My FAVORITE ALBUMS Of 2022

2022 ended up being an excellent year for music, and it bums me out a bit that I haven’t been able to digest every great record from the year. I suppose that’s an impossible task, but nevertheless, I decided to highlight my 40 favorite albums of 2022 and a slew of other fantastic records.

Keep in mind, there are plenty of outstanding records I missed out on, so don’t get upset or have a vendetta against me if your personal favorite isn’t on the list. Feel free to recommend some 2022 records you enjoy, especially if you don’t see it listed below. Regardless, here are my 40 favorites of the year as of this moment.

40. Otoboke beaver - SUPER CHAMPON

My partner Sydney showed me this record, and I’m glad she did. SUPER CHAMPON is a concise 21 minutes spread over 18 tracks, and there’s enough variety over each short track that keeps it fresh. It’s also insanely catchy. Thank you Sydney!

39. Earl Sweatshirt - Sick!

Been a massive fan of Earl since high school and was quite ecstatic when I saw he had a record dropping in 2022. Though I enjoy his last full-length from 2018—Some Rap Songs—a bit more, Sick! is still packed with everything there is to love about Earl’s music. Awesome record.

38. The Chats - Get Fricked

I don’t remember how I came across The Chats, but Get Fricked (spelled differently if you catch my drift, yay for being family-friendly) is fast and loaded with quotable lyricism. Just an all-around great punk record. I need to check out their debut from 2020 at some point.

37. The 1975 - Being Funny In A Foreign Language

Who doesn’t love The 1975 in the year 2022? Being Funny In A Foreign Language is definitely a lot clearer than the group’s previous releases, and it makes for a great listen over the 11 tracks.

36. Kendrick Lamar. - Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers

The biggest rapper in the world is back in 2022 with Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Though it’s practically impossible for Kendrick to surpass the high of To Pimp a Butterfly and Damn, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers still rocks. It also has one of the best opening tracks I’ve heard to a record in recent memory.

35. Quelle Chris - DEATHFAME

Quelle Chris doesn’t miss (hey, look at me making a corny rhyme) and DEATHFAME rules. If you’re a fan of conscious hip hop, pretty much anything from Quelle Chris is worth checking out.

34. Cloakroom - Dissolution Wave

I’m a huge fan of shoegaze, and Cloakroom is one of the most satisfying modern shoegaze bands in my opinion. Dissolution Wave has the fuzz and atmospheric layers throughout that make for a fascinating listen.

33. Petrol Girls - Baby

Baby is an excellent modern punk record that fuses elements of post-hardcore, noise rock, and math rock. If you know anything about me, you know that’s right up my alley. Every song rips; give it a listen!

32. OFF! - Free LSD

Seems like in every record store I go into, I see a poster for OFF!’s latest, Free Lsd, and it makes sense why. Free Lsd is a gritty combination of stoner rock and punk, a blend I’ve been somewhat oblivious to prior to hearing this album. All around incredible record.

31. Beach House - Once Twice Melody

I’ve been fairly unaware of Beach House for whatever reason, but thankfully, I got a chance to dive into the group after reading a few articles discussing Once Twice Melody. It’s a relaxing listen, swooping through dream pop and neo-psychedelia.

30. Viagra Boys - Cave World

I love Viagra Boys, and Cave World is a fantastic follow-up to the group’s 2021 record Welfare Jazz. I don’t know which album I like more, but that’s a good thing, considering how much I enjoyed their previous album.

29. Little Simz - NO THANK YOU

Seems like Little Simz can’t miss, with NO THANK YOU being a nearly immaculate hip-hop record from the year. The record is packed with emotional rawness, great lyricism, and subtle rhythms tightened with orchestral instrumentation.

28. Steve Lacy - Gemini Rights

Few artists blew up in 2022 as much as Steve Lacy. Having the number one song in the U.S. for a while with Bad Habits, Steve Lacy has the quality and skill of Prince in a modern setting. Can’t wait to see what Lacy does next.

27. Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems

About every best of Hardcore or Punk list has Soul Glo’s Diaspora Problems on it somewhere, and if you’re a hardcore fan, you’ll love it. The energy and anger are set to their highest intensity, resulting in an extraordinary album to enjoy.

26. Floating Points - Someone Close

If you follow my blog at all, then you know I had Floating Points collaborative effort Promises as my favorite record of 2021. I usually change up my favorites list every couple of weeks (yay for indecisiveness), but I stand by it. As for Floating Points' newest release, it rules; check it out!

25. Yard Act - The Overload

The Overload is a debut record from the post-punk band Yard Act. I love post-punk and am overjoyed whenever a newer band gains traction within the genre. What a promising start for the group; can’t wait to see what’s to come.

24. Soccer Mommy - Sometimes, Forever

Yet another record that me and my partner Sydney bond over. Sometimes, Forever has the catchiness and likability of her 2020 release Color Theory but takes a step forward artistically and sonically. Big fan!

