Hello, everyone! I still can’t believe this took as long as it did, but it’s already September of 2023 and I’m just now getting around to posting my list of my favourite songs of 2022 … but better late than never.

So, I just want to make a few things clear before I start listing the songs. First of all, these are just my own personal favourite songs of 2022, and I’m not trying to be ‘objective’ or anything. If you’re wondering why the title calls these the ‘best’ songs of the year instead of my favourites, it’s because I just think it’s a catchier title. Also, the rules for what’s eligible is that the song has to have been first released sometime from January 1st, 2022 to December 31st, 2022, whether that be as a single, on an album, on an EP, etc. However it was first released. However, maybe I accidentally included some songs that weren’t released in 2022 … I hope not, but who knows?

Also, I’m not going to write a lot about most of these songs, and I’ll have more to say about the songs in part two of this list, although even most of those I’m not saying a ton about.

Also, my lyrical analyzations might be terrible. I’m not very good at analyzing lyrics, so take my interpretations of these songs with a grain of salt.

Alright, with that, enjoy the list!

#100: “take me nowhere” by Maggie Lindemann

So, we’re starting this list with a song you might be surprised to see here if you saw my review of the album … because, yes, I found Maggie Lindemann’s 2022 album as a whole to be mediocre at best … but this song is easily the biggest standout on the album to me, with its crushing guitar and snares and Maggie’s incredible vocals which all add up to this phenomenal, anthemic track full of cynicism which I totally get considering how selfish so many people are.

If you’re into melodic hard rock/metalcore, I highly recommend this! Oh, and speaking of songs from albums I found to be mediocre …

99: “Gasoline” by The Weeknd

At first, I thought Dawn FM was really quite bad, but the more I listened to it the more tolerable I found it … and while I still don’t particularly like that album, it did grow on me, in large part because of “Gasoline”, a song which I couldn’t get into at all at first—and now it’s among my favourite tracks of the year!

Yes, there’s toxicity in the lyrics (as you’d expect with a Weeknd song), but like with a lot of his songs, that’s the whole point, and I just interpret it as a picture being painted, and the instrumental fits it really well!

#98: “Surround Sound” by JID (ft. 21 Savage & Baby Tate)

So, I wasn’t as big a fan of The Forever Story as most critics, but on that album is one of the best rap bangers I’ve heard from 2022! There are great guest features from 21 Savage and Baby Tate, but JID is the star of the show if you ask me!

JID’s flows here are great, and there are so many great lines and rhymes, with an awesome beat switch, too, which might be the cherry on top which puts this on the list!

#97: “93696” by Liturgy

So, if this list had come out when I originally planned for it to, this wouldn’t be on here, because I only discovered it from listening to the album from this year and finding out this song had been released already.

Anyway, this song is a lot to take in … it’s a metal song that’s nearly fifteen minutes long, which isn’t the type of song I’d usually put on a list like this, even if it works really well with the whole album … but there are so many interesting lyrics here, even though I’m not going to pretend I understand everything that’s being said here, and the guitars are fantastic, too! And also, those strings at the end put this song on another level!

#96: “The End of Eternity” by Rolo Tomassi

This is the closing track from Rolo Tomassi’s 2022 album, Where Myth Becomes Memory, one of my favourite albums of 2022, and while I think it works even better in context of the album, I still love it enough as a standalone song to put it on this list. The production is fantastic, Eva Korman’s vocals are incredible, and I love the haunting lyrics about the passage of time, which really hit hard for me.

#95: “Venenosa” by Future Static

This is one of the most haunting metal songs of 2022 that I’ve heard, and it’s also full of killer guitars and that absolutely excellent snare in the chorus! The melodies absolutely rule, and the vocals really help this song hit even harder! Absolutely incredible stuff!

#94: “Lit Lips the Bracken” by Asian Glow

This is an absolutely incredible album opener, with some incredible guitars and vocal melodies! It’s got a very gloomy feeling to its sound, and the production sounds incredible like it does throughout pretty much the entire album!

#93: “Let The Dark Do The Rest” by Korn

This might be a surprising pick to some … but when the vocal melody in the chorus is this good, with super hard-hitting snares throughout the song with guitar distortion that fits really well with this track … yeah, it absolutely rules!

