Breaking Through The Noise: The Music of 2022
Posted by Jonathan Napier on
Breaking Through The Noise: The Music of 2022
2022 was an undeniably solid year for new music, with almost every week having a notable release! Looking back at the year, and all the exciting new music that came with it, we felt compelled to share a list of titles that broke through the noise of everyday life in 2022.
The albums included on this list are a reflection of the music that resonated with Nail City Record's customers and staff. We realize there were tons of great albums released in 2022, but after we started going through the hundreds of noteworthy releases that came out this year, we decided to limit our list to just 75 titles. We could have easily included 100+ more titles on this list, but we wanted to keep it short and interesting.
This is our abridged list. We will be releasing a more comprehensive/ unabridged best of 2022 list in January of 2023. If we missed any of your favorite releases of 2022, let us know and we may include it on our unabridged best of 2022 list.
For a lot of pop music fans, 2022 was a great year to see well known artists deliver on long awaited albums.This year we saw new record breaking releases from familiar artists like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift. We even got to see the reuniting of the original Red Hot Chili Peppers lineup for two stellar new albums: Unlimited Love, and Return of the Dream Canteen.
Releasing multiple studio albums in a single year seemed to be a theme in 2022. Other than the Chili peppers, we saw two new studio albums from the eclectic Jack White (Fear of the Dawn and Entering Heaven Alive), and 5 new studio albums from Australian psych rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.
As for new artists, we got killer debut albums from the likes of Wet Leg, Los Bitchos, and DOMi & JD BECK just to name a few. We also saw new studio material from legacy artists and icons like Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Tears for Fears, and Neil Young.
We could write more, but we will let the music speak for itself.
The list below is organized by Artist / Album Title / Release Date / Genre / Youtube Album Playlist.
| Dope Lemon | Rose Pink Cadillac | 1/7/2022 | Alternative, Indie Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| The Weeknd | Dawn FM | 1/7/2022 | Contemporary R&B, Spoken Word, Synthwave |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Earl Sweatshirt | Sick! | 1/14/2022 | Jazzy Hip-Hop, Trap | |
| Bad Suns | Apocalypse Whenever | 1/27/2022 | Indie rock, Post-punk | |
| desert sand feels warm at night | 夢の砂漠 (Desert Dreams) | 2/4/2022 | Ambient, Vaporwave, Dreampunk |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Cate Le Bon | Pompeii | 2/4/2022 | Indie Pop, Art Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Los Bitchos | Let The Festivities Begin! | 2/4/2022 | Latin, Cumbia, Indie Pop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Black Country, New Road | Ants from Up There | 2/4/2022 | Post-rock, Art rock, Chamber pop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Mitski | Laurel Hell | 2/4/2022 | Synth-pop, Indie Rock | |
| Beach House | Once Twice Melody | 2/18/2022 | Indie Rock, Dream Pop | |
| Oliver Tree | Cowboy Tears | 2/18/2022 | Pop Rock, Alternative Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Tears for Fears | The Tipping Point | 2/25/2022 | Electropop, Art Pop | |
| EarthGang | Ghetto Gods | 2/25/2022 | Hip Hop, Funk / Soul |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Dolly Parton | Run, Rose, Run | 3/4/2022 | Country, Bluegrass |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Stromae | Multitude | 3/4/2022 | Electronic, Pop | |
| Nilüfer Yanya | Painless | 3/4/2022 | Indie rock, Indie Pop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Charlotte Adigéry / Bolis Pupul Topical Dancer | Topical Dancer Album | 3/4/2022 | Soul, Electro, Synth-pop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Ghost | Impera | 3/11/2022 | Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Glam Metal |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Rosalía | MOTOMAMI | 3/18/2022 | Alternative R&B, Latin Electronic, Flamenco Nuevo |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Dream Widow | Dream Widow | 3/25/2022 | Death Metal, Thrash |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Denzel Curry | Melt My Eyez See Your Future | 3/25/2022 | Hip Hop, Funk / Soul |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Latto | 777 | 3/25/2022 | Hip Hop, Pop, Contemporary R&B |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | Unlimited Love | 4/1/2022 | Funk rock, Alternative Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Jack White | Fear of the Dawn | 4/8/2022 | Blues Rock, Experimental Rock, Art Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Wet Leg | Wet Leg | 4/8/2022 | Indie Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| The Babe Rainbow | Levitation Sessions | 4/15/2022 | Psychedelic Rock, Pop, Folk Rock, Surf |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Spiritualized | Everything Was Beautiful | 4/22/2022 | Dream Pop, Blues Rock, Symphonic Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Fontaines D.C. | Skinty Fia | 4/22/2022 | Indie Rock, Shoegaze |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard | Omnium Gatherum | 4/22/2022 | Psychedelic Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Folk |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Sofi Tukker | Wet Tennis | 4/29/2022 | Electronic, Dance Pop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Willie Nelson | A Beautiful Time | 4/29/2022 | Folk, Country |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Beyoncé | Renaissance | 4/29/2022 | House, Dance-pop, Contemporary R&B |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Toro Y Moi | Mahal | 4/29/2022 | Rock, Indie Pop | |
| death's dynamic shroud.wmv | Transcendence Bot | 5/1/2022 | Vaporwave, Glitch Pop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Bad Bunny | Un Verano Sin Ti | 5/6/2022 | Reggaeton, Trap, Synth-pop, House, Reggae, Mambo, Latin |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Ethel Cain | Preacher's Daughter | 5/12/2022 | Ethereal Wave, Americana, Post-Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Kendrick Lamar | Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers | 5/13/2022 | Conscious Hip Hop, West Coast Hip Hop | YOUTUBE PLAYLIST |
| The Smile | A Light for Attracting Attention | 5/13/2022 | Post-Punk, Art Popk, Math Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Soccer Mommy | Sometimes, Forever | 6/24/2022 | Indie Rock, Indie Pop | |
| Moor Mother | Jazz Codes | 7/1/2022 | Jazz Poetry, Neo-Soul, Avant-Garde Jazz |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Viagra Boys | Caveworld | 7/8/2022 | Dance-Punk, Synth Punk, Industrial Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Black Midi | Hellfire | 7/15/2022 | Art Rock, Experimental, Math Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| DOMi and JD BECK | NOT TiGHT | 7/15/2022 | Contemporary Jazz |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Lizzo | Special | 7/15/2022 | Contemporary R&B, Pop Rap, Disco |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Jack White | Entering Heaven Alive | 7/22/2022 | Alternative Rock | |
| Danger Mouse and Black Thought | Cheat Codes | 8/12/2022 | Hip Hop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| The Mountain Goats | Bleed Out | 8/16/2022 | Rock, Indie Rock, Folk rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Larry June | Spaceships on the Blade | 8/19/2022 | Hip Hop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Marcus King | Young Blood | 8/26/2022 | Blues Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Sudan Archive | Natural Brown Prom Queen | 9/9/2022 | R&B/Soul, Alternative/Indie, Pop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| GA-20 | Crackdown | 9/9/2022 | Rock, Funk / Soul, Blues |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| The Murlocs | Rapscallion | 9/16/2022 | Alternative Rock, Garage Rock, Blues Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Makaya McCraven | In These Times | 9/19/2022 | Contemporary Jazz, Post Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Alex G | Save The Animals | 9/23/2022 | Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Folk Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| The Comet Is Coming | Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam | 9/23/2022 | Nu Jazz, Jazz-Fusion, Neo-Psychedelia |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Khruangbin and Vieux Farka Touré | Ali | 9/23/2022 | Surf, Psychedelic, Funk, African, Electric Blues | YOUTUBE PLAYLIST |
| Björk | Fossora | 9/30/2022 | Avant-pop, techno |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Tyler Childers | Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? | