My Top 97 Songs Of 2022
From Tumblr to Substack
Previously: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
Song total is up a tick this year, so let’s make this a quick intro.
As always, criteria and info:
This is a list of what I personally like, not songs I’m saying are the “best” from the year; more subjective than objective
No artist is featured more than once
If it comes down to choosing between two songs, I try to give more weight to a single or featured track
Each song on the list is linked in the title if you wanna check them out for yourself; there is also a Spotify playlist at the bottom that includes all of the songs
It is time.
97) Pharrell Williams f/ 21 Savage & Tyler The Creator - “Cash In Cash Out”
Assumed this song would be a lot more popular due to the visually impressive video. That said, oooooh the chorus sucks. Our man 21 sets a pretty low bar, so Tyler’s verse feels like a revelation by comparison.
96) Calvin Harris f/ 21 Savage - “New Money”
I got new money, it ain’t even out yet
Calvin Harris’ breezy beats are an absolutely awful mix with Savage’s lifeless flow. This song is such a car crash, yet I can’t look away. Guitar solo is a good break.
95) Pkew Pkew Pkew - “Let The Bridges We Burn Light The Way”
Historically love the Pkew but thought their 2022 album Open Bar was one of the most disappointing of the year; it almost sounded like there were member changes or something drastically different happened between this and 2019’s Optimal Lifestyles. While that release showed growth, the newer album finds the band a little stuck in neutral.
94) Goo Goo Dolls - “So Alive”
Eh.
93) Anti-Flag f/ Shane Told - “LAUGH. CRY. SMILE. DIE.”
Pretty boilerplate AF. The video added a compelling element with the spray painted messages getting revealed throughout.
92) Gorillaz f/ Thundercat - “Cracker Island”
My wife and I were walking toward the United Center, one day after the Gorillaz played their 2022 concert in Chicago, and we saw a 50/60-something couple wearing matching Gorillaz shirts walking in the opposite direction. It seemed obvious they’d gone to the show the night before, but I still had to ask. Flash forward five minutes, and we’d been regaled with a story of the greatest concert of their lives (“And we go to a lot of shows”), so yeah, they’re now on the See Live list.
91) MUNA - “What I Want”
Kinda felt like I was on the outside looking in of MUNA’s 2022 stuff; this one would probably vault a level or two if it had been experienced out in the wild.
90) Future f/ Drake - “I’M ON ONE”
Never mind Drake already doing the hook for a song called “I’m On One” eleven years ago, the Bat signal went up, so he has to save another song with the same title — and does.
89) Eve 6 - “mr. darkside”
Song title of the year?
88) Camila Cabello - “Quiet”
Maybe a touch too fierce for the grocery store, but it could drive 10 mph above the speed limit in that lane.
87) Jack White - “A Tip From You To Me”
In 2022, it finally happened:
Rode that high for months after the show.
86) Drake & 21 Savage f/ Travis Scott “Pussy & Millions”
They say mo’ money, mo’ problems / Bring on the problems
Savage couldn’t crack the Top 80 with Calvin Harris, Pharrell, or Drake.
85) Murder By Death - “Everything Must Rest”
Simultaneously locked in, yet really letting the song breathe as it goes.
84) Drake - “Sticky”
Drake dropped Honestly, Nevermind, a dance album, in 2022, and it did not seem to move the needle as much as his usual releases. Within days, he was already playing defense:
"It’s all good if you don’t get it yet. It’s all good. That’s what we do. That’s what we do, we wait for you to catch up. We’re in here though, we caught up already.”
Maybe, one day, I will ‘get’ these songs, but in no life will that apply to the cover art:
/shudder
83) Paramore - “The News”
Seems like they’re… kinda trying to be fast again.
82) New Lenox - “Bad Year / New Tradition”
Singer Chris Trott asks “When does a year become a bad year?” and to that, in 2013’s case, I answer “January 4th.” In 2021’s, “January 6th.” And for 2020, “March 11th.”
81) The Game f/ Big Sean - “Stupid”
On the same album as “Stupid,” The Game also included “The Black Slim Shady,” a 10 minute Eminem diss (that kinda just came off as a tribute). He mostly got destroyed for this attempt on social media — especially after someone found his Top 10 list (from 2021!):
Nail in the coffin came from Hit-Boy, who made the beats for both songs:
80) The Interrupters - "In The Mirror"
Always love her voice.
79) The Dangerous Summer - “Coming Home”
Once you overcome the left-handed drummer, the singer’s hat, and major Creed music video vibes, there’s really something here. Fav part might be when he sneaks in the f-bomb at the end of Verse 2.
78) PUP - “Matilda”
Only PUP could tug at your heartstrings this well with a love song… about a guitar.
77) Russ - “HANDSOMER”
I know I’m fine, but the money makes me handsomer
A quick, turn-your-brain off rap song; as much confidence as you’ll see from a 5’6’’ rapper (not named Kendrick).
76) The Venomous Pinks - “No Rules”
Lotta power coming from a trio.
75) Vinny and the Hooligans - “Together On Christmas”
Soft spot for this one, as I once drummed in a Christmas song that also had a Riverside reference.
74) Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Black Summer”
Enjoyed Pat Finnerty’s takedown of this song much more than the actual song, and though you’d think a takedown would make me enjoy it less, it had the opposite effect: it’s somehow more endearing (Kiedis’ faux-Irish accent not withstanding). There’s a comfort here — though you’d be justified to call that complacent.
73) The Linda Lindas - “Tonite”
The simplicity of this is maybe my favorite part, but that’s also what holds it back a little.
72) L.S. Dunes - “It Takes Time”
Anthony Green’s latest project once again showcases his galactic vocal talent.
71) Charli XCX - “Yuck”
Yuck, that boy's so mushy / Sending me flowers, I'm just tryna get lucky
Charli is so cool without even trying. Though, after seeing her doc, it’s clear she is very much trying — but that’s much more relatable anyway.
70) Caracara - “Hyacinth”
Wish more stuff I dug sounded like this band.
69) Cian Ducrot - “All For You”
If Ed Sheeran wrote this song, it would have 300 billion plays.
68) NOBRO - “Life Is A Voyage”
Hearing their banter before the song started, assumed the band was from Australia.
OK, then. This song begins with “Play guitar crazy, smoke weed, and skate,” so it obviously doesn’t get better from there but does still stay really good — and we even get some French at the end (as they’re from Montreal, you know).
67) Alex G - “Miracles”
We’ve had a lot of punk on this list, so let’s get folky for a little bit. I’d never heard of Alex G’s music before seeing his moves get roasted on Twitter:
But, like so many artists who can’t dance (ahem taylorswift ahem), the redemption comes in the songwriting. Because everybody’s got their something.
66) State Champs - “Outta My Head”
Pop punk & palm trees.
65) Jimmy Eat World - “Something Loud”
Standard fare JEW; they’re always trying, though.
64) Frank Turner - “Non Serviam”
Frank’s made his bones in the adult contemporary section of punk over this last decade or so, but this… this is the opposite of that. Per Wikipedia:
Non serviam is Latin for "I will not serve". The phrase is traditionally attributed to Satan, who is thought to have spoken these words as a refusal to serve God in heaven.
Thrashy.
63) Bloc Party - “If We Get Caught”
Airy, midtempo Bloc Party.
62) DJ Khaled f/ Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy - “GOD DID”
DJ Khaled, one of the least talented people to ever make sounds into a microphone, roped me in yet again with his roster of star-studded cameos. This song is a disgraceful 8:22, and the first minute of Khaled’s meaningless platitudes can easily be skipped. The verses get better as they go, cresting with a crucial Hov verse (three minutes in) that goes and goes and goes* — and that’s why this song is on the list.
Also: all eight minutes of this song on YouTube feature a tear repeatedly streaming down Khaled’s face, as he is ALWAYS. THEE. WORST.
(* - nearly four full minutes; hope Khaled paid like $5 million for that)
61) Titus Andronicus - “(I'm) Screwed”
Heard this on a podcast and was blown away to find out it wasn’t from, like, the ‘70s.
60) VIAL - “Embryo”
My bodily autonomy met with total disregard
Per the band’s YouTube description of the song:
On June 24th, 2022, the United States Supreme Court made the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, thus removing the constitutional right to CHOOSE to have an abortion. VIAL is dedicated to donating all profits from "Embryo" to Gender Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to “creating a world where everyone can thrive regardless of their gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation by dismantling legal, structural, and cultural barriers that contribute to gender inequity,” and the National Network of Abortion Funds, who “builds power with members to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortion access by centering people who have abortions and organizing at the intersections of racial, economic, and reproductive justice.”
They are pissed off — and it’s palpable. The chorus to this song is “I’ll make you hate yourself just like I do.”
59) Froggy - “Jimmy’s Song”
Ahhh, I fucking love this song; the driving snare chorus, pacing, and urgent indifference; definitely hear some Distillers in there.
58) Kayleigh Goldsworthy - “Overambitious”
To listen to Kayleigh Goldsworthy is to root for Kayleigh Goldsworthy. The first thing that comes up when you Google her is not a Wikipdia but her LinkedIn. Hope her 2022 full length builds more deserved momentum.
57) Kendrick Lamar f/ Summer Walker & Ghostface Killah - “Purple Hearts”
Thought Kendrick’s 2022 album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers was one of the worst releases of the year, but this song is pretty dope. Ghostface is icing. And I will always, always confuse Summer Walker with Meadow Walker (Paul Walker’s daughter).
Shut the fuck up when you hear love talking
56) Future Teens - “BYOB”
What’s the point in being up till 4 a.m. if you’re not drinking?
This song is dreary and sparkly at the same time. Like this expression with this hair:
This song explodes after the line “Feeling bad, at least it’s something,” and when you get there, you see why.
55) The Weeknd - “Take My Breath”
Saw The Weeknd live at Soldier Field in 2022 (first time for both artist and venue), and shit was lit. Such a fun time; felt like the halftime show of a big sporting event. The new album… not so much. But this song is aright, and ‘aright’ Abel is still enough to make the middle class of this list.
54) Hot Water Music - “Turn The Dial”
The Flatliners’ Chris Cresswell makes his writing debut in HWM (he’s been a replacement member for a few years now), and though I was a touch underwhelmed, still really loved it + was so hyped for him when they gave it music video treatment.
53) chloe moriondo - “sammy”
Puppy love.
52) The Wonder Years - “Oldest Daughter”
TWY, going back to the Madeline well.
51) Bartees Strange - “Heavy Heart”
We should go to Toronto more often
I like Bartees. He does cool guitar shit, has a good voice, and you never regret checking out his stuff; a welcome voice in whatever scene we are calling indie these days.
50) Gregor Barnett - “Talking To Your Tombstone”
Greg Barnett’s (The Menzingers) solo project has a real knack for adding some darkness and gloom to the Americana/singer-songwriter sound. Saw him live in 2022, and his vocal performance was on point.
49) Pusha T f/ JAY-Z & Pharrell Williams - “Neck & Wrist”
Fav rap beat of the year.
48) Sprints - “Little Fix”
Ooooh, this one’ll jack you up.
47) iann dior - “let you”
Pleasant; kinda comes and goes, staying in one gear — but it’s a good gear. Just not great. But not bad, either. Head bobber.
46) Heart Attack Man - “Loud & Clear”
Love me some age songs:
I'm 28 and I'm feeling like my life's just starting
Early 20s
Faded away, the seasons changed and I blinked and I missed out on everything
Crawling out from underneath
This decade got the best of me
Younger gets younger every year.
45) Meet Me @ The Altar - “Say It To My Face”
Brought to you by current punk rock tastemaker, Taco Bell.
44) Proper. - “Shuck & Jive”
The parasitic nature of the music industry never sounded so anthemic.
43) Steve Lacy - “Bad Habit”
The New Yorker said this song had “inescapable charm,” and that fits just perfect.
42) Jean Dawson - “MENTHOL*”
I don’t need the smoke / B****, I am the smoke
Don’t know if this is rock or rap or indie or some combination of all three, but we have one hell of a defiant chorus here.
41) Best Loop - “CBGB”
Ode to the divey and defunct New York music venue, written by yours truly. Chicago punks be damned.
Fun fact: went to the spot where it used to stand in December of 2022.
