Best Albums of 2022

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Explore the best albums of 2022, based on over 2 million album rankings across 60,000 charts. Last updated: 4 hours ago

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2022 year summaryThe best artists of 2022 were Black Country, New Road, Big Thief, Kendrick Lamar, Alvvays, Black Midi, The Smile, Beach House, Fontaines D.C., Beyoncé and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.

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Ants From Up There

Black Country, New Road

"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..." Reply

- Untitled | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (11 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

626 charts

Rank Score:

8,063

Rank in 2022:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

"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)

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

299 charts

Rank Score:

2,240

Rank in 2022:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

770

Average Rating:

79 (308 votes)

Comments:

A Light For Attracting Attention

The Smile

"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..." Reply

Strangel | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

426 charts

Rank Score:

2,193

Rank in 2022:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

787

Average Rating:

79 (414 votes)

Comments:

14.

Wet Leg

"For some reason I thought they were Scandanavian Yeah this is plenty all-right, a lot of aughties-era deja vu, but certainly peppy and well-produced even if this feels far too overhyped at the current moment. At least there are enough engaging tunes (though some wide misses as well) to make me fo..." Reply

cestuneblague | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

296 charts

Rank Score:

1,156

Rank in 2022:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

1,482

Average Rating:

73 (235 votes)

Comments:

19.

The Car

Arctic Monkeys

"First listen was quite underwhelming, it took me a week to appreciate it as a whole by paying closer attention to the small details of each song. Production is amazing and aesthetic is very strong. Weirdly enough, to me it sounds like a combination of TBHC and AM. Not a bad album, it impressed me..." Reply

- RoamingDinosaur | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

211 charts

Rank Score:

847

Rank in 2022:

Rank in 2020s:

104

Overall Rank:

1,993

Average Rating:

71 (237 votes)

Comments:

20.

I Love You Jennifer B

Jockstrap

"One of my favourite things about music as an artform is the weird way in which forces that seem contradictory can be made to work together. This is definitely the case with Jockstrap's beautiful, twisted and unnerving brand of avant-pop. It took a little while for this to completely sit right wit...""One of my favourite things about music as an artform is the weird way in which forces that seem contradictory can be made to work together. This is definitely the case with Jockstrap's beautiful, twisted and unnerving brand of avant-pop. It took a little while for this to completely sit right with me, which is kind of surprising because I'd loved the duo's 'Wicked City' EP for some time before this. Maybe that record had given me slightly the wrong idea of what to expect, there was a euphoric smoothness to some of the tracks, but nothing that comes close to indie rock, when I first heard this and a track like 'Glasgow' came up I really wasn't sure what to make of it. A bit over a year on most of the pieces have fallen into place for me. The more guitar led tracks on the record allow a freedom from Georgia's vocals which is kept boxed in by the more rhythmic electronic tracks. It leads to an ebb and flow across the record as these almost disparate tracks just about hold together. The soaring vocals at the end of 'Neon' suddenly fall flat and the beats of the title track cut them off and warp them. The unsettling rush of lines that conclude 'Angst' give way to the open soundscape at the start of 'Debra' before that too becomes a structured pop tune with some incredibly wonky electronics. It's genuinely exhilarating stuff, especially when it all takes place on one track, like with 'Greatest Hits' which sounds like pop music from the future. Ideas just completely overflow from this track, the kind of thin sounding synths allow for massive vocal flourishes but work just as well for spoken word sections, the warped vocal constantly repeating the same two unintelligible syllables should be annoying but instead it's a key part of the track's rhythm, the backing vocals sound just that bit off as they reinforce the chorus before disappearing. It's the best of a number of highlight tracks which sometimes manage to be so good that they make decent tracks seem boring. There's nothing that wrong with 'Lancaster Court', but sandwiched between 'Glasgow' and '50/50' it just feels like it kills the momentum. With 'I Love You Jennifer B', Jockstrap set the bar so high, that anything short of a revolutionary pop track feels like a let down, it's not a bad problem for a record to have." Reply

- JamesMowbray | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

200 charts

Rank Score:

845

Rank in 2022:

Rank in 2020s:

106

Overall Rank:

1,998

Average Rating:

77 (142 votes)

Comments:

33.

No Thank You

Little Simz

"Wow such an impressive follow up to last years already modern classic ‘SIMBI’ ‘No Thank You’ wholeheartedly franks her status as the worlds best female rapper and for an artist so young the world truely is at Little Simz feet" Reply

Brad1770 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

150 charts

Rank Score:

531

Rank in 2022:

Rank in 2020s:

173

Overall Rank:

2,918

Average Rating:

76 (133 votes)

Comments:

40.

The Overload

Yard Act

"If your into the UK post-punk sound, well I can definitely recommend this debut release from Leeds combo Yard Act" Reply

Brad1770 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

159 charts

Rank Score:

505

Rank in 2022:

Rank in 2020s:

187

Overall Rank:

3,038

Average Rating:

72 (145 votes)

Comments:

41.

Everything Was Beautiful

Spiritualized

"This album has everything, Beatle-esque songs, Flaming Lips weirdnes, the grandeur of War On Drugs, and a fantastic drive (Best Thing You Never Has even has a Status Quo boogie) sometimes mixed with a bit of country (Crazy). Only 7 tracks but all of them are spot on. And Nothing Hurt was the best..." Reply

dihansse | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

141 charts

Rank Score:

501

Rank in 2022:

Rank in 2020s:

190

Overall Rank:

3,059

Average Rating:

76 (129 votes)

Comments:

43.

Harry's House

Harry Styles

"Everything about 'Harry's House' sounds expensive... and I'm always a fan of that!!! I also really liked the eighties Japanese city pop kinda vibe running throughout, with colourful lyrics, bouncing vintage synths and playful grooves; a record that doesn't seem to take itself too seriously on sur..." Reply

- jbentley3997 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2022

Appears in:

139 charts

Rank Score:

467

Rank in 2022:

Rank in 2020s:

206

Overall Rank:

3,258

Average Rating:

67 (146 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 185. Page 1 of 19

Best Albums of 2022 composition

Artist	Albums	%

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard	6	1%
Weezer	4	0%
Sault	4	0%
Tedeschi Trucks Band	4	0%
Röyksopp	3	0%
Zach Bryan	3	0%
Neil Young	3	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	455	46%
	185	19%
	53	5%
	35	4%
	29	3%
	25	3%
	24	2%
Show all

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

Live?	Albums	%
No	977	98%
Yes	23	2%

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

Best Albums of 2022 chart changes

Biggest climbers Biggest climbers in top 100 since last month
Up 4 from 94th to 90th Asphalt Meadows by Death Cab For Cutie
Up 3 from 41st to 38th SOS by SZA
Up 3 from 39th to 36th Laurel Hell by Mitski

Biggest fallers Biggest fallers in top 100 since last month
Down 2 from 14th to 16th We by Arcade Fire
Down 2 from 37th to 39th Chloë And The Next 20th Century by Father John Misty
Down 2 from 38th to 40th The Overload by Yard Act

« View best albums of 2021View best albums of 2023 »

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