#92: “Remorseless” by billy woods

One of many fantastic songs from billy woods’ album Aethiopes, “Remorseless” is a haunting look into the future which uses a fantastic synth sample in the background that sounds like a flute, sampled from “Dziwny jest ten świat” by Czesław Niemen. And I’m not going to pretend that I fully understand every lyric in the song, but like I said, it’s a haunting look into the future with a lot of really interesting lines that made me think. And billy woods’ fantastic poetry really wows me nearly every time I listen to him rap!

#91: “Irrelevant” by P!nk

I know it might not be considered ‘cool’ to put this song on the list, simply because P!nk isn’t an artist who’s considered ‘cool’ to like, at least not anymore. But whether or not it’s ‘cool’ to put this song here, it’s making my list. It’s a political song which seems to be fighting back against the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and while it’s not a super deep song lyrically, it doesn’t need to be. It’s very to the point, and the instrumentation is great, too! What a powerful song!

#90: “Obsidian” by Northlane

This is an incredible metal track with super hard-hitting snares and fantastic guitars! I absolutely love the production on this track with the loud-soft dynamic which sounds absolutely incredible! If you’re a fan of metal, I highly recommend this one!

#89: “Rivers” by Just Mustard

This is the closing track from an album that nearly made my top ten favourites of 2022, and it’s got fantastic production and great vocal melodies! It’s got a kind of jumpy feeling to it in the instrumentation, but not in an annoying way, and the kind of industrial sounds fit super well over the rest of the instrumental!

#88: “The Bells” by Beach House

Beach House’s 2022 album is super calming to listen to, and “The Bells” is a huge example of that. The mixing is absolutely fantastic, and I love the melodies here, too. It’s just such a calming track to listen to!

#87: “SADNESS RESIDUE (ERASER ROOM)” by Saya Gray

I wasn’t a huge fan of Saya Gray’s 2022 album, 19 MASTERS … I like the album, but it does feel quite all over the place and inconsistent. But it does also have this song on it!

Like a lot of the album, it can take some getting used to, but there’s a lot to this, and in my opinion it’s a phenomenal track! It’s a multi-part song that’s incredibly well produced and super creative! Again, even though I didn’t love the album as a whole, it still makes me really curious to hear more music from Saya Gray … and it also has some amazing tracks on it, and this is one of them!

#86: “Chicago” by alt-J

This is a haunting, mysterious track that I absolutely love! The melodies are great, and I love how the instrumental changes throughout. But what might work best about the song is how well the music and lyrics fit together. I highly recommend this track if you haven’t heard it already!

#85: “Call of the Carnyx” by Saor

This song has arguably one of my favourite song intros of 2022, with that fantastic build! And it eventually turns into a soaring metal song with some incredible guitar melodies further complemented by production that is pretty much perfect! Yeah, the mixing here is some of the absolute best mixing I’ve heard from 2022!

#84: “Passenger” by Boston Manor

I listen to a lot of melodic rock music, and this is some of the best of it that I heard in 2022! Those vocal melodies are incredible, and the mixing really helps the drums have some real punch to them that sends this song to another level! Oh yeah, and that chorus is phenomenal!

#83: “Running with the Hurricane” by Camp Cope

This is such an anthemic indie rock song that reaches for the stars and absolutely succeeds, as the song is absolutely awesome!

The vocals are amazing, especially when produced this well! And the pianos and guitars sound fantastic as well, paired with some incredible vocal melodies!

I know it’s a long shot, but imagine if this becomes a big hit that’s all over the radio? That would be AWESOME!

#82: “In Shade” by Just Mustard

This song feels so intense despite being so mellow. It’s full of industrial rock sounds and some fantastic sounding snares, and it’s a great late-album highlight on one of my favourite albums of 2022!

#81: “Happy New Year” by Let’s Eat Grandma

This song was released in early January of 2022 (as you might have guessed based on the title), and it’s such a banger!

I’m pretty sure this is a song celebrating the friendship between the two members of the duo, and I love how joyous this track is, and those glorious synths make it even better!

If I’m ever the DJ of a new year’s party, I’ll almost definitely be playing this song!

#80: “Boils Up” by Show Me the Body

Well, this song is … messy, to say the least.

And it’s one that’s not easy to talk about. I’m not entirely sure what all the lyrics mean, but it’s incredibly haunting, with the main line of the song being, ‘Everything I suppressed boils up.’ And the instrumental feels fitting considering the lyrics.

This song is incredibly intense, and it’s so hard-hitting! This is excellent!