40) Freddie Gibbs - “CIA”
CIA, they gave us crack, Instagram, and AIDS
What a fucking hook.
39) Carly Rae Jepsen - “Beach House”
Fun, summertime bop.
38) Anyway Gang - “Reckless Reckless”
The Tokyo Police Club singer kicking ass in a similar style as TPC; a carefree chorus that still keeps you a little pensive.
37) Microwave - “Circling The Drain”
This chorus *erupts* in that quiet-loud-quiet-loud way we saw from bands like The Pixies or early Foo Fighters — but the band I hear most is Weezer (more belting, though).
36) Pinegrove - “Alaska”
The song wormed its way onto my Spotify whenever a different album ended, and all credit to the algorithm gods, it was rarely skipped (being a neat 2:06 didn’t hurt, either).
Fun fact: Alaska is the last state I have not visited. Some day, sea wolf…
35) Avril Lavigne f/ blackbear - “Love It When You Hate Me”
The stakes:
My favorite part of this song might be the prechorus (“And I, ignore all the warning signs”); Travis Barker’s best “And I” work since Boxcar Racer.
34) Teenage Halloween - “Floating”
Don't really want to teach a gender studies class
In every conversation I have, it's arduous
Yeah, being alive kinda sucks now.
33) Viagra Boys - “Punk Rock Loser”
I don't go to parties where folks get dressed up
I go to the function just to fuck shit up
I warned you baby that ain't juice in my cup
It's Promethazine and a little Seven Up
One of the weirdest (compliment), most unique (also compliment), and confident (huuuge compliment) songs you’ll hear on this list; shades of “Punkrocker” from Teddybears/Iggy Pop.
32) Jack Harlow f/ Drake - “Churchill Downs”
Yeah, he’s got some fuckboy energy, but Jack Harlow’s Come Home The Kids Miss You was my most spun rap record in 2022. He's also deploys Rick Ross’ fake-it-till-you-make-it energy, and it comes through big in lines like “The GOAT.s call me to the side like, ‘Can we have a word?’”
That said, nothing matches Drake’s mid-30 something energy like the immortal “How can I address you when you don’t own property?”
Mortgages FTW. My favorite verse of the year.
31) Harry Styles - “As It Was”
Uptempo pop (nearly) always works. This sounds like a daytime, happier version of a Weeknd song.
30) The Mountain Goats - “Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome”
I now have a second favorite Mountain Goats song.
29) Miranda Lambert - “Strange”
By no means a country expert, but, to me, this sounds like a classic in real time.
28) Machine Gun Kelly f/ Bring Me The Horizon - “maybe”
MGK’s 2020 release Tickets To My Downfall was going to be damn near impossible to top, and, well, it was not topped. But there were still some solid songs on Mainstream Sellout (god, he sucks at naming albums), like this Paramore/“Misery Business” ripoff. The chorus is so good, you forget, but then it steals from Miz Biz even more as it goes, and you again remember.
/shrug
27) Lizzo - “About Damn Time”
It's bad b**** o'clock, yeah, it's thick-thirty
Disco Lizzo.
26) August Is Falling - “Mad This Summer”
Never thought I’d be saying this, but we’re gonna let — /checks notes one more time — Good Morning *America* cook for a little bit:
Pat Finnerty is a YouTube star who posts videos and hosts a podcast called "What Makes This Song Stink." It's the Bizarro take on Rick Beato's series "What Makes This Song Great." Earlier this year, while dissecting the lazy, tone-deaf horrendousness of Machine Gun Kelly's "Emo Girl," he announced he had recorded an EP of emo/pop-punk songs under the name August is Falling. The goal was to get this "band" some play. Enough to buy Finnerty a hot tub. Weirdly, it is supposed to be a joke, but Finnerty is a great musician and songwriter, creating five songs that both lampoon the genre and pay fitting, pitch-perfect, wonderfully immature homage to bands like Blink-182. Armed with skill and heart, this EP is infinitely more than a sarcastic footnote. Behind Finnerty's criticism is love. He's obviously a devoted music fan who wants artists to deliver a better product. Now here's hoping he gets his hot tub.
This was one of those “Damn, Bobby — you must really love pop punk this much” moments for me, because even though he is effortlessly destroying the genre and not even trying to sound good, I truly, truly love this song and everything it represents.
