Best Albums of 2022

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1.

Ants From Up There 

 Black Country, New Road

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"When I started listening to this album and was midway through Chaos Space Marine I thought to myself there is no way they can keep this level of quality up for an hour and they really proved me wrong. They have decided to change their style up from the first album and create a more grandeur sound...""When I started listening to this album and was midway through Chaos Space Marine I thought to myself there is no way they can keep this level of quality up for an hour and they really proved me wrong. They have decided to change their style up from the first album and create a more grandeur sound and it really pays off. The rich instrumentation is a joy to listen to and so in depth that you can keep coming back and exploring more which is such a difficult feat to accomplish. The keyboard on this album is brilliant and is utilised just right to create the effect they are going for. The string arrangements are delicate and beautiful but also quick and aggressive and they aid in some fantastic tempo switches. Then there is the wind instruments which are performed phenomenally and are vital to this album as they create a lot of the sonic landscape on most tracks. Finally, the vocals and lyrics are outstanding and Isaac has massively improved his penmanship and vocal control. He weaves his way through his words creating a brilliant narrative on every song he is on and slowly builds up to these grand conclusions that are very rewarding for the listener. There is a lot of risks and experimentation on this album and I think it really pays off with the music sounding so rich and luxurious. There are no weak tracks and this album is consistently stunning. Overall, you could tell from their debut that this group had so much to offer and this demonstrates exactly that, as this record is just incredible. It is unfortunate to hear about Isaac leaving the band as this group is oozing potential and if they carried on the way they were going they could possibly be the greatest band of all time and possibly create the greatest album ever recorded as this one comes very close. "  [+]  Reply

- Untitled | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (10 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

618 charts

Rank Score:

7,249

Rank in 2022:

1

Rank in 2020s:

1

Overall Rank:

214

Average Rating:

 85 (616 votes)

Comments:

58

2.

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You 

 Big Thief

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"What a delightful album! This year is already shaping up to be a great one for music. I'm loving the vocals on this record, they're so quaint and inviting. I usually hate long albums but this one feels just right, it's not bloated and it doesn't drag on for one minute."  Reply

- AvalancheGrips | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

508 charts

Rank Score:

3,288

Rank in 2022:

2

Rank in 2020s:

7

Overall Rank:

534

Average Rating:

 82 (418 votes)

Comments:

35

3.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers 

 Kendrick Lamar

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"I don't comment on here too often but really wanted to give my opinion on Auntie Diaries and some first impressions of the album. Obviously can't speak for any other trans or queer people but there's so much I love about Auntie Diaries and I think it tackles ideas around prejudice, tolerance and ...""I don't comment on here too often but really wanted to give my opinion on Auntie Diaries and some first impressions of the album. Obviously can't speak for any other trans or queer people but there's so much I love about Auntie Diaries and I think it tackles ideas around prejudice, tolerance and acceptance so well. I've seen some criticism of Kendrick using misgendering and deadnaming* from people who still see the positive intent of the track but I think these are actually vital to getting his point across. A lot of the song comes from a place of tolerating but not understanding the trans people in his life. Saying 'my auntie was a man now, we cool with it' gets across a kind of acceptance but the misgendering in this line and in the verses show that his uncle still isn't being seen as who he really is. The final verse changes this. When push comes to shove and Kendrick is forced to challenge this mindset he doesn't just tolerate his cousin, he accepts her. There's a deeper understanding from this point on. Ending the verse by talking to her directly really gets this new closeness across. Through transition I've been scared of people not accepting me at all but I've also been scared of people accepting me as a surface level thing. Like they're being polite and playing along instead of seeing me for who I am. It often starts that way with people but after some time you see a shift from tolerance to acceptance in the way Kendrick's last verse describes. Without the uncomfortable moments in the track, it wouldn't have been able to get across these subtle points at all. If Kendrick had written a track just about how proud he was of the trans people he knew it would be nice and all, but it wouldn't really get to a deeper level, challenge the listener or keep within the themes of the record. The record as a whole is very dense and I'll have to give it a few listens before I can form anything like a full opinion but some stuff has stood out on first listen. Most tracks here are really good but a couple didn't do much for me, I think a bit of an edit could have made things a bit more focussed. I really appreciate the lyrical themes of breaking destructive cycles through forgiveness and mutual understanding. The individual songs build to this brilliantly but Kendrick making a point of including Kodak Black on the album hinders this message, I think his inclusion here is a mistake. Mother I Sober is one of Kendrick's best songs and shows that he is a one of a kind artist. I'm really looking forward to going back over this and seeing how much reveals itself on repeat listens. * I do wish he hadn't deadnamed Caitlin Jenner though. He knew the other people who were deadnamed in the song and probably had their blessing before releasing it, this won't have been the case with Caitlin. Deadnaming her felt very unnecessary."  [+]  Reply

