Editing 2002 in music (section)

===July–August===
* [[July 6]] – [[Michael Jackson]] stages a public protest against [[Sony Music]] chairman [[Tommy Mottola]], accusing him of taking part in a racist conspiracy within the music industry to exploit black recording artists. Sony responds with a statement calling Jackson's remarks "ludicrous, spiteful and hurtful."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1455976/michael-jackson-calls-tommy-mottola-racist.jhtml |title=Michael Jackson Shocks Al Sharpton By Calling Tommy Mottola A Racist |author=Jennifer Vineyard  |date=July 8, 2002 |publisher=MTV |access-date=November 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329130319/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1455976/michael-jackson-calls-tommy-mottola-racist.jhtml|archive-date=2014-03-29}}</ref>
* [[July 9]] – [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]'s 8th studio album [[By The Way]] is released. It sold 286,000 copies in the United States during the first week, peaking at #2 on [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. It went on to sell over 2 million copies in the US, being certified double platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]].
* [[July 12]] – [[Buckcherry]] breaks up on the heels of lead singer [[Josh Todd (musician)|Josh Todd]]'s decision to quit the group.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.antimusic.com/news/2002/july/item17.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020802053522/http://www.antimusic.com/news/2002/july/item17.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 2, 2002 |title=musicNEWS: Buckcherry Breaks Up |date=July 12, 2002 |publisher=antiMUSIC |access-date=November 21, 2012}}</ref> They would reunite in 2005.
* [[July 20]]–21 – The [[Splendour in the Grass]] music festival takes place in [[Byron Bay, New South Wales|Byron Bay]], [[Australia]], headlined by [[Gomez (band)|Gomez]] and [[Supergrass]].
* [[July 23]] – My Chemical Romance's first album, "I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love" is released to the public.
* [[July 28]] – The [[Area Festival#Area2|Area2 Festival]], featuring headline acts Moby, [[David Bowie]], [[Busta Rhymes]], [[Ash (band)|Ash]], and [[Blue Man Group]], begins a three-week tour in Washington, DC.
* [[August 17]] – The Snow Mountain Music Festival opens in Lijiang, China.<ref>[http://www.cuijian.com/english/pages/news/snowmt/media/press/press.htm Snow Mountain Music Festival – Press Release]  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414220129/http://www.cuijian.com/english/pages/news/snowmt/media/press/press.htm |date=April 14, 2012 }}</ref>
* [[August 19]] – [[Nickelback]] leaves the stage during the second song of their performance at the Ilha do Ermal festival in Portugal after being relentlessly pelted with rocks and bottles by the crowd.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=5561 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130221063158/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=5561 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 21, 2013 |title=NICKELBACK Walk Off Stage At Portuguese Festival After Being Pelted With Rocks, Bottles |date=August 20, 2002 |work=[[Blabbermouth.net]] |access-date=November 21, 2012 }}</ref>
* [[August 27]] – [[Queens of the Stone Age]] release their critically acclaimed album [[Songs for the Deaf]], featuring [[Dave Grohl]] on drums. The album earned the band their first Gold certification in the United States on January 27, 2003, selling over 500,000 copies.