2002.
Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias spent a total of 11 weeks at number one with his song "Hero".
A young woman with long dark hair wearing a purple dress and a large necklace
Vanessa Carlton spent seven weeks at number one with "A Thousand Miles".
Key
† Indicates best-performing AC song of 2002[10]
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 5 "Simple Things" Jim Brickman with Rebecca Lynn Howard [1]
January 12 "Hero" † Enrique Iglesias [11]
January 19 [12]
January 26 [13]
February 2 [14]
February 9 [15]
February 16 [16]
February 23 [17]
March 2 [18]
March 9 [19]
March 16 [20]
March 23 [21]
March 30 "A New Day Has Come" Celine Dion [22]
April 6 [23]
April 13 [24]
April 20 [25]
April 27 [26]
May 4 [27]
May 11 [28]
May 18 [29]
May 25 [30]
June 1 [31]
June 8 [32]
June 15 [33]
June 22 [34]
June 29 [35]
July 6 [36]
July 13 [37]
July 20 [38]
July 27 [39]
August 3 [40]
August 10 [41]
August 17 [42]
August 24 "To Where You Are" Josh Groban [43]
August 31 [44]
September 7 "Do It for Love" Hall & Oates [45]
September 14 [46]
September 21 "A Thousand Miles" Vanessa Carlton [47]
September 28 [48]
October 5 [49]
October 12 [50]
October 19 [51]
October 26 [52]
November 2 [53]
November 9 "Cry" Faith Hill [54]
November 16 [55]
November 23 [56]
November 30 "Can't Stop Loving You" Phil Collins [57]
December 7 "Cry" Faith Hill [58]
December 14 [59]
December 21 [60]
December 28 "O Holy Night" Josh Groban [61]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Adult Contemporary: Jan 05, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  2. ^ Brennan, Sandra. "Jim Brickman Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  3. ^ "Jim Brickman Chart History:Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  4. ^ "Jim Brickman Chart History:Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  5. ^ Yeung, Neil Z. "Céline Dion Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  6. ^ "Chart Beat Bonus". Billboard. October 3, 2003. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  7. ^ Trust, Gary (June 24, 2019). "Maroon 5's 'Girls Like You' Ties Record for Longest Reign on Adult Contemporary Chart". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Nickelback to Nelly: No.1 Songs From 2002". Billboard. July 25, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  9. ^ "Daryl Hall John Oates Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  10. ^ "Billboard Adult Contemporary Year End, 2002" (PDF). Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  11. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Jan 12, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  12. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Jan 19, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  13. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Jan 26, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  14. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Feb 02, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  15. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Feb 09, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  16. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Feb 16, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  17. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Feb 23, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  18. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Mar 02, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  19. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Mar 09, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  20. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Mar 16, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  21. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Mar 23, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  22. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Mar 30, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  23. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Apr 06, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  24. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Apr 13, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  25. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Apr 20, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  26. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Apr 27, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  27. ^ "Adult Contemporary: May 04, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  28. ^ "Adult Contemporary: May 11, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  29. ^ "Adult Contemporary: May 18, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  30. ^ "Adult Contemporary: May 25, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  31. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Jun 01, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  32. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Jun 08, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  33. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Jun 15, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  34. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Jun 22, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  35. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Jun 29, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  36. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Jul 06, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  37. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Jul 13, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  38. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Jul 20, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  39. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Jul 27, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  40. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Aug 03, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  41. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Aug 10, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  42. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Aug 17, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  43. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Aug 24, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  44. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Aug 31, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  45. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Sep 07, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  46. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Sep 14, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  47. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Sep 21, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  48. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Sep 28, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  49. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Oct 05, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  50. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Oct 12, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  51. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Oct 19, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  52. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Oct 26, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  53. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Nov 02, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  54. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Nov 09, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  55. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Nov 16, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  56. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Nov 23, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  57. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Nov 30, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  58. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Dec 07, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  59. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Dec 14, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  60. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Dec 21, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  61. ^ "Adult Contemporary: Dec 28, 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2016.