Top 60 Songs of 2022

Alright, the top 60 songs of 2022. It wasn't supposed to be this many. It started as a top 20, then kept growing. And growing. And growing. It was like Billy Strings' fanbase. Like a live Goose song in the mid-summertime. Like a My Morning Jacket set at Red Rocks. 30....40....50.....I made it so far that I even got to sneak an eleven-year-old National callback joke in there. 

This is one of the best years of new music that I can remember. I had so much fun creating this list this year, I hope you gain some enjoyment from reading (and more important listening to it!). I created a playlist of these songs on Spotify which you can find HERE. (Just a heads up - the playlist on Spotify goes from the #1 ranked song to #60 - opposite of the order of this list). Happy listening! 

60. Burning Down the Prairie, Ian Noe - His new album didn't hit me as hard as his debut, but this one is dark and dirty, and really rips when it lets loose. I hope this kid's best work is still ahead of him though. 

59. Weird Goodbyes, The National (feat. Bon Iver) - I’ve had some fun making fun of the National over the years, but I’ve always respected their music. Matt Berninger’s voice gets better and more fitting with age, and he can kind of come off as a new-age Leonard Cohen at times. This one definitely fits that bill, and Bon Iver’s background flourishes complement it quite well. 

58. When It Comes to You, Sturgill Simpson - It was a pretty quiet year for Sturgill (tearing a vocal cord will do that to a fella), but this cover of John Anderson classic fits him perfectly. He does sound a bit raspier than he did before the tear, but hopefully, he’s on the mend. Sidenote: This entire John Anderson tribute album is definitely worth the ride. 

57. Once Twice Melody, Beach House - A lot of Beach House songs sound the same to me. They have a couple of songs over the years that I have absolutely loved, but for the rest, I just sit there wishing it was actually one of the ones I love. This song is that song from their new expansive album. 

56. Don’t Give It Away, Folk Implosion - Hooky and groovy. Stuck with me all year. 

55. Hypertension, King Gizzard & Lizard Wizard - I can't even keep up with these guys. I think they released like five albums in a week or something. Thankfully my good pal Cappy keeps pushing the cream of the crop my way. I did a crash course of all of their 77 releases this year and this one really jumped to the top of the pile. Not only did they release 980 songs this year, but a good number of those songs were 15 minutes or longer. I've never seen anything like it. If it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm not. I'm just trying to keep up! 

54. New Beginning, Automatic - A krautrock-y thumper. It sounds like it could be from any era since the 70's. Tensions run abound throughout. 

53. Do You, Ghost Woman - Spotify identified “neo-psychedelic rock music” as one of my favorite music genres this year. I don’t exactly know what that means, but I’m guessing this song fits squarely into that category. 

52. Night Vision, Kiwi, Jr. - Thanks to Casey G. for the heads up on this album. I dug it from the get-go and Spotify must have recognized it because it kept showing up on its “after an album finishes” playlists. Got better every time. 

51. Next to Normal, Lucius - Lucius has made as big of a name for themselves through their collaborations and guest appearances as they have from their own releases. Until this one. Brandi Carlile co-produced this album with Nashville super-producer, Dave Cobb. It doesn't sound much like Nashville though. It's a banging pop song about finding the perfect group of weird people who you fit in with so well. 

50. Silver Dollar (alternate version), Sierra Ferrell - Just a beautiful little earworm delight. So pure. 

49. Prester John, Animal Collective - This one suffers from being released as a single last year and being on an album that came out this year. It made it much higher when it was fresher to my ears on last year's list. That being said, this AC album is their best since their highmark Merriweather Post Pavilion (which took Album of the Year for me the year it came out). 

48. Hawk for the Dove, Amanda Shires - I’ve always had a major appreciation for this virtuoso talent (she started touring with the legendary Texas Playboys - of Bob Wills fame - when she was 15!?!?). I love her work in Jason Isbell’s band, and her amazing side project The Highwomen as well. That being said, her solo work hasn’t always done it for me. This is by far my favorite song from her entire catalog. That fiddle solo at the end sounds like it's made of razor blades.

47. Down, Hot Chip - I’ve missed this bunch. I love how the lyrics of this one are about getting broken down, but the music is so happy. It’s a perfect mixed message about the general feeling of the past year. I mean, I think it’s better…but man, what a time. Thankfully we have tunes like this to dance through the madness. 

46. Good to Go, The Deslondes - This one isn’t as good as their last album opener, but I continue to really dig this band’s sound, especially the songs where Riley Downing (aka the "deep voice guy") takes the lead. 