#79: “Firedancer” by Poets of the Fall

Poets of the Fall made one of my favourite albums of 2022, and “Firedancer” is such an incredible opening track! I love how hard-hitting the snare on this track is, and it sounds even more fantastic when paired with those blazing guitars in the chorus! Oh, and that vocal melody in the chorus is super catchy in the best way!

#78: “Bettin’ On Me” by Train

🙂

…

…

What?

No, I’m not kidding … I absolutely love this song, and it’s one of my favourites of the year!

No, I don’t care if it’s ‘uncool’ to put a Train song on my favourite songs of the year list, this song is awesome in my opinion!

…

This is such a nice song to just chill out to. Great melodies, great mixing, and a great vocal performance from Pat Monahan really help this mellow track feel really soothing! And I love the layered instrumentation here.

It’s probably a controversial opinion to have this here, especially considering what some of the songs that missed the list are, but this is just my own personal list, and I absolutely love this song!

#77: “What Feels Like Eternity” by Metric

This is the first of multiple Metric songs on this list, and I still can’t believe I didn’t like this song at first. Honestly, on first listen, I thought it was terrible, and that feels really funny to think about now, as it’s grown on me to the point where it’s one of my favourite songs of the year!

The mixing on this song is fantastic, and there are so many great melodies! It’s arguably got one of the catchiest hooks of 2022 that I’ve heard, and in the best way! What a fantastic banger with a subtly powerful snare that puts this song on another level!

#76: “Labyrinthine” by Rolo Tomassi

Arguably some of the best snares in any 2022 song I’ve heard, absolutely killer lead vocals, with insanely heavy instrumentation … and it avoids feeling like style over substance, with some fantastic riffs and phenomenal production!

And while I don’t fully understand what the lyrics are about, they’re certainly fascinating and open to interpretation … and there’s just so much about this song that I absolutely love!

#75: “Black Mascara.” by RAYE

Here’s another song I only discovered from listening to the album it was on which came out in 2023, and if I’d posted this list around the new year, this wouldn’t be on it because I hadn’t heard it yet … and it’s an absolutely heartbreaking song describing trauma from abuse, and the unhealthy ways people try to cope. This song was written about an experience RAYE had as a victim, and regardless of my personal feelings on the song, I really hope she’s doing well. Nobody deserves to go through that.

And when I said ‘regardless of my feelings on the song’, that doesn’t mean I don’t love this song … I mean, it’s absolutely not an easy listen, but it deserves a spot on this list anyway!

#74: “Should’ve Been Me” by Mitski

I remember that incredible feeling I got listening to Mitski’s 2022 album Laurel Hell in early 2022, and which I still get whenever I listen to that album, and this song is such a big standout on the album for me … it’s a breakup song where Mitski is looking back at this relationship wondering why it didn’t work out, and she takes part of the blame for it. When she says ‘it should’ve been me’, she’s not saying, ‘You should still be with me and I’ll get whatever I want,’ she’s saying, ‘This should’ve worked out, and it’s not entirely my fault, but it partially was, but it’s time to move on.’

But it still shows how difficult it is for her to move on, and the song shows a lot of maturity by showing these emotions she’s going through while acknowledging that it wasn’t entirely the other person’s fault … it just didn’t work out, and she feels like it ‘should have’, but she knows it’s time to move on.

Also, that instrumental solo right before the last chorus is probably in my top 10 favourite musical moments of 2022! I can’t put into words how much I love that part, but it gives me such an incredible feeling when I listen to it!

#73: “Look Close, Nose the Reflection” by Asian Glow

This nine-minute song is full of incredible melodies, both in the vocals and the instrumentation. I love the way it changes throughout the song, too. And, like most of the album, it’s incredibly well produced, with the haunting strings sounding amazing!

#72: “Floodlights on the square” by Boston Manor

This is such a banger! The drums have so much punch, the guitars sound incredible, and it’s all mixed so well!

This is the kind of rock music that I absolutely love, with the drums having as much power as they do along with these awesome guitars and vocal melodies! And it reminds me that I really want to listen to Boston Manor’s first few albums, because I haven’t done that yet!

#71: “Heavy Heart” by Bartees Strange

This is a song about letting go of survivor’s guilt, and it’s such a magical track!

I absolutely LOVE the transition into the instrumental bridge with the horns, and speaking of which … holy shit! What a phenomenal bridge!

This is a super emotional, hard-hitting track, and the optimism here in that incredible bridge is the main reason why this song means so much to me. What a way to open an album!

