Of late it feels like music was slumped over the wheel, exhausted from years of struggle against a cruel pandemic and concert grift. It’s not like we didn’t find great songs, but the contenders’ list was often short. Even favorites didn’t always come to the table with winners.

Then comes 2022, swinging in like an exuberant toddler who is way ready for nap time to be over. We had around 150 albums in the evaluation queue, dwarfing lists from recent years. Most albums had more than a few banger tracks which made picking the shortlist pretty tough.

NEWCOMERS

We chose a good number of newcomers (to us at least). World-sensation and critic’s darling Wet Leg cannot be ignored. There’s the growly, post-punk frenzy of Amyl & the Sniffers, Viagra Boys, Yard Act, and IDLES. Shimmery neo-goths Rosegarden Funeral Party and Actors (both from Vancouver, Canada) keep the dark dream alive alongside a spectacular EP from Leathers. Genesis Owusu and (Mercury-prize winning) Little Simz defy categorization with an amazing sound drawn from countless genres. Ibibio Sound Machine injected afro-funk into the mix with their pan-global activist dance beat. At 67, Robert Finley’s autobiographical Sharecropper’s Son glowed with beauty. Dark-pop confessionalist UPSAHL and power-twee combo Birdtalker rounded out the fist-on-31 bunch.

FAMILIAR FACES, FRESH TAKES

2022 brought familiar faces to new projects. Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser, largely invisible for decades, shared her collaboration with percussionist Damon Reece, Sun’s Signature (still as dreamy as ever). Violinist Chase Spruill kept the genius of Philip Glass ever-present. Gerald Casale pulled a solo album that is, pretty much, a new Devo platter. Then there’s Danny Elfman’s career-spanning solo that effortlessly blended his whole catalog – from LA punk to symphonic scores.

RETURNING FAVORITES

2022 saw a fair share of returning favorites. Everything Everything brought their electro-prog brilliance alongside shoegazer protégés Editors to maintain their always-31 status. My new obsession, Nation of Language, did not suffer a sophomore slump with their latest album, A Way Forward. Lucius, having won the life lotto, continued to amaze with their latest offering, Second Nature.

Other familiars like Florence + the Machine and our multi-faceted friend Nerina Pallot remain in fine form. The Black Keys and Sharon Van Etten both came in with albums that, even if familiar, play to their unique strengths. The Wombats came off a four-year hiatus with what I think may be their best album to date – Fix Yourself, Not the World.

Some artists made surprise comebacks – like Bloc Party and Metric. Both bands typically make the 31 list but, of late, haven’t quite hit their usual high mark. Not so this year. Both were slow-burners for us but, after a few listens, they both really click. Apparently, not everything resonates on the first listen.

IN MEMORIUM

2022 wasn’t always a win. We lost some amazing artists like Terry Hall from the Specials and Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac legend. Olivia Newton-John, one of the nicest talents in the industry, died at the far too young age of 73. These artists played an outsized role in our lives and are remembered with in memorium tracks on the 31 list.

Many legends passed, some that were close to our hearts, some we don’t yet know, and others whom we were never quite in tune with. Even so, the passing of a musician leaves deep scars and 2022 made far too many marks. While we haven’t included tracks for all who passed, some bear mention because they were personal to us or close friends.

Faithless frontman Maxi Jazz (Maxwell Fraser) was a big surprise to me as he’s the first artist from the 31 lists to have died. David Lynch’s musical collaborator Angelo Badalamenti passed, as did Julee Cruise whose ethereal vocals haunted many Lynch productions. Vangelis, whom I adored as a child, also passed along with Yes drummer Alan White (another teenage obsession). The Foo Fighters lost their drummer, Taylor Hawkins, sending ripples of grief across the music industry. Much like Hawkins, Screaming Trees frontman and beloved human Mark Lanegan passed far too soon. 2022 was a cruel year.

REVISED

For some strange reason Apple Music “lost” Elvis Costello’s brilliant return to form The Boy Named If. So we added a sample track to the list which pushes our list to 32 tracks this year. Oh well, guess y’all get an extra this time.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Music endures even so and we honor the departed by embracing new artists that make our hearts beat. There are probably a good dozen albums that would have made the 2022 31 list had the competition not been so strong. I’ll be writing up some honorable mentions over the coming weeks to give due to other great albums from 2022.

2022 Playlist

Track by track, with artist + album

IN MEMORIUM TRACKS
THE SPECIALS (TERRY HALL) – I Don’t Mind Failing In This World
FLEETWOOD MAC (CHRISTINE MCVIE) – Songbird
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN – Magic