Best Songs of 2022

After a couple years of struggle in gathering enough songs I actually liked enough for my typical 100-track playlists, this year I was back to figuring out which songs I had to eliminate to get down to my arbitrary-but-not cutoff. I don’t think that says as much about the quality of the music in previous years, nor my access to it, as it does about the unmooring of the pandemic slowly beginning to wane.

It’s pretty clear to me, for example, that my listening habits have returned, in a few small ways, to what they once were. For one thing, I spent more time listening to music out in the world again, whether via headphones on an afternoon walk, blasting on the car stereo on a long drive, or best of all, in the presence of others. Often, the latter meant hearing music in concert again in earnest, and there are a handful of those artists reflected here.

Mostly, though, I wonder if it was just a simple bit of luck, that such a large number of artists whose previous work I have either briefly or long admired, happened to release new music in 2022. Surprisingly, given my propensity for biographical statistics, I have not done any calculations on whether or not this year represents a new record in “via past experience” references, but I would venture it to be close, if not at the top. Such is the nature of an aging music fan, I guess.

Also reflective of my age—as well as my longstanding love for the genre— is perhaps my longest-ever stretch of Americana, folk, and country tunes, beginning first with Maren Morris and continuing, for over an hour of this nearly 7-hour playlist, through Angel Olsen. Though there are plenty of uptempo, rollicking songs in this group, as a whole, they reflect my growing tendency toward softer, more naturalist sounds. And as a more traditional rock music sound recedes from the culture, these acts remain my tie to that old standby, the guitar.

I do not see myself as too stuck in my ways, however. There are still new (to me) artists on this list, and there are even a few honest-to-god zeitgeist-y pop songs to be found. So I’m not completely out of touch. Which is nice. I will take what I can get at this point. And I hope that you will take, too. Take a listen, that is. Which you can do on either Spotify or Apple Music.

Show Grid

The Loneliest Time

Carly Rae Jepsen featuring Rufus Wainwright

The Loneliest Time

Schoolboy/Interscope

via past experience
Coast

Hailee Steinfeld featuring Anderson .Paak

Coast digital single

Universal

via Stereogum
Tonight

Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig

Alpha Zulu

Glassnote

via past experience
The Only Heartbreaker

Mitski

Laurel Hell

Dead Oceans

via past experience
As It Was

Harry Styles

Harry’s House

Columbia

via past experience
Big Energy

Latto

777

RCA

via MTV Live
Yuck

Charli XCX

Crash

Asylum

via past experience
Solid

MUNA

MUNA

Saddest Factory

via Evie on KEXP
Heartbursts

Lucius

Second Nature

Mom and Pop

via past experience
Humble Quest

Maren Morris

Humble Quest

Columbia Nashville

via past experience
Angel

First Aid Kit

Palomino

Columbia

via past experience
Problem With It

Plains

I Walked With You a Ways

Anti-

via past experience (Waxahatchee & Jess Williamson)
Like the Thunder

Joan Shelley

The Spur

No Quarter

via past experience
Through the Glass

The Dead Tongues

Dust

Psychic Hotline

via past experience
All My Love Is Coming Back to Me

S.G. Goodman

Teeth Marks

Verve Forecast

via Greg Vandy on KEXP / Mark Baker
Falling Apart (Right Now)

Wilco

Cruel Country

DbPM

via past experience
Spud Infinity

Big Thief

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You

4AD

via past experience
Breast of Glass

Jake Xerxes Fussell

Good and Green Again

Paradise of Bachelors

via past experience
Karaoke

Cass McCombs

Heartmind

Anti-

via past experience
Natural Information

Bill Callahan

YTI⅃AƎЯ

Drag City

via past experience
A Random Act of Kindness

Kevin Morby

This Is a Photograph

Dead Oceans

via past experience
Come Home With Me

Lydia Ramsey

Like a Dream

self-released

via past experience
Backwater Blues

Kelsey Waldon

No Regular Dog

Oh Boy

via Mark Baker
Outta Time

Orville Peck

Bronco

Columbia

via KEXP
Big Time

Angel Olsen

Big Time

Jagjaguwar

via past experience
Mistakes

Sharon Van Etten

We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong

Jagjaguwar

via past experience
Home Maker

Sudan Archives

Natural Brown Prom Queen

Stones Throw

via past experience
Rollercoaster

Burna Boy featuring J Balvin

Love, Damini

Atlantic

via KEXP / Barack Obama on Instagram
Purple Hearts

Kendrick Lamar featuring Summer Walker & Ghostface Killah

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Aftermath

via past experience
Because

Danger Mouse & Black Thought featuring Dylan Cartlidge, Joey Bada$$ & Russ

Cheat Codes

BMG

via past experience
Gangsta Rap

Fatlip, Blu, and Madlib

Gangsta Rap digital single

Guilt By Association

via Fluxblog / past experience
Why We Speak

Robert Glasper featuring Q-Tip & Esperanza Spalding

Black Radio III

Loma Vista

via Fluxblog / past experience
Twin Flame

KAYTRANADA & Anderson .Paak

Twin Flame digital single

RCA

via past experience
B-Side

Khruangbin & Leon Bridges

Texas Moon

Dead Oceans

via past experience
New Gold

Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala & Bootie Brown

New Gold digital single

Parlophone

via past experience
The Loop

Toro y Moi

Mahal

Dead Oceans

via past experience
Go On

Panda Bear & Sonic Boom

Reset

Domino

via KEXP / past experience (Panda Bear)
Go Down River

The Heavy Heavy

Life and Life Only

ATO

via Greg Vandy on KEXP
Grow

Samm Henshaw

Untidy Soul

Dorm Seven

via Fluxblog
One

Amber Mark

Three Dimensions Deep

Universal

via past experience
Wanna Know

The Soft Pink Truth

Is It Going to Get Any Deeper Than This?