#70: “Red Smoke” by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

I haven’t listened to a ton of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, but from what I’ve heard I haven’t really been as wowed by them as a lot of people are … but that being said, “Red Smoke” is an excellent song about climate change, and how a lot of leaders just want to ignore it … I mean, as far as I can tell it’s not super deep or anything, but it gets the point across along with having an absolutely fantastic instrumental with incredible production!

#69: “Eight Fivers” by Gilla Band

When I think of ‘noise music’ this is the kind of music I think of, and while I understand this not being for everyone, the noisy sounds throughout this track add this strange sense of eeriness that really clicks for me! Also, I love the line, ‘I spent all my money on shit clothes.’

#68: “The Gum” by Gilla Band

Oh, and speaking of Gilla Band … yeah, this is another super eerie, noisy, industrial rock song which, even more than the last track, is going to be way too much for some people. But I’ve got to say, for me, this is INCREDIBLY good! And it’s a song that must be heard to be believed! Wow, what a way to open an album!

#67: “Thumbsucker” by Soul Glo

On Soul Glo’s newest album, Diaspora Problems, they manage to make very fun songs out of heavy subject matters, and this one discusses depression and trying to cope with it, but also knowing when to do something about problems you’re facing instead of just trying to find distractions.

And I love how specific the lyrics are, with Pierce Jordan mentioning literally sucking his thumb as a kid, as well as his toy Cookie Monster, two things that helped him cope. And also, the song is just such a banger that it ends up being ridiculously fun without losing the emotion of the song. So, yeah, this is one of the best bangers I’ve heard from 2022!

#66: “Girl Hell 1999” by Saidan

This is one of the most heartbreaking songs of 2022 that I heard … it feels totally hopeless, as the narrator wishes to be dead after being a victim of abuse, but there’s a tiny bit of a hopeful feeling in the instrumentation, at least it seems that way to me. Still, though, this is incredibly heartbreaking, and if you find it too much to sit through, or if you’re just not into metal music, I understand. But I think this song is incredible.

#65: “Sugar/Tzu” by Black Midi

Just like Black Midi’s album on my favourite albums list, I feel like this is a controversial pick due to it not being higher … and just wait ‘til you see what some of the songs ahead of this one are!

But that doesn’t stop this track from being absolutely phenomenal! It’s a futuristic song, and while there is so much wrong with what’s going on in it, that’s the whole point, and when it’s paired with such a harsh instrumental, it has this real sense of fear of a dark future ahead. Not an easy listen, but in my opinion it’s worth it!

#64: “Buck 50” by Show Me the Body

I know I’m always being really nitpicky when it comes to drums and percussion, and how it’s mixed, and whether or not it has too much echo or reverb, but if you’re tired of me doing that, well … HOLY SHIT! THE DRUMS HERE SOUND FANTASTIC!

Yeah, the drums are mixed incredibly well, and when paired with those killer guitars, it makes for a super hard-hitting rock song, and with Julian Cashwan Pratt’s incredible vocal performance here … yeah, this is one of my favourite songs of 2022!

#63: “Valentine, Texas” by Mitski

Am I the only one who thinks this sounds like a Beach House song? Even as someone who doesn’t know a ton of Beach House music (although I am familiar with their new album which is one of my favourites of 2022), I definitely hear some similarities in the percussion and synths!

Oh, and it sounds like a great Beach House song! The melodies are incredible, Mitski’s vocals are so calming to listen to, and that moment just over a minute into the song where more instrumentation kicks in is absolutely awesome! And it just keeps getting better from there!

#62: “Haldern” by Black Country, New Road

So, this is a difficult one to talk about, and that’s mostly because for me to feel a personal connection to song, I don’t have to directly relate to what the lyrics are saying … I don’t even fully understand what this song’s lyrics are saying, but there’s a personal connection here that I don’t really know how to describe. It’s not an easy listen, and like a lot of the album it makes me think about parts of myself I don’t really want to acknowledge, but it means a lot to me, and those pianos are what really put it on that next level for me! 2022 was a very difficult year for me, but I’m so grateful for songs like these.

#61: “The Tipping Point” by Tears for Fears

Great percussion, great melodies, great mixing … this song has pretty much everything you could ask for in a song! And while I don’t remember really liking the album that much the one time I listened to it, this song absolutely rules!

#60: “Enemies of the Ocean” by Metric

So, I turned 18 years old in 2022, and that felt like a huge deal to me. I had to say goodbye to my childhood, and I’m an adult now. It’s something that I’m sure is difficult for everyone, but this song is a huge part of the soundtrack to this part of my life.

I’m not sure if this was the intent or not, but I interpret this song as partially being about being a young kid thinking you know which path you’re going to take in your life, and not having a lot to worry about, but then growing up and looking back at the past realizing how wrong you were. ‘How were we to know the river ever would bend?’

Oh, and it also sounds fantastic start to finish. But it’s that final instrumental pre-chorus that really puts this song on another level! With those blazing guitars with the stunning synths and the way the instruments are perfectly timed, it’s one of my favourite musical moments of 2022!

#59: “Home Is Where the Art Is” by Spade

I’ll be honest and say it feels kind of strange putting this here … because I know the artists who made the song, which can’t be said about any other song on this list, except for, well, another Spade song which will also appear on this list, but we’ll get to that later.

But this isn’t here because I know the members of this duo, it’s here because it absolutely rules! With incredible mixing and production, incredible vocals and lyrics, and arguably some of the best drumming I’ve heard in a 2022 song, as well as those killer guitars, it’s such a joy to listen to!

#58: “ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine

Lizzy McAlpine’s newest album was one of the toughest albums to leave off my top 50 of the year … it was really close! And this song is my favourite on the album.

“ceilings” is such a beautiful song, with the gorgeous production, melodies, and vocals, and the amazing lyrics which seem to describe waking up from a dream, or maybe a daydream, and wishing it were reality. It reminds me in a lot of ways of “How to Disappear Completely” by Radiohead, and while I wouldn’t say I think it’s as great as that song, it’s still absolutely incredible!

#57: “Those Which Stare Back” by Phobophilic

So, there was one big issue I had with Phobophilic’s newest album that really held it back for me, and if you want to know what that was, you can check out my mini review of that album. But in that review, I also hinted at this song making this list, and here it is! Incredible drumming and guitar melodies, great guitar distortion, and some real intensity to the instrumental that sounds awesome!

So, yeah, despite my major issue with the album, I’ve got to say, I really love this song!

#56: “Radiator” by Show Me the Body

Well, this song is kind of unsettling, especially with that haunting chorus with the line, ‘Things I’ve done follow me.’

And with those intense drums that show up later in the track, it adds to the eerie feeling of the track so much!

Like a lot of the songs on this list, I get why someone might not like it, but for me it hits really hard! Excellent song!

#55: “Modern Love Stories” by Beach House

But even Mitski’s incredible Beach House song didn’t top Beach House themselves. Now, look, I don’t want to make this all about comparisons, and which song I’d rather listen to depends on the time, but as of right now, if I had to pick which one I like more, I’m picking this one.

Anyway, this is such an excellent closing track to Once Twice Melody, with the incredible synths and percussion (which is something I could say about almost every song on the album), and it’s made even better by that phenomenal outro with the acoustic guitar and that fantastic synth!

#54: “I Was Away” by Gilla Band

Just like the first two Gilla Band songs on this list, I understand why this isn’t for everyone … but with those glitchy, staticky sounds, the great vocals, and the fantastic-sounding percussion, it’s absolutely for me!

I don’t know what this song is about, but the song sounds so amazing! Incredible track!

#53: “NAOMI” by Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco put out one of the best produced rap albums of 2022 that I heard, and “NAOMI” is arguably one of the best produced songs on the album! The percussion sounds incredible, and the way the instruments all sound together make for an oddly calm instrumental despite Lupe’s flows.

Speaking of Lupe’s flow here, it’s incredible, with some really interesting lyrics as well.

I’m not sure if this is one of the more ‘obvious’ choices from the album for this list, but either way, it’s a huge standout to me!

#52: “Mirrors” by Just Mustard

You know those songs that are eerie yet calming to just vibe out to?

Okay, maybe ‘calming’ is a bit of a stretch. But this mellow yet chaotic storm is approaching quickly, and you’d better watch out for those guitars, or you might get blown away by the wind! Or by this song … lol, that wasn’t funny at all, was it?

#51: “Hyper” by Gospel

Gospel sound totally locked in here, with every element of the instrumentation coming together to create an incredible experience that really wowed me!

Those guitar melodies! The vocals! The synths! It all sounds so incredible! But, of course, I’ve got to mention THAT DRUMMING. Seriously, the drums on this track will blow your mind. What a fantastic track from a mind-blowingly good album!

Now, if you want to read my top 50 songs of 2022, click here.