What an amazing year of music. It was quite hard to narrow down to a top 50, as there were so many great releases in 2022.
Year 16 of doing this list and, as always, it's a fun distraction and a great discussion starter. Let me know if there's anything that I missed that you enjoyed. I could have easily thrown in Birds in Row, Wilco, First Aid Kit, SZA (late release), Little Simz (even later release), Gift, Meat Wave, Momma, Marlowe, or The Linda Lindas.
50 Crows - Beware Believers
Post-Punk | London, England
Room 156
Closer Still
Slowly Separate
Garden of Eden
49 The Backseat Lovers - Waiting to Spill
Indie Rock | Salt Lake City, UT
Growing/Dying
Growing/Dying
48 Weird Nightmare - Weird Nightmare
Noise Rock | Toronto, Canada
Wrecked
Searching for You
Lusitania
Noise Rock | Toronto, Canada
Wrecked
Searching for You
Lusitania
47 Jean Dawson - Chaos Now*
Alternative Rock | Los Angeles, CA
Three Heads
Sick of It
Alternative Rock | Los Angeles, CA
Three Heads
Sick of It
46 Fred Again.. - Actual Life 3
Progressive House | London, England
Clara (the night is dark)
Progressive House | London, England
Clara (the night is dark)
45 Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa
Alternative Rock | Austin, TX
Wild
The Hardest Cut
Alternative Rock | Austin, TX
Wild
The Hardest Cut
44 Kae Tempest - The Line is a Curve
Conscious Hip-Hop | London, England
More Pressure
Move
No Prizes
Salt Coast
More Pressure
Move
No Prizes
Salt Coast
43 No Devotion - No Oblivion
Alternative Rock | Brooklyn, NY
Starlings
Repeaters
No Oblivion
Alternative Rock | Brooklyn, NY
Starlings
Repeaters
No Oblivion
42 Wunderhorse - Cub
Indie Rock | London, England
Leader of the Pack
Girl Behind the Glass
Indie Rock | London, England
Leader of the Pack
Girl Behind the Glass
41 Amanda Shires - Take It Like a Man
Americana | Nashville, TN
Hawk for the Dove
Bad Behavior
Take It Like a Man
Americana | Nashville, TN
Hawk for the Dove
Bad Behavior
Take It Like a Man
40 King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum
Psychedelic Rock | Melbourne, Australia
Magenta Mountain
Magenta Mountain
39 Yard Act - The Overload
Post-Punk | Leeds, England
100% Endurance
Post-Punk | Leeds, England
100% Endurance
38 High Vis - Blending
Post-Punk | London, England
37 Mitski - Laurel Hell
Art Pop | Brooklyn, NY
36 Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Endless Rooms
Jangle Pop | Melbourne, Australia
35 The Big Moon - Here is Everything
Indie Pop | London, England
34 Cola - Deep in View
Post-Punk | Montreal, Canada
33 Phoenix - Alpha Zulu
Indie Pop | Paris, France
32 Sampa the Great - As Above, So Below
Hip-Hop | Sydney, Australia
31 DITZ - The Great Regression
Noise Rock | Brighton, England
30 Oso Oso - Sore Thumb
Indie Rock | Long Beach, NY
29 Nilufer Yanya - Painless
Indie Rock | London, England
28 The Black Angels - Wilderness of Mirrors
Psychedelic Rock | Austin, TX
27 Dazy - OutofBody
Power Pop | Richmond, VA
26 Gentle Sinners - These Actions Cannot Be Undone
Indie Rock | Glasgow, Scotland
25 Loyle Camer - hugo
Hip-Hop | London, England
24 Sorry - Anywhere but Here
Indie Rock | London, England
23 Wet Leg - Wet Leg
Post-Punk Revival | Isle of Wight, England
22 Angel Olsen - Big Time
Americana | St. Louis, MO
21 Sharon Van Etten - We've Been Going About This All Wrong
Dream Pop | Brooklyn, NY
20 Black Country, New Road - Ants from Up There
Post-Punk | London, England
19 The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field
Indie Rock | Auckland, New Zealand
18 Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
Indie Folk | Brooklyn, NY
17 Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future
Hip-Hop | Los Angeles, CA
16 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cool It Down
Indie Rock | New York, NY
15 Drug Church - Hygiene
Punk Rock | Albany, NY
14 King Hannah - I'm Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me
Alternative Rock | Liverpool, England
13 Horsegirl - Versions of Modern Performance
Indie Rock | Chicago, IL
Anti-Glory
Anti-Glory
12 Danger Mouse & Black Thought - Cheat Codes
Hip-Hop | Philadelphia, PA; Los Angeles, CA
11 Brutus - Unison Life
Post-Hardcore | Leuven, Belgium
10 Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
Hip-Hop | Compton, CA
09 The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention
Art Rock | Oxford, England
08 Sudan Archives - Natural Brown Prom Queen
Alternative R&B | Los Angeles, CA
Home Maker
Home Maker
07 Pusha T - It's Almost Dry
Hip-Hop | Virginia Beach, VA
06 Just Mustard - Heart Under
Post-Punk | Dublin, Ireland
05 Alvvays - Blue Rev
Indie Rock | Toronto, Canada
04 Alex G - God Save the Animals
Indie Rock | Philadelphia, PA
03 Plosivs - Plosivs
Post-Hardcore | San Diego, CA
02 Beach House - Once Twice Melody
Dream Pop | Baltimore, MD
01 Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia
Post Punk | Dublin, Ireland
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