Top 20 Music Albums of 2022
by 
ForegroundNoise 
The third year in a row I've consciously tried to make a AOTY list. Still a couple of things to listen to left, but pretty sure this will be my top 20. Despite 2022 having two of my favourite albums of the decade so far early in the year, the rest of it never managed to live up to its strong start – was barely able to cobble together 20 albums that were good enough for this list. What's shocking too is that there was almost nothing in the short release (<30 mins) category worth noting here, the exceptions being Ka's fantastic twin albums.
=UPDATE 2026=
Funnily enough, many of my favourite records from 2022 I've found in the years since -- I Looked Out, Niineta, Läuten der Seele and the collab albums by Ellen Arkbro & Johan Graden, and KMRU & Aho Ssan are all more recent additions. As for short releases, Marina Herlop's Pripyat and the physical only CD Bar Italia handed out at their Hackney November show are two of the decade's very best. The end result is a reappraisal of 2022 -- a year as strong as any of its neighbours.
- Chart updated: 03/24/2026 22:15
- (Created: 01/07/2022 14:54).
- Chart size: 20 albums.
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____________________________________________________________________________
art rock • post-rock • chamber pop
(Ninja Tune, 58:46)
9/10
"You walk up on the raised edge
Hands out for balance
Slipping, you almost grab mine, but you find your feet
And I never wanted so much someone to fall"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 02/17/2022]
art rock • post-rock • chamber pop
(Ninja Tune, 58:46)
9/10
"You walk up on the raised edge
Hands out for balance
Slipping, you almost grab mine, but you find your feet
And I never wanted so much someone to fall"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 02/17/2022]
Year of Release:
2022
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,264
Rank in 2022:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
____________________________________________________________________________
post-industrial • opera • experimental
(PAN, 54:54)
8.5/10
"Why do I have to
Why do I have to
Why do I have to"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 02/08/2022]
post-industrial • opera • experimental
(PAN, 54:54)
8.5/10
"Why do I have to
Why do I have to
Why do I have to"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 02/08/2022]
____________________________________________________________________________
avant-folk • free folk
(Glitterbeat, 77:10)
8/10
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/18/2022]
avant-folk • free folk
(Glitterbeat, 77:10)
8/10
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/18/2022]
____________________________________________________________________________
art pop • glitch pop
(Rough Trade, 44:13)
8/10
"She tortured me still
With the darkest spell
Fought about like forever and ever
She pulled on my hair,
Whispered in my ear
'You fucking love
You love to fuck
To fuck it up'
Fucking listen to her sing"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/26/2022]
art pop • glitch pop
(Rough Trade, 44:13)
8/10
"She tortured me still
With the darkest spell
Fought about like forever and ever
She pulled on my hair,
Whispered in my ear
'You fucking love
You love to fuck
To fuck it up'
Fucking listen to her sing"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/26/2022]
Year of Release:
2022
Appears in:
Rank Score:
753
Rank in 2022:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
____________________________________________________________________________
art pop • experimental
(Matador, 52:14)
8/10
"Our body is stretched
And holding one breath
And sharpen the palm
And sever the flesh
Harvest the pit
And spit out the rest"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 06/26/2022]
art pop • experimental
(Matador, 52:14)
8/10
"Our body is stretched
And holding one breath
And sharpen the palm
And sever the flesh
Harvest the pit
And spit out the rest"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 06/26/2022]
Year of Release:
2022
Appears in:
Rank Score:
354
Rank in 2022:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
____________________________________________________________________________
experimental hip hop • abstract hip hop • jazz rap
(Total Works, 82:56)
7.5/10
"Ears of a virgin, we on the front streets splurging
Pour some libations, for the trap door workers
Run a living to the river, they was great surgeon
By the pyramids, creeps in the night, lurkers"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 02/22/2022]
experimental hip hop • abstract hip hop • jazz rap
(Total Works, 82:56)
7.5/10
"Ears of a virgin, we on the front streets splurging
Pour some libations, for the trap door workers
Run a living to the river, they was great surgeon
