My 100 Favorite Songs of 2022
My daughter is now the age where she hijacks the stereo every time we’re in the car and I welcome it as an opportunity to hear something new (except when it’s OneRepublic!). What I didn’t see coming was the day in late May when she pressed play on her phone and out came “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” by Kate Bush. I was hit with a lot of different emotions in that moment — pride at her great taste, relief that the music she liked was broadening, a massive wave of nostalgia, and the irritating but overwhelming urge to correct her description of the song as “from the new season of ‘Stranger Things’”. The show has always had great musical taste but it went a big step further in season four, building a major plotline around the idea that breaking the villain’s curse requires playing your favorite song on loop.
That’s what favorite songs do. They stir something elemental inside you — whether it’s joy, sadness, anger, or just the overwhelming urge to crank the volume. That’s actually my top criteria when making this list — these are songs that shift something inside every time I hear them.
My obsessive tendencies make me want to not only make a playlist but pit them all against each other and turn it into a ranking. It feels way more fun that way. And each year gets a bit more obsessive. In fact, at this point I’m also two years into a podcast with my friends where all we do is rank classic albums and then argue about it. But while that podcast looks lovingly at the past, I love this list because it’s about what’s current. I’m not the only one with that idea (although, to be fair, I’ve been doing it longer!)
This year’s list seems to me to be more optimistic, more global (I’ve never used the accent key this much), and more synth-heavy. I’ve also never had a top 3 of songs this short. Each is barely two minutes long. In fact, you could fit the top 5 into Song #87 this year and still have room to spare!
The rules, as always, are simple:
- The track has to have been released in 2022 as either a single or part of an album. I do include songs that came out last year as singles but this year as album tracks as long as they didn’t make last year’s list. Gives me more leeway.
- Only one song per artist. Allows for a far more varied list.
- Re-releasing a song doesn’t count (sorry Kate!).
You can find the full Spotify playlist here. I encourage you to listen as you slowly scroll down so you can enjoy the list as it plays.
Please comment, share, or write to me directly and let me know what I got right and wrong. Here’s to a new batch of songs to break Vecna’s curse in 2023!
100. Give That Wolf A Banana by Subwoolfer. Props to Norway for, with a straight face, making this their official Eurovision entry for 2022.
99. Caution by Cuco. When your inner voice is trying to break through the fog to tell you something.
98. Sign From God by Young Guv. That sign is looking pretty blissed out, man.
97. Ghost In The Machine by Dawes. The sound of a band that’s hungry again.
96. Eat the Wine, Drink the Bread by Destroyer. Don’t worry if it makes sense and just enjoy the drums.
95. Electricity by Ibibio Sound Machine. Afrobeat + Hot Chip = I’m in.
94. Big Steppa by Flo Milli. Not to be confused with Top Steppa.
93. Alarm by Sylvan Esso. Like that one guy during finals week in college.
92. Chapstick by COIN. A bass line to aggressively bob your head to.
91. The Opposite by The Smile. In other words, Radiohead.
90. Pull Up by Iceage. Keeping it as heavy as their threatening band name.
89. Big Big Baby by King Hannah. The alt-rock way to do name calling.
88. No Gold Teeth by Danger Mouse and Black Thought. Danger Mouse + anyone becomes instantly interesting.
87. The Dripping Tap by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. If Animal from the Muppets was a songwriter.
86. Best Friend by Meskerem Mees. Been there.
85. It’s So Hard to Hold On by Trampled by Turtles. Wistful bluegrass is the best bluegrass.
84. WHATUP by DOMi & JD BECK. The sound of your mind on coffee.
83. A Madman from Manhattan by Jack White. All acoustic but still with that Jack White trademark edge.
82. Bits n’ Pieces by Interesting Hobbies Club. Their parents were excited until realizing Interesting Hobbies Club was just a moody alternative band.
81. Bomba Atómica by Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento. Like a salsa-infused fever dream.
80. Let Her Remember by Peter McPoland. A voice that gives me chills.
79. Happiness by The 1975. The 1975 go relentlessly upbeat (and add more sax).
78.Melt Session #1 by Denzel Curry (feat. Robert Glasper). Maybe this will make Jazz Therapy a thing?
77. The 30th by Billie Eilish. She’s turning into an incredible storyteller.
76. CEREAL by Ricki Monique (feat. MMYYKK). If Lizzo went lo-fi.
75. The Last Goodbye by ODESZA (feat. Bettye LaVette). The influence of Moby’s “Play” lives on.
74. Carnival Time by Irma Thomas (feat. George Porter Jr., Cyril Neville, The New Breed Brass Band). Mardi Gras in song form.
73. Where You Been by Anxious. When emo meets power pop.
72. The Funhouse by Frances of Delirium. As world-weary as 20-year-olds can get.
71. First Class by Jack Harlow. Uh-huh.
70. U&ME by alt-J. Ten years later there is still no one else who sounds like alt-J.
69. Por Si Te Vas by María Peláe. Always room for flamenco on the Top 100.
68. Down by Hot Chip. Nothing bounces like a new Hot Chip track.
67. Home Maker by Sudan Archives. Makes cleaning up sound cool.
66. Madison by Drugdealer. Sung through a sunny 70’s FM haze.
65. Top Steppa by Greentea Peng. Not to be confused with Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.
64. Planisphere Part. I by Justice. No one does Intense Synthesizer better than Justice.
63. MISOPHONIA LOVE by The Koreatown Oddity. The song that taught me about a previously unheard of medical condition in 2022.
