TOP 100 People of 2004

By Whitney Matheson

Each year, when compiling this humongous column, I ask myself which pop-culture figures affected me the most during the past 12 months. Not tabloid magazine sales - just little, entertainment-lovin' me.

Hopefully, this list will both ring true (I know I'm not the only one who loved that Loretta Lynn record!) and turn you on to some stuff you missed:

100. Torben Ulrich.
99. Aamer Haleem.
98. Lynne Truss.
97. Jonathan Antin.
96. Wilmer Valderrama.
95. Rachel Dratch.
94. Courtney Love
93. John Leland.
92. Jane Birkin
91. Dave Eggers.
90. Garry Trudeau.
89. Ellen Muth.
88. Flavor Flav.
87. Thomas Lennon.
86. John Stevens.
85. Rodney Dangerfield.

84. Eugene Mirman. In an ideal world, Eugene would become the next Seinfeld, dominating airwaves with his deadpan humor (it doesn't get any funnier than drugs and death and sex and children!). For now, though, I'm content with a couple comedy shows a year and the occasional rerun of the Cartoon Network's Home Movies, on which Eugene voices a Russian kid named, simply, Eugene.

83. Katherine Moennig.
82. Jessa Crispin.
81. Nellie McKay.
80. Lily Tomlin.
79. Jeremy Piven.
78. Kal Penn.
77. Johnny Ramone.
76. Keiko Agena.
75. Ellen DeGeneres.
74. The Cure.
73. Amy Cutler.
72. Drea de Matteo.
71. SpongeBob SquarePants.
70. The Whedonesque gang.
69. Regis Philbin.
68. Lauren Ambrose.
67. Ted Kooser.
66. Clive Owen.
65. Mel Gibson.
64. Art Spiegelman.
63. Sonic Youth.
62. Michael Pitt.
61. Jenny Lewis.
60. Penn Jillette.
59. Richard Kelly.
58. Craig Kilborn.
57. Kristen Bell.
56. Ken Jennings.
55. Mark Ruffalo.
54. Prince.
53. James Kochalka.
52. Bjork.
51. Chip Kidd.
50. Tom Waits.
49. Thomas Haden Church.
48. Britney Spears.
47. Martha Stewart.
46. Dustin Hoffman.
45. Daryl Hannah.
44. Gael Garcia Bernal.
43. Wilco.
42. Peter Sarsgaard.
41. David Boreanaz.
40. Vincent Gallo.
39. Marjane Satrapi.
38. Jamie Foxx.
37. Bob Dylan.
36. Julie Delpy.
35. Steve Buscemi
34. Amy Poehler.
33. Donald Trump.
32. Laura Dern.
31. William Shatner.
30. Naveen Andrews.
29. Lindsay Lohan.
28. Jim Jarmusch.
27. Jeffrey Brown.
26. Joaquin Phoenix.
25. R.E.M.
24. Guided by Voices.
23. Loretta Lynn.
22. Matthew Fox.
21. Interpol.
20. Christopher Reeve.
19. David Cross.
18. Chris Ware.
17. Will Arnett.
16. Dave Chappelle.
15. Morgan Spurlock.
14. Beastie Boys.
13. The Pixies.
12. Patti Smith.
11. Adam Brody.
10. Michael Moore.
9. Bill Murray.
8. Kate Winslet.
7. Natalie Portman.
6. Bono.
5. Zach Braff.
4. Morrissey.
3. Napoleon Dynamite.
2. Johnny Depp.
1. Jon Stewart