Thrill Jockey

via Jenn Wasner (Flock of Dimes)
Birthday Girl

Lizzo

Special

Nice Life

via past experience
Turn the Table

Empress Of and Jim-E Stack

Save Me

Major Arcana

via past experience
Happiness

The 1975

Being Funny in a Foreign Language

Dirty Hit

via past experience
Happy Music

Supershy

Happy Music

Beyond the Groove

via Fluxblog
Down

Hot Chip

Freakout/Release

Domino

via Troy Nelson on KEXP / past experience
Waterfall

Disclosure & RAYE

Waterfall digital single

Apollo

via Fluxblog / past experience
The Last Goodbye

ODESZA featuring Bettye LaVette

The Last Goodbye

Ninja Tune

via KEXP
Cloudy

Daphni

Cherry

TK Label

via past experience
Rosewood

Bonobo

Fragments

Ninja Tune

via Fluxblog / past experience
Break My Soul

Beyoncé

RENAISSANCE

Columbia

via past experience
I’ve Felt Better (Than I Do Now)

Gold Panda

I’ve Felt Better (Than I Do Now) digital single

City Slang

via past experience
Future, If Future

Michael Stipe

Future, If Future

EarthPercent

via past experience
The Next Day

Chris Malinchak

The Next Day

Ultra

via past experience
Geronimo

Young Fathers

Geronimo digital single

Ninja Tune

via past experience
anotherlife

Nilüfer Yanya

Painless

ATO

via past experience
Headrush

Georgia Harmer

Stay in Touch

Arts & Crafts

via Said the Gramophone
Pure Love

Flock of Dimes

Pure Love / Time 12" single

Psychic Hotline

via past experience
That’s Where I Am

Maggie Rogers

Surrender

Capitol

via past experience
Heavy Heart

Bartees Strange

Farm to Table

4AD

via past experience
Motorbike

Momma

Household Name

Polyvinyl

via somewhere?
Roman Holiday

Fontaines D.C.

Skinty Fia

Partisan

via Kevin Cole on KEXP
Shotgun

Soccer Mommy

Sometimes, Forever

Loma Vista

via past experience
Summer Nights

Hazel English

Summer Nights digital single

self-released

via past experience
Tidal River

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

Endless Rooms

Sub Pop

via past experience
Stars

DEHD

Blue Skies

Fat Possum

via KEXP
Everything Is Simple

Widowspeak

The Jacket

Captured Tracks

via somewhere?
You Will Never Work in Television Again

The Smile

A Light for Attracting Attention

XL Recordings

via past experience (Radiohead)
Silence Is Golden

The Beths

Expert in a Dying Field

Carpark

via past experience
Very Online Guy

Alvvays

Blue Rev

Polyvinyl

via past experience
Being in Love

Wet Leg

Wet Leg

Domino

via past experience
Jimmy Neutron

Enumclaw

Save the Baby

Luminelle Recordings

via past experience
Spitting Off the Edge of the World

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Cool It Down

Secretly Canadian

via past experience
Lucifer on the Sofa

Spoon

Lucifer on the Sofa

Matador

via past experience
Off Goes the Light

Bibio

BIB10

Warp

via past experience
See You Better Now

Wild Pink

ILYSM

Royal Mountain

via past experience
Running With the Hurricane

Camp Cope

Running With the Hurricane

Run for Cover

via past experience
Arsehole

Ben Lee featuring Georgia Maq

I’M FUN!

Ten Finger

via past experience
The Lightning I & II

Arcade Fire

WE

Columbia

via past experience
The Dark

Eddie Vedder

Earthling

Seattle Surf/Republic

via past experience
In Need of Repair

Band of Horses

Things Are Great

Dudes/BMG

via past experience
This Is What It Looks Like

Craig Finn

A Legacy of Rentals

Positive Jams

via past experience
I Miss Strangers

Death Cab for Cutie

Asphalt Meadows

Atlantic

via past experience
I Was Neon

Julia Jacklin

PRE PLEASURE

Polyvinyl

via past experience
Moves

Suki Waterhouse

I Can’t Let Go

Sub Pop

via Fluxblog
Empty Head

Frankie Cosmos

Inner World Peace

Sub Pop

via past experience
Saturdays

Broken Bells

INTO THE BLUE

Aural Apothecary / Columbia

via past experience
What Happened to the Class of ’65?

Damien Jurado

Reggae Film Star

Maraqopa

via past experience
Chain

Workhorse

No Photographs

Dinosaur City

via Apple Music
If I Die Tomorrow

Jack White

Entering Heaven Alive

Third Man

via past experience
Coming Back to You

Sylvan Esso

No Rules Sandy

Psychic Hotline

via past experience
Friday Night

Beth Orton

Weather Alive

Partisan

via past experience
Two Ways

Florist

Florist

Double Double Whammy

via Apple Music
Wedding Dress

The A’s

Fruit

Psychic Hotline

via past experience (Mountain Man)
Older Now

Courtney Marie Andrews

Loose Future

Fat Possum

via past experience
Atomized

Andrew Bird

Inside Problems

Loma Vista

via past experience
Summer Dream

Bonny Light Horseman

Rolling Golden Holy

37d30d

via past experience (Fruit Bats, Anaïs Mitchell)
Weird Goodbyes

The National featuring Bon Iver

Weird Goodbyes digital single

4AD

via past experience
Tears Are in Your Eyes

The Tallest Man on Earth

Too Late for Eidelweiss

Anti-

via past experience
California Girl

naomi alligator

Double Knot

Carpark

via Apple Music