23. Perfume Genius - Ugly Season

Ugly Season is everything I love in a record. The chamber pop record is an evolution, more or less, of Perfume Genius as an artist and pushes the genre in a way few records have done. You give me a record that walks the lines of experimentalism and accessibility; you know I’ll love it.

22. Ethel Cain - Preacher's Daughter

I can’t recall a recent debut album that’s this expansive, but that’s definitely not a bad thing. Besides being a fantastic Americana dream pop record, it’s also a concept album! My teen years are in utter joy since they were filled with Rush and Yes albums.

21. Danger Mouse & Black Thought - Cheat Codes

Pretty much anything from Danger Mouse is worth listening and Cheat Codes being a great album isn’t much of a surprise. It flows effortlessly, has absurd beats, and zero skips over its 38-minute run time. Not to mention Black Thought’s exceptional wordplay.

20. Porridge Radio - Back To The Radio

Back To The Radio has an exciting combination of post-punk and art rock with emotionally layered lyricism and a vocal delivery reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel. All of it blended together works so well, and I’m sad I didn’t know more about the group until recently.

19. beabadoobee - Beatopia

For yet another breakthrough artist of 2022, we have beabadoobee and her second studio album Beatopia. It’s a progressive pop record that is ridiculously catchy, easy on the ears, and deals with themes of human emotion and relationships. It rocks!

18. Jean Dawson - CHAOS NOW*

It’s hard to describe precisely what CHAOS NOW* is genre-wise, and that’s part of what makes it so great. Jean Dawson is truly an artist, and I’m so captivated by this record and the scope of it alone. There’s a song on here for everyone.

17. Alex G - God Save the Animals

Pretty much everyone I show Alex G to ends up loving his music, and it’s nice to see Sandy have so much success with his latest, God Save the Animals. Runner is one of my most played tracks of the year, and the rest of the record rips too.

16. chat pile - God's Country

Who knew that noise rock and sludge metal could work so well together? God’s Country is hard and heavy with a noise layer that excites me musically in every way. It reminds me a bit of The Jesus Lizard but is original enough not to be derivative at all.

15. Boris - W

I don’t think anyone expected Boris to release a drone shoegaze record in 2022, but I’m glad they did. Though a bit polarizing for fans who expect another stoner metal ripper, W is a nice departure from what the group’s known for. Let artists freely express themselves!

14. Billy Woods - Aethiopes

Is there a rapper with better lyricism and delivery than Billy Woods? I suppose there aren’t many who come close, with pretty much everyone on the music dweeb subreddits (me included) excited about Aethiopes. It’s a darkly poetic record filled with profound coatings of introspection.

13. Wet Leg - Wet Leg

Not many artists had as much of a breakthrough in 2022 as Wet Leg. The group’s self-titled debut features everything there is to love about the group, utilizing elements of indie pop and post-punk. I don’t think there’s ever been a post-punk record this palatable.

12. Alvvays - Blue Rev

I’m a sucker for shoegaze! Especially when it’s combined with dream pop and noise pop, making an incredible listen over its nearly 40-minute run-time. Everything from Blue Rev works for me, and it's a beautifully fun, noisy, and poppy ride.

11. Walter Smith III, Matthew Stevens, Kris Davis, Dave Holland, Terri Lyne Carrington - In Common III

I admit that I didn’t explore jazz as much in 2022 as I have in previous years. I suppose I’ll need to check out more 2022 jazz releases later in the year. Thankfully, I came across In Common III, a varied jazz record encompassing colorful pieces paired with melodic stylings.

10. The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention

If you’re a fan of Radiohead then you’re aware of A Light For Attracting Attention. If not, it’s the debut alternative art rock record from the group featuring Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead and drummer Tom Skinner. It has all the elements of an excellent Radiohead record while being separate enough to be its own thing. I love it.

9. Weyes Blood - And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow

And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow is a challenging record to declare genre-wise. I suppose it’s a singer-songwriter record, utilizing elements of soft rock and art pop. Employing themes of existentialism, the record is lush, ethereal, and bittersweet in the best way.

8. Black midi - Hellfire

If you haven’t been skipping through the article, then you know how much I love Rush and Yes, specifically in my teenage years. Though progressive rock isn’t at the same popularity metric as the 1970s, there are still many great groups today that carry the torch from those iconic bands. Black midi is one of those groups, departing from the progressive rock nature of their previous release, Cavalcade, and instead, are experimenting with a contemporary variation of Primus on Hellfire. It rules!

7. Conway the Machine - God Don't Make Mistakes

Anything the Griselda group releases is worth listening to, but Conway the Machine elevates his personal musicianship and artistry with his second studio album God Don’t Make Mistakes. Filled with exciting yet straightforward instrumentation, Conway delivers a laidback flow, serving his more-or-less life story very well. Few rap records have this level of lyricism.

6. Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future

I’m not entirely sure which record I prefer between Denzel Curry and Conway the Machine’s 2022 releases, but here I am, having Melt My Eyez See Your Future ranked sixth. This is a complete change of pace for Curry, following a conscious hip-hop route instead of his usual trap or banger energy style, highlighting Curry’s lyrical abilities paired with some truly groundbreaking production.

5. Skullcrusher - Quiet the Room

Few debut records have mesmerized and impressed me as much as Quiet the Room from indie folk musician Skullcrusher. The melancholic nature of the record is haunting throughout its nearly 42-minute run-time. It’s an ambitious debut with so much to admire and appreciate.

4. Florist - Florist

Florist’s latest record showcases the possibilities of atmospheric and mellow sounds with lyrically dense songwriting. Some may find the interludes a little much, but I think it adds to the overarching theme of the record. It’s extremely impressive what Florist manages to showcase in this release.

3. Tomberlin - i don't know who needs to hear this…

I may be a little biased due to my love of Chamber folk, but I can’t stop listening to Tomberlin’s i don't know who needs to hear this… The introspective and longing for more motifs of the record are done well, and it works to another level thanks to Sarah’s soft and soothing vocal delivery. Can’t recommend this record enough.

2. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There 

These last two spots have been a coin toss for me throughout the year, but now we’re here, and I have to rank them. Woohoo. Regardless, Ants From Up There is a flawless album that beautifully sends off Isaac Wood’s legacy after he departed from the group earlier this year. The post-rock and art rock album is breathtaking and enchanting to the fullest extent.

1. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You

I pretty much knew as soon as I heard Big Thief’s Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You that it’d end up at the top of my year-end list. To have a record with 20 tracks, none of which are skippable, is an accomplishment in and of itself. Indie folk is alive and well, thanks to records like this.

Other Great Albums of 2022

700 Bliss - Nothing to Declare

Adeem the Artist - White Trash Revelry

Alabaster dePlume - Gold - Go Forward in the Courage of Your Love

Aldous Harding - Warm Chris

Alex Cameron - Oxy Music

Amber Mark - Three Dimensions Deep

Animal Collective - Time Skiffs

Anxious - Little Green House

Ari Lennox - age/sex/location

Artificial Brain - Self-Titled

Asian Glow - Stalled Flutes, Means

Axel Boman - LUZ / Quest for Fire

Benny the Butcher - Tana Talk

Beth Orton - Weather Alive

Boris - Heavy Rocks

Brian Eno - FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE

BROCKHAMPTON - The Family

Candy - Heaven Is Here

Charlotte Adigéry / Bolis Pupul - Topical Dancer

Cheekface - Too Much to Ask

Daniel Rossen - You Belong There

Daphni - Cherry

Destroyer - Labyrinthitis

Drug Church - Hygiene

Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork

Duster - Together

EarthGang - Ghetto Gods

End It - Unpleasant Living

FKA twigs - CAPRISONGS

Florence + the Machine - Dance Fever

Foxtails - fawn

Freddie Gibbs - $oul $old $eparately

Gilla Band - Most Normal

Gospel - The Loser

Grace Ives - Janky Star

Haru Nemuri - Shunka Ryougen

Hatchie - Giving the World Away

Huerco S. - Plonk

Iannis Xenakis - Electroacoustic Works

Jid - The Forever Story

Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B

Kilo Kish - American Gurl

Krallice - Crystalline Exhaustion

Leikeli47 - Shape Up

Lobsterfight - Sun Soaking

Lucrecia Dalt - ¡Ay!

Lupe Fiasco - Drill Music in Zion

Mabe Fratti - Se Ve Desde Aquí

Machine+ - Variations On…

Mavi - Laughing so Hard, it Hurts

Metric - Formentera

Mindforce - New Lords

MJ Lenderman - Boat Songs

Natalia Lafourcade - De todas las flores

Nilüfer Yanya - Painless

Open Mike Eagle - a tape called component system with the auto reverse

Oso Oso - Sore Thumb

Pusha T - It’s Almost Dry

Rachika Nayar - Heaven Come Crashing

Ravyn Lenae - HYPNOS

Richard Dawson - The Ruby Cord

Roc Marciano / The Alchemist - The Elephant Man’s Bones

Rosalía - MOTOMAMI

Saba - Few Good Things

Sadness - Tortuga

Sam Prekop / John McEntire - Sons Of

SAULT - Air

Silvana Estrada - Marchita

Smino - Luv 4 Rent

Soul Blind - Feel It All Around

Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful

Sports - Get A Good Look

Stormzy - This Is What I Mean

Sudan Archives - Natural Brown Prom Queen

Sweet Trip - Seen / Unseen

SZA - SOS

Terror - Pain Into Power

The Cool Kids - Before Sh!t Got Weird

Toro y Moi - Mahal

Uboa / vi a. - Dead Time's Broken Arrow

Westside Gunn - 10

yeule - Glitch Princess

And countless others…