- JamesMowbray | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +17 votes (18 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

480 charts

Rank Score:

2,627

Rank in 2022:

3

Rank in 2020s:

9

Overall Rank:

651

Average Rating:

 81 (456 votes)

Comments:

34

4.

Blue Rev 

 Alvvays

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"Not so sure as of right now. It kinda blends together, but also, I really dig that. It's a very large collection of songs, each one with something to set it apart. I really dig the atmosphere, and even though I don't think this will top their debut, I'm really happy they're back."  Reply

- lleon79 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (6 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

356 charts

Rank Score:

2,026

Rank in 2022:

4

Rank in 2020s:

12

Overall Rank:

845

Average Rating:

 78 (295 votes)

Comments:

17

5.

Hellfire 

 Black Midi

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"Holy shit. I didn't think anything would possibly beat Ants From Up There as my AOTY and now I find myself faced with an incredibly difficult decision. Right now, I genuinely think this might be the best album of the decade. At first I thought this album had lows, but after a few listens I realis...""Holy shit. I didn't think anything would possibly beat Ants From Up There as my AOTY and now I find myself faced with an incredibly difficult decision. Right now, I genuinely think this might be the best album of the decade. At first I thought this album had lows, but after a few listens I realised it's just that the highs are so high some of the best songs I've heard seem weak in comparison. After repeat exposures, I can no longer even point to the best song here, as my bias to Eat Men Eat and Welcome To Hell has worn off. Hellfire is one of the best album openers I've ever heard, with Greep's showman-like fast-paced greetings and rantings literally welcoming you to hell. The album then launches into the best 3-song run I've heard since The Place Where He Inserted the Blade through Basketball Shoes, starting with Sugar/Tzu, a song very much in the same vein as the two singles - a detailed, graphic tale of the worst humanity has to offer. The album slows a little with the appropriately titled "Still", the only other song on this album featuring vocals by Cameron Picton, and boy do I wish they'd let him out more often. The cryptic lyrics and smooth delivery remind me of MGMT in a way. The track switches things up several times, with a quiet acoustic middle and a soothing ambient ending that fades into a locked groove loop reminiscent of the way the Beatles closed off Sgt Pepper. Half Time serves it's purpose well as a breather between the two longest tracks on the album and a cheeky reference to black midi's alter ego the Orange Tree Boys. There's also a bit of morse code in there which I can't wait for someone with more patience than me to translate. The Race Is About To Begin kicks the 2nd half into 1st gear immediately, continuing the story of a character previously introduced in Welcome To Hell. Despite being the longest song on the album, it never settles into a groove, shifting and changing every minute, becoming more chaotic as it becomes a descent into addiction, madness, and shacks. Like Still, it ends on a quieter note, with a delicate ballad that reminisces on how people can change. Dangerous Liasons, The Defence and 27 Questions form another trilogy of songs mirroring the first half of the album, each telling a story of the worst of humanity - A man tempted into murder with promises of money, a brothel owner attempting to justify his trade, and finally the closer 27 Questions, in which an audience revels at the suffering of a dying man. This song is a great way to close the album, with a show-tune style section that recalls the opener and passes a number of philosophical (and funny) questions onto the listener. In conclusion, Black Country, New Road and black midi have both released masterpieces this year. This feels like the logical conclusion (or perhaps a new phase) of the new British Post-Punk scene that's cropped up since 2016, with it's two forefront bands releasing what will be remembered as two of the greatest albums of all time. No pressure Squid."  [+]  Reply

