CNN.com - A look at music's top sellers of 2002

By Alisha Davis
CNN Headline News

(CNN) -- The title of 2002's biggest album pretty much sums up the year in music: "The Eminem Show."

Detroit rapper Eminem was ubiquitous in 2002, popping up everywhere, from the top of the Billboard music charts to the big screen at multiplexes across the country.

With album sales from "The Eminem Show" approaching 7 million copies so far, he wears the crown as the year's biggest artist.

Throw in his soundtrack album to the film "8 Mile" and Em's total album sales approach 10 million for the year.

"It was the year of hip-hop," says Rolling Stone's Kirk Miller.

The proof: It was fellow rapper Nelly who provided Eminem with his only real competition in the race to the top, landing in the No. 2 spot with 4.2 million copies of "Nellyville" sold.

Not only did the hip-hop nation grow even larger this year, but country music also had a 2002 to sing about.

Powered by his hit song "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," which hit home with many Americans, Alan Jackson's "Drive" made the year's top five -- a first for a country disc in recent years.

Take a wider look at the top 10 albums of the year and Nashville is all over the map. The "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack was the year's seventh bestseller, and the Dixie Chicks landed at No. 9 with their latest, "Home."

While hip-hop and country were bright spots this year, the overall picture in the music industry was murky indeed.

Rocker Avril Lavigne's "Let's Go" was the third best selling album of 2002.

Total album sales slumped by 13 percent, with R&B -- a chart staple last year -- singing the blues. (Newcomer Ashanti was the exception with a No. 4 album to be "Happy" about.)

The bubble also popped on pop singer Britney Spears and her teenage clique.

Perhaps most surprising in 2002 was that the guys and gals with guitars did not have a big sales year. Last year, rockers Linkin Park were the year's best sellers.

This year, the best the genre could muster was Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne, who landed with a snarl at No. 3 with her album "Let Go."

Certainly bands like the Strokes, the Hives, the Vines and the White Stripes got a lot of people talking, but according to Soundscan -- a firm that tracks music retail sales -- the buzz didn't translate into ka-ching at the registers.