25) Latto - “Big Energy”
This beat should be remixed every 20 years, so yeah, it was about time. That said, Latto? So close to Lizzo in name, no? Is it her actual name? Per Wikipedia, she was born Alyssa Michelle Stephens, so no. As for the origins of Latto:
Professionally known as Latto or Big Latto (formerly known as Mulatto)
Oh boy — moving on.
24) MJ Lenderman - “You Are Every Girl To Me”
MJL — can we call him MJL? — released songs that referenced Michael Jordan and Tom Brady in 2022, so it says a lot that it made the list over those two. This one makes me so wistful.
23) Death Cab For Cutie - “I Miss Strangers”
Death Cab would be an all-time punk band if they wanted to be; so overqualified. Their 2022 album Asphalt Meadows was one of my favorites of the year and quite possibly their best since Narrow Stairs.
22) Sarchasm - “Crazy”
Got an immediate high hearing this song the first time. I then sent it to several people trying to get them in on the band… and no one seemed to really feel it on that level. Complicating things further, this was only a few weeks ago, so it’s quite possible we have our most over-ranked song and know about it in the moment. Oh well.
Gonna sing the outro at the top of my lungs now.
21) SZA - “F2F”
SZA’s effortless foray into pop punk reached an unchartable swagger quotient with the “I fuck him ‘cause I miss you” chorus. Also, this tweet was great:
20) John-Allison Weiss - “Can’t Stand”
If you won’t choose a side, I know which side you’re on
If you can’t stand for right, man
You just stand for wrong
Call out the bullshit when you see it. It’s that simple, right? John-Allison Weiss is sick of in betweens, only you can’t tell if this song is a last gasp or rallying cry; maybe, just this once, it can be both.
19) David Rokos - “Back To Brooklyn”
A soaring chorus punctuates a night in the big city you wish would never end but absolutely has to. I hear Alkaline Trio’s “Warbrain” in the guitar leads and Eve 6 in the vocal melodies (in the verses, at least).
The lead track on the David Rokos/Best Loop split New York, New York is the lead track for a reason. I play drums in this one and can confirm you will see the release of its music video in 2023.
18) Sincere Engineer - “Library Of Broken Bindings”
Seeing Sincere Engineer strip down their sound was not a move I expected, but it is quite effective. Deanna Belos has never sounded more vulnerable on vocals. My favorite part of the song is when the chorus’ front half of “I take one, I take two, I take three more” goes into the chorus’ back half, which is just “more” repeated in a wavering melody that floats all around you in the room.
17) Martha - “Baby, Does Your Heart Sink?”
The last time we heard from Martha, they were singing about snooker clubs and Roddy Piper. And don’t get me wrong, while that was and is completely perfect, this song is a natural evolution in maturity, which fits the band like a surgical glove. Sometimes, the best choruses are the ones you maybe could’ve thought of yourself: “Baby, does your heart sink when I call? / I know it does.”
16) Signals Midwest - “GOLD IN THE GREY”
Love as a lens you can look through
This song is looking out the window on a cloudy day, and the wonderful chorus is the sun finally peeking through.
15) Mom Jeans. - “White Trash Millionaire”
Frantic, but I’m not sure it minds if we unravel.
14) Joyce Manor - “NBTSA”
Technically released in 2017, this little ditty was on JM’s 2022 album — the very well named 40 oz. to Fresno — and though the song does nothing new… does it have to?
Bonus: your boy covered it as well.
13) Craig Finn - “Birthdays”
It’s nice to know there’s someone in this world who’s always known me
Craig Finn is lines, lines, lines. His songs are always more lyrics than music, but this blends both pretty well. Our topic? Estranged family. Does the passing of time create unbridgeable distance, or are you forever bonded by whatever was passed down the genetic chain?
12) The Flatliners - “Performative Hours”
A song that makes me want to be less curated with my social media.
11) Tigers Jaw - “Old Clothes”
This chorus — my gracious. It’s like someone whispering in your ear in music video slow motion, revealing the bombshell that makes it all make sense. You turn away to look to the person next to you, still in slow motion as your eyes widen, but there is no one else there. Just you and the truth to sort out; pieces to pick back up.
10) Yawners - “Rivers Cuomo”
This fucking jam. A passionate, singalong chorus — even though I’m not sure what the hell it’s about. And don’t just take my word for it:
9) Hot Mulligan - “Drink Milk And Run”
Saw Hot Mully at Riot Fest in Chicago in 2022, and their singer really can get after these notes. The Panic! At The Disco hi-hats and Bloc Party guitar leads give this song a 2000s feel, but lines like “Whoever says ‘Pull yourself up by the bootstraps’ is a fucking joke” feel perfect for this era of late-stage capitalism.
8) oso oso - “computer exploder”
Write 12 songs, swing like you can’t miss
This song feels like a dysfunctional — but god damn memorable — road trip.
Also:
So if the money runs out, that's why
If your love runs out, I'll cry
Yeah, it's fine if the love and the money run out
If the drugs run out, I'll die
This replaces The Pledge of Allegiance going forward.
7) Beyoncé - “BREAK MY SOUL”
On first listen, knew “BREAK MY SOUL” would be a fixture in 2022’s Top 10. This is one of my favorite songs Bey has ever dropped. No room for wallflowers here.
6) Post Malone f/ The Weeknd - “One Right Now”
This song bounces and is unapologetic — “I got one comin’ over / And one right now” — and though the video feels pretty out of touch (do we really need more guns, like, ever?), it feels like it should somehow have 30x more views than its paltry 80 million (I mean… by their mega pop star standards).
5) Petey - “Big Bad!”
Petey ramps up the tempo with tremendous results. Additional notes:
Coolest song to reference a Roth IRA?
Operation Ivy lyric reference <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Badly wish he’d made a music video
bigbadbigbadbigbadbigbad
4) Arcade Fire - “The Lightning II”
A day, a week, a month, a year — every second brings me here
I’ve never felt locked into a song quite like this. It makes me wish anyone who enjoyed it knew how to play drums in some capacity; feel like a robo-human banging away at them on my steering wheel. Also: add Arcade Fire to the Death Cab For Cutie list of Overqualified Bands Dabbling In Punk-Ish Sounds That Could Absolutely Outdo Most Actual Punk Bands. We all need to try harder.
(Win Butler accusations of inappropriate behavior go here)
3) Camp Trash - “Weird Florida”
Just got dumber, all summer
Camp Trash’s The Long Way, The Slow Way was my favorite album of 2022. Assumed they were some buzzy young band before finding out their debut came with the members in their 30s. Quite inspiring. Whether they are 20 or 39, the energy is most definitely there — just gotta cut through the resignation and self-doubt.
This song is wasting time in the summer sunshine, and I’m admittedly a sucker for how much Verse 2 reminds me of my wife:
She had a thing about the corner store
We had to go inside each time that we walked passed all summеr long
…right up until the part where the character drops acid.
And if I needed even another sign this band was in my wheelhouse, they literally have a song called “Bobby”, so yeah, let’s never go back to fucking Florida, together.
2) Single Mothers - “Baby Bird”
Like the snotty little brother of PUP. This song pulverizes you until its point of view fully comes across.
Brian Pawola gets the last word:
Easy peasy.
1) Taylor Swift - “Anti-Hero”
This song is an infection. It got me:
And it will get you, too — if it hasn’t already. Back when Laura Jane Grace was known as Tom Gabel, fronting the band Against Me!, they released a new record, and when I asked a buddy what he thought of it, he bluntly responded: “Gabel won.”
Like, what else was there to say? Gabel won. The message. The songwriting. The scene. The moment.
Well, friends, I am here to tell you, in 2022, Swift won. Like she always does.
This is one of her best songs in a catalogue that could already feature three different Mount Rushmores. We root for her, she tells us she’s the villain, and now, in on the secret, we root for her harder, like ants marching for the queen.
This song ripped up the dance floor on Halloween Saturday — when it had only come out the eight days before. It references 30 Rock. It melts Ticketmaster. It has a weird ass video. And it is devouring your brain from the inside. And just when you think it’s about to wash over you, it pulls back:
Oh hey, Taylor.
* * *
Thank you very much for reading. Spotify playlist here.