- Puzzlr | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +14 votes (14 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

294 charts

Rank Score:

1,953

Rank in 2022:

5

Rank in 2020s:

14

Overall Rank:

882

Average Rating:

 80 (302 votes)

Comments:

18

6.

A Light For Attracting Attention 

 The Smile

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"After hearing the live versions of these songs I was just grateful that Jonny and Thom were able to come together and have fun collaborating again with so much passion, creativity and energy. Now, listening to the recorded version, I’m reminded that Nigel Godrich is that extra element that always...""After hearing the live versions of these songs I was just grateful that Jonny and Thom were able to come together and have fun collaborating again with so much passion, creativity and energy. Now, listening to the recorded version, I’m reminded that Nigel Godrich is that extra element that always ties the genius’ together. Tom Skinner also holds his own amongst the highly esteemed company he keeps. There is haunting beauty, political cynicisms, electronic and percussive tinkering, and garage rocking, making it a very eclectic mix. Does it make it a less than cohesive album? Maybe, if you’re picky. This and the fact that 6 songs were drip-fed to us prior to release make it have the feel of a compilation album in some respects. I’ve always preferred an album have one single prior to release, as a taster, before immersing yourself into the full experience of fresh songs and letting that album experience grow on you with repeated listens. This doesn’t detract, however, from the fact that there is a collection of songs here that are all absolute crackers and will keep Radiohead fans content for a while longer until that deeply desired next LP comes around."  [+]  Reply

- Strangel | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

422 charts

Rank Score:

1,816

Rank in 2022:

6

Rank in 2020s:

19

Overall Rank:

948

Average Rating:

 79 (405 votes)

Comments:

26

7.

Skinty Fia 

 Fontaines D.C.

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"This band continues to churn out bangers like it's easy. I like how they're flirting with shoegaze this time around."  Reply

- Cargusbralem | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

333 charts

Rank Score:

1,651

Rank in 2022:

7

Rank in 2020s:

25

Overall Rank:

1,053

Average Rating:

 75 (272 votes)

Comments:

14

8.

Renaissance 

 Beyoncé

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"Renaissance has a lot of redeeming features, mostly how Beyoncé historicises the disco canon. However, it is also indisputably overhyped, a prime example of the way popstars of the 21st century post-album-distribution hellscape of streaming can waltz into mass critical appraisal with a single for...""Renaissance has a lot of redeeming features, mostly how Beyoncé historicises the disco canon. However, it is also indisputably overhyped, a prime example of the way popstars of the 21st century post-album-distribution hellscape of streaming can waltz into mass critical appraisal with a single foray into big concept driven "high art" full album. Beyonce has proven already with Lemonade that she can be more than a singles artist, so I don't want to suggest that it's entirely bad faith, just more that let's settle at pretty good at best rather than "revolutionary". Moreover, people are and will continue to attach other weirdly hyperbolic triumphalist tags to this – i.e. music as celebration of [insert your choice of really anything] – and that's nice and all, but this really only is somewhat convincing when Beyonce is looking back and celebrating 70s/80s black musicianship, a well trodden path in the last decade. Early tracks like Alien Superstar and Cuff it are perfect examples of modernised disco, they are genuinely fun songs to return to, but god the areas in this indulging in contemporary pop and trap trends, as if they too are – in a way – as iconic as Donna Summer ruin this. Energy is the first completely terrible song, exemplifying the worst of Beyonce-does-Jay Z nonsense. While Break My Soul's sudden interruption of it makes for a very fun opening of the single (which, when initially heard in isolation seemed very cringe), the irony in that opening sample is a little lost by Beyoncé doing it rather than James Ferraro. I think Renaissance starts to get back on track with Virgo's Groove, but the backend of this is littered with sleepfest tracks like Move and All Up In Your Mind, which honestly should have been binned (Virgo's Groove -> Pure/Honey would have been a nice transition). Summer Renaissance's celebration of I Feel Love, which should also retrospectively be a celebration of "Renaissance" – or a track that rationalises why Beyonce needed to do this – just ends up making me want to listen to the original 12" to be brutally honest. Beyonce is at her best in Renaissance when she is subtle rather than overt with the referentiality. It's a record that could open a window to the past for zoomers, but worst case this will date itself quickly."  [+]  Reply