45. u dont kno me, Yacht Club - There are a couple of bands from the past few years who have sounded like demo tapes of the Strokes (Carseat Headrest is probably the king of this mountain). This album and song sound like Strokes demos re-recorded onto a cassette tape…which is still really freaking good.

44. Something in the Orange, Zach Bryan - If you like Jason Isbell, you’ll dig this one. Bryan released an enormous album (over 30 songs!) that I haven’t had the bandwidth to unpack yet. Huge talent though, and this one will haunt you. 

43. Street Breeze, Delicate Steve - Just a super chill vibe. A perfect addition to almost any playlist. Pretty sure Cappy put this guy on my radar a few years back as well. 

42. Selfish Soul, Sudan Archives - This is a great banger. She describes it as being “about women and the celebration of hair. It’s about representation of different hair textures and embracing all colors and textures of it,” which is a great message (greaI describe it as awesome.

41. new body rhumba, LCD Soundsystem - Let’s face it, LCD could probably release a Kings of Leon cover and still make this list. 

40. Because, Danger Mouse/Black Thought - This is the best of Danger Mouse’s sound with one of my favorite lyricists out there. Love this whole album as well. 

39. Problem With It, Plains - Waxahatchee continues her hot streak with this side project. Pugs, Fred Thunder, Liz, and I saw the live debut of this one at her solo show this summer. Smooth as butter, and I don’t have a problem with it (sorry…had to). 

38. You Have Bought Yourself a Boat, MJ Lenderman - This one struts like a funky old song from The Band. It’s a perfect soundtrack to the scene it describes - hanging out on a lake in the summertime. 

37. Los Chico Tristes, Hermanos Gutierrez - Dan Auerbach produced this album of dreamy acoustic Western soundtrackery. This song is an ultimate meditation and immediately made my “Relax, you turkey” playlist for when anxiety creeps in (it happens…and the playlist helps!) 

36. Oceans of Darkness, War on Drugs - This wall of sound didn’t make it on WoD’s latest album, but it’s a chugger that would be a cool, quick hitter in a live set. 

35. Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?, Tyler Childers - Another funky one, Childers asks a very important question about heaven before agreeing to enter. The band really flexes here too. 

34. Higher, SAULT - This outfit released FIVE albums at once this fall (which trails only King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard to my knowledge). I have more listening to do, but these albums didn’t hit me as hard as previous efforts. This one is wonderful though and embodies the best of this mysterious outfit’s sound. 

33. B-Side, Leon Bridges & Khruangbin - Another sleek single from this uber cool collaboration. Leon Bridges keeps his unstoppable streak going. Meanwhile, Khruangbin keeps their hot streak of collaborations going with this EP as well as another smooth effort with Vieux Farka Toure (which is definitely worth a spin as well). 

32. Bad Love, Dehd - This Chicago trio is fantastic. They remind me a bit of Dead Moon. I’m dying to catch this crew live in a dingy club somewhere. 

31. Mistakes, Sharon Van Etten - Her new album didn’t hit me like her previous effort (which took Album of the Year for me a few years back), but there are brilliant moments. This one is the best from it. 

30. Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull, Wilco - A somewhat simple ditty that has an amazing breakdown in it that reminds me of an acoustic “Impossible Germany.” The riffs in the bridge also kind of sound like softer versions of the riffs from the bridge of Pearl Jam’s “Insignificance,” which I don't mind. It takes you on a long meandering journey where the band flexes their chops, then brings you back home with the return of the final lyrical stanza (....even though this stanza confirms the demise of the narrator). 

29. Goodbye Mr. Blue, Father John Misty - A gorgeous number that embodies yearning and the acceptance of loss. I think it’s actually about a cat, but that cat serves as a damn good metaphor for losing someone/something. 

28. LET’S DO IT AGAIN, Jamie xx - One of the coolest dance-type numbers  I’ve heard in years (...and, yeah, I call them "dance-type numbers"). The pulsating vocals beg to be unleashed. This makes the breakthroughs of “Aahhhhhhhh’s” that much more scintillating. I hate clubs, but I would go to a club and dance my arse off all night if this song was playing. 

27. Remembering Me, Cate Le Bon - This one really just does it for me. Sexy and sleek with a side of tension via weird angular swirls of synths and (maybe?) guitars. She always impresses. 

26. Taking Me Back, Jack White - This is perhaps the most radio-ready song of JW’s solo career. Not that he strives for that, or that needs to strive for it, but hot damn, it’s nice to have a catchy Jack White song dominating the airwaves again. Well, my airwaves at least. 