62. Talkin’ Drums by Melé (feat. Touré Kunda). Makes your other dance music sound boring.
61. I Still Love You by BANKS. For achievement in whisper-singing.
60. You Better Believe It by Jason Bourgeois. A toe-tapping song about how stupid we all are.
59. Love, Try Not To Let Go by Julia Jacklin. For that booming chorus.
58. Up the Mountain by Regina Spektor. Like an Alice in Wonderland walkthrough.
57. Goodbye Mr. Blue by Father John Misty. Continuing his bid to become the patron saint of Laurel Canyon.
56. Dear Fear by Kota the Friend. First rapper ever to suggest forming a book club?
55. Chitty Bang by Leikeli47. The confidence of someone who goes by their Tik Tok username.
54. Two Timin’ by The Watson Twins (feat. Butch Walker). Cheating never sounded like such a rollicking good time.
53. Rock Bottom by Kevin Morby. Hitting the lowest point of your life never sounded like such a rollicking good time.
52. Pink Venom by BLACKPINK. Feels like the next step in their journey toward world domination.
51. Oak Tree by Tank and the Bangas. I want to be called someone’s collard green.
50. Kill Bill by SZA. SZA, there are other fish in the sea.
49. boy by The Killers. Someone listened to Erasure growing up.
48. I Just Got So High by Gabriella Cohen. So loose and fun it’s almost like she’s….oh.
47. Gold Satin Dreamer by Nicole Dollanganger. Like Stevie Nicks caught in a blizzard.
46. Let Us Die by King Princess. She has a discomforting number of suggestions on how to end things.
45. All Comes Crashing by Metric. Come for the synths, stay for that guitar hook.
44. The Place Where He Inserted the Blade by Black Country, New Road. Most miserable sing along ever?
43. There Goes a Brooklyn Girl by Freedy Johnston. So “Sweet Jane” was a Brooklyn girl?
42. That’s Where I Am by Maggie Rogers. Maggie goes big beat.
41. Bad Love by Dehd. If the Shangri-Las became fugitives from the law.
40. This Is What I Mean by Stormzy. The British accent just makes it even better.
39. Vocoder by Floating Points. More a workout track than a dance track.
38. Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift. Actually turns out the problem was Ticketmaster.
37. Age of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole) by Arcade Fire. Arcade Fire goes Krautrock?
36. United In Grief by Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick continues writing his entire autobiography four minutes at a time.
35. Strong by Romy & Fred again… A motivational talk you can dance to.
34. Covivi by Moonchild Sanelly (feat. Theology HD). Self-described (accurately) as “future ghetto punk”.
33. Easy Lover by Ellie Goulding (feat. Big Sean). Goes down as smoothly as the Phil Collins track of the same name.
32. Keep Driving By Harry Styles. Roadtripping with Harry Stylus sounds like a good time.
31. FOMO by Amber Mark. I need to make this my resolution too.
30. Geraldene by Miranda Lambert. “You’re trailer-park-pretty but you’re never gonna be Jolene” is the diss of the year.
29. Wolf by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Karen O singing “taste for hell” followed by titanic organs is everything.
28. Hugz by Placebo. Placebo clearly wants their personal space.
27. Time Escaping by Big Thief. Half-convinced these hypnotic lyrics and music contain the answers to the universe.
26. Surround Sound by JID (feat. 21 Savage & Baby Tate). Carrying the torch to keep hip hop interesting.
25. Go Home by Angel Olsen. Angel and the horn section compete for who can sound most weary.
24. Melody by Lady Wray (feat. Melody Bloom Bacote). What century is this from again?
23. Alpha Zulu by Phoenix. Mostly for rhyming “hallelujah” with “woo ha”.
22. When I’m Free by Death Valley Girls. Garage rock is alive and well.
21. the perfect pair by beabadoobee. Combining two loves: bossa nova and beabadoobee.
20. Into My Body by UPSAHL. An anthem for getting out of your own head.
19. Expert In A Dying Field by The Beths. The band that just exudes charm.
18. Lemon Tree by Mt. Joy. For the instrumental breakdown in the song’s homestretch.
17. Historian by Pillow Queens. Why is it always the historian that needs to make the damn coffee?
16. Vegas by Doja Cat. This is someone who does not want their blue suede shoes stepped on.
15. Cute Guys by Sea Girls. The part of Foals this year will be played by Sea Girls.
14. With U by Soccer Mommy. Perfect for pining away in your bedroom.
13. Take My Breath by The Weeknd. If Michael Jackson was a Demagorgon.
12. Wet Dream by Wet Leg. I mean, I have always wanted to see “Buffalo 66”.
11. Go Easy, Kid by Monica Martin (feat. James Blake). Makes me want to close my eyes and tune out every time.
10. Masculinity by Samora Pinderhughes (feat. Immanuel Wilkins). An incredible meditation on a complicated word.
9. Sidelines by Phoebe Bridgers. Like floating down an intergalactic river.
8. Wild by Spoon. Swagger in musical form.
7. Love Me More by Mitski. This time the lovesick Mitski song goes electronic.
6. in the wake of your leave by Gang of Youths. The Arcade Springsteen.
5. Billions by Caroline Polachek. What ascending into heaven must sound like.
4. ALIEN SUPERSTAR by Beyonce. You can’t disagree when she boasts “I’m the bar”.
3. Baby by Charli XCX. Wait, is she seducing me or threatening me??
2. Many Times by Dijon. A stream-of-conciousness rant for being frozen out.
- CHICKEN TERIYAKI by ROSALÍA. Globalization downside: Covid. Globalization upside: ROSALÍA.