- Arthurknight | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

289 charts

Rank Score:

1,560

Rank in 2022:

8

Rank in 2020s:

26

Overall Rank:

1,108

Average Rating:

 74 (221 votes)

Comments:

16

9.

Once Twice Melody 

 Beach House

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"First, don't want to ruin this experience for anybody by over hyping it. Take it in in a natural way. So, Beach House is my favorite. I contemplate my favorite album of all time as Teen Dream, Bloom, Depression Cherry, and now Once Twice Melody. This album blows me away with the sonics and sounds...""First, don't want to ruin this experience for anybody by over hyping it. Take it in in a natural way. So, Beach House is my favorite. I contemplate my favorite album of all time as Teen Dream, Bloom, Depression Cherry, and now Once Twice Melody. This album blows me away with the sonics and sounds they captured on this album. I heard this once so far in full and it fucking blew my mind. I know my tastes of music well and I know what I like. I've been seriously listening to music for about 13 years now and the other 14 I was listening but not as close. This is the best double album of all time, I don't like, I love every single song. Beach House explores different sonics on this one and it even has some sounds that Muse would come up with without Muse's technical abilities. The keyboards are very cool and beautiful sounding. Victoria is an artist and showcases her art on this one in a very creative way. Alex is great too but I don't like acoustic guitar but for some reason, I like it on this album when it has its 3-4 moments. "  [+]  Reply

- C_Krug2009 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

352 charts

Rank Score:

1,528

Rank in 2022:

9

Rank in 2020s:

29

Overall Rank:

1,134

Average Rating:

 80 (342 votes)

Comments:

21

10.

Dawn FM 

 The Weeknd

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"“Dawn FM” really goes full in on the synthwave sound. Abel abandons the slow drifting electronics of “After hours” for more vibrant, energetic synths. This newfound energy gives his voice a welcome boost. The vigor of the tracks helps cover up odd moments like the strange English accent that appe...""“Dawn FM” really goes full in on the synthwave sound. Abel abandons the slow drifting electronics of “After hours” for more vibrant, energetic synths. This newfound energy gives his voice a welcome boost. The vigor of the tracks helps cover up odd moments like the strange English accent that appears. The purgatory concept is limited by songwriting crutches. Two thirds of the album can be summarized with our love is destructive but powerful and we have really great sex. This is significantly less interesting than the explorations of limbo given in Jim Carrey’s radio commercials. ““Dawn FM” has a more infectious sound that would have greatly benefited from a tighter concept. "  [+]  Reply

- titansaurs28 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

248 charts

Rank Score:

1,229

Rank in 2022:

10

Rank in 2020s:

40

Overall Rank:

1,381

Average Rating:

 74 (301 votes)

Comments:

17

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of 2022 composition

Top 1,000 Top 500 Top 250 Top 100

Artist	Albums	%
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard	6	1%
Tedeschi Trucks Band	4	0%
Sault	4	0%
Iannis Xenakis	3	0%
Zach Bryan	3	0%
Weezer	3	0%
Ryan Adams	3	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	453	45%
	192	19%
	50	5%
	32	3%
	32	3%
	26	3%
	23	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	984	98%
Yes	16	2%

Live?	Albums	%
No	979	98%
Yes	21	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	997	100%
Yes	3	0%