25. Hungersite, Goose - Goose is on the rise as one of my favorite live bands. Much like many of their jammier forefathers, the studio doesn’t always live up to the live material, but this one does. It features everything I love about Goose - especially meandering yet soaring guitar work that is just made for an outdoor summer show. 

24. All the Good Times, Angel Olsen - The 1-2 punch of this song and “Big Time” were on of the best 1-2 punches I heard on any album this year. I love the tight countrypolitan sound of this one. Bonus: Check out the re-recording of “Big Time” as a duet with Sturgill Simpson as well. 

23. It’s So Hard to Hold On, Trampled by Turtles - TbT released another gem of an album this year and this is the highlight. A great tune about perseverance, which serves as a salve as we continue to assess the damage from the pandemic. 

22. Bittersweet, TN, Kevin Morby - A stunningly gorgeous love letter to youth, love, and loss. Just perfect. Morby describes it better than I ever could though: “Bittersweet, TN’ is a love song dedicated to time. It is about the abundance and scarcity around it that I feel almost always – that there is either a daunting amount or not enough but regardless – time is always on my mind. I tell this love story to the backdrop of America, or rather a Bittersweet, Tennessee – which like time itself can be a very beautiful or very tragic thing, depending, and one may not exist without the other.” 

21. My Babe, Spoon - I don’t know if my buddy Peter has ever even said this, but I could see him calling this one a “hip-hugger.” Grab your significant other and sway. 

20. Runner, Alex G - This song was stuck in my head so much this year. Shout out to my boy Corey who reminded me that Alex G. opened for Dr. Dog at a Sun King Brewery Birthday Bash a few years ago. The takeaway then was, “Wow, they were good, but they got pretty weird there for a bit.” I guess some things don’t change. 

Brent Side Note - I’d also like to say that I cannot believe this Alex G. song only made it to 19. I freaking love this song. What a great year in music!!! 

19. This is a Photograph, Kevin Morby - This was an incredible, manic introduction to this brilliant album. Check out this excellent episode of Song Exploder to learn a lot more about it. (Song Exploder is one of my favorite podcasts as they interview artists who describe and dissect how a specific song came together). 

18. Too Late Now, Wet Leg - This is the one that hooked me on this band and this album. It kicks off like a Yeah Yeah Yeah’s demo before completely falling apart when you expect it to start taking off. Don’t worry, it still gets there though. Just a brilliant, theatric meltdown, followed by a bubble bath. 

17. Hangover Game, MJ Lenderman - Perfect for getting out on the road or on a bar room jukebox, this one rules. I’d love to have played this one at Higgins in Chicago (RIP). The tongue-in-cheek analysis of Michael Jordan’s “Flu Game” is hilarious, but somehow still humanizes MJ(ordan), even if it is all a lie. 

16. Angel Band, Tyler Childers - Let the gospel ring! I’m not a gospel music guy, but this one could convert me. I was really diving into this song just as I lost a dear friend, Sam Bell, this fall. It helped me cope with that...on repeat. 

Hallelujah, jubilee
I can hear the angel band
I was blind but now I see
And I'll jump right in amongst them
When I reach the glory land.

15. Protection, Steve Gunn/Mdou Moctar - An absolutely gorgeous meditation. This was a go-to all year long and always brought me peace and joy any time it came on (it also made the “Relax, You Turkey” playlist). 

14. Country, Good Morning - Another great road trip builder. I love the bleeps and blips. They kind of remind of the bleeps and blips at the end of Radiohead’s “Let Down,” which will never get old. 

13. Certainty, Big Thief - This one is a perfect representation of this expansive album. Quirky lyrics, excellent rhythm, and hooky melodies combine for a lovely ride. 

12. You Will Never Work In Television Again, The Smile - This was the first single from this new side project and really kicked the doors of expectation open for this band. Thom is at his manic best here, tearing through some excellent anti-authority lyrics. It rips. 

11. A Lifetime to Find, Wilco - Jeff Tweedy has a hilarious conversation with Death in this one that has shades of John Prine’s silly songs about death as well. An extremely catchy tune with a perfect chorus, “It takes a lifetime to find, a life like the life you had in mind.” 

10. Some of Us Are Brave, Danielle Ponder - Stunning. Her voice is gorgeous and haunting. If this had a little bit more underneath those vocals, this could be a Bond theme song. (I literally think she even says “Golden Eye” at one point…I might be wrong…but I don’t want to look it up so I can keep believing!). Also, this is another strong and positive message as we (hopefully) come out of the worst of the pandemic. Best song title of the year! 