By the pyramids, creeps in the night, lurkers"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 02/22/2022]
____________________________________________________________________________
abstract hip hop • experimental hip hop
(Backwoodz, 36:40)
7.5/10
"When the revolution was over, they gave 'em half what they promised
Let's be honest
And the ones who bust they guns went home to tin cups of tea that same plate of porridge (Let's be honest)
Wake up thinking 'bout the ones they left in the forest
It's no church in the wild
My uncle told me they can't bury that many bodies they burned 'em in piles
It was dark
I could see his teeth, it wasn't a smile"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/24/2022]
abstract hip hop • experimental hip hop
(Backwoodz, 36:40)
7.5/10
"When the revolution was over, they gave 'em half what they promised
Let's be honest
And the ones who bust they guns went home to tin cups of tea that same plate of porridge (Let's be honest)
Wake up thinking 'bout the ones they left in the forest
It's no church in the wild
My uncle told me they can't bury that many bodies they burned 'em in piles
It was dark
I could see his teeth, it wasn't a smile"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/24/2022]
____________________________________________________________________________
screamo • post-hardcore
(Red Creek, 42:54)
7.5/10
"You punished me with a smile
You punished me with a smile
I once was your slave, once your lover, once a fraud, once your mirror
A smile to hide the insides, as if our insides had limits
A smile to hide the insides, as if our insides had limits
I'm drooling, I'm sweating, I'm pissing, I'm shitting my feelings on green carpets of love
In your Eden of teeth"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 12/09/2022]
screamo • post-hardcore
(Red Creek, 42:54)
7.5/10
"You punished me with a smile
You punished me with a smile
I once was your slave, once your lover, once a fraud, once your mirror
A smile to hide the insides, as if our insides had limits
A smile to hide the insides, as if our insides had limits
I'm drooling, I'm sweating, I'm pissing, I'm shitting my feelings on green carpets of love
In your Eden of teeth"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 12/09/2022]
____________________________________________________________________________
alternative R&B • art pop
(Stones Throw, 53:42)
7.5/10
"We're not fighting
We're just discovering our fate in this
I'm not crying
No, I'm just a kid who's fell on her head again"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/24/2022]
alternative R&B • art pop
(Stones Throw, 53:42)
7.5/10
"We're not fighting
We're just discovering our fate in this
I'm not crying
No, I'm just a kid who's fell on her head again"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/24/2022]
Year of Release:
2022
Appears in:
Rank Score:
544
Rank in 2022:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
____________________________________________________________________________
post-industrial • powwow music
(37d03d, 46:51)
7/10
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/08/2024]
post-industrial • powwow music
(37d03d, 46:51)
7/10
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/08/2024]
Total albums: 20. Page 1 of 2
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Top 20 Music Albums of 2022 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Billy Woods | 2 | 10% | |
| Joe Rainey | 1 | 5% | |
| Lilien Rosarian | 1 | 5% | |
| Black Country, New Road | 1 | 5% | |
| Daniel Rossen | 1 | 5% | |
| Pan Daijing | 1 | 5% | |
| Lucrecia Dalt | 1 | 5% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
9 | 45% | |
| |
2 | 10% | |
 |
2 | 10% | |
 |
1 | 5% | |
 |
1 | 5% | |
 |
1 | 5% | |
 |
1 | 5% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 20 Music Albums of 2022 chart changes
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Other year charts by ForegroundNoise
ForegroundNoise has shared 74 more year charts with the community. Browse them all here.| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Album of 2026 | ForegroundNoise | 2026 year chart | 2026 | |
| Top 20 Music Albums of 2025 | ForegroundNoise | 2025 year chart | 2026 | |
| Top 20 Music Albums of 2024 | ForegroundNoise | 2024 year chart | 2026 | |
Top 20 Music Albums of 2022 ratings
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m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
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| Best Artists of the 1990s | |
|---|---|
| 1. Radiohead | |
| 2. Nirvana | |
| 3. The Smashing Pumpkins | |
| 4. Neutral Milk Hotel | |
| 5. Oasis | |
| 6. Pearl Jam | |
| 7. R.E.M. | |
| 8. My Bloody Valentine | |
| 9. Nick Cave | |
| 10. Björk | |
| 11. Weezer | |
| 12. Richard David James | |
| 13. Pavement | |
| 14. Portishead | |
| 15. Jeff Buckley | |
| 16. Blur | |
| 17. Elliott Smith | |
| 18. Nas | |
| 19. Massive Attack | |
| 20. Red Hot Chili Peppers |