9. Fisher Island Sound, Beirut - I’ve never been a huge Beirut fan, but have always respected the hell out of them. I once caught a show with Andrew Smithka (aka “Lil Smithka”) and really loved that, but I still need to dive into their catalog. This enchanting number just absolutely did it for me and should be a perfect launching point for a deeper dive. A perfect opener for a playlist, a run, or a road trip, it takes me to a wonderful place. 

8. Held, Spoon - When I first heard the lyrics on this one, I thought “Wow, ‘For the first time in my life, I let myself be held, like a big ol’ baby,’ is a really interesting line for Britt Daniel to write.” Then I realized they had covered a song from one of my favorite albums, Smog’s Knock Knock (Bill Callahan’s original moniker). Before this re-recording, this wasn’t even one of my favorite tracks on the album, but it certainly is now. Where Callahan’s version is more loose and bouncy, Spoon turns it into a brooding builder that is the perfect album opener (and ***Best album opener of the year!***). 

7. Burning, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s - Karen O’s voice is still an absolute weapon and it’s ohhh so good to have this band back. While the slicing guitars aren’t as prevalent, the YYY’s bring a futuristic almost apocalyptic sound on their new offering. This one almost has a soul backdrop with Karen O’s vocals slithering around it. And don’t worry, there are still some fuzzy guitars that lead to the soaring chorus. I mentioned Bond soundtracks earlier…if that movie franchise ever comes to the YYY’s for a song, they should just send them this one 

Brent Sidenote: I have no idea how or why this sudden James Bond theme arose, I’ve honestly never even seen an entire film in the series. I do have a strange obsession with Bond songs though. “Live and Let Die” sets a pretty high bar. Aaaaand back to the countdown… 

6. Free in the Knowledge, The Smile - This is “Radiohead” at their eerie best. It knocked me back the first time I fully absorbed it. The reflective chorus could be about the pandemic as much as it could be about the Russian invasion of the Ukraine as much as it could be about a relationship. If this is just a bad moment And we are fumbling around But we won't get caught like that Soldiers on our backs We won't get caught like that Yorke has a 30 year run of writing lyrics that could apply to so many things. There is mystery here, but this one sounds as relevant as it gets. I talk to the face in the mirror But he can't get through Turns out we're in this together Both me and you 

5. midnight sun, Nilufer Yanya - Speaking of Radiohead, the beginning of this songs sounds like it could be from somewhere between Ok Computer and In Rainbows Radiohead. I love the patience here and when the acoustic guitar riffs comes in at 1:46, it sets an amazing stage. You may spend the rest of the song hoping there’s a huge payoff (like Radiohead might do), and if you’re patient, you will be rewarded. This song is probably the song that was in my head the second most this year. I just couldn’t quit it. The rest of the album is still growing on me (A LOT), but this one remains the clear standout. By the end of it, you won’t be able to turn it up loud enough. 

4. Knife Fighter, Peter Matthew Bauer - This enchanting number came out early in 2022 and caught me right away. It has been mesmerizing me ever since. I ordered one of the first 200 copies of this album on vinyl and PMB included a special booklet with descriptions of each song on the album (as of this writing, there are still four available!). I thought the below description of this song from that booklet was really cool.

3. A Random Act of Kindness, Kevin Morby - Triumphant. Among Morby’s best. As more albums come out, it’s getting hard to rank them all. He’s on an absolute heater and this is so perfect. Another great way to start a run or a road trip…SUN. COMES. UP. 

2. Red Moon, Big Thief - This song best embodies the freewheeling spirit of this masterpiece folk album. Such a simple ditty but such great hooks, and by golly, if you don’t shake your head and smile as Adrianne Lenker exclaims “That’s my grandma!” then you’ve probably wasted a lot of time getting this far into this list. Liz and I will often exclaim this around the house, sometimes when the song is on, sometimes just when it’s stuck in one of our heads. Go ahead, try it now….That’s my grandma!!! 

1. Wild, Spoon - I’ve worked really hard to try to figure what makes this song so perfect. I think it has something to do with this: It sounds like a modern-produced Rolling Stones song…musically, it could also pass as a U2 epic from the 80’s. It could also be Moby. Or Bowie. It’s a timeless masterpiece that is every moment of rock n roll ever and the best moments of Spoon that builds through sequence after sequence of tiny explosions. Or, maybe it was just a song with the chorus, “...and the world, still so wild, called to meeeee” is exactly what we needed to hear as we took timid steps out of the (hopefully) worst of pandemic. Yeah, that could be it too. Wild. 

Aaaaaand that’s a wrap. Happy listening!! I'll have my Top Albums list out soon. In the meantime....That’s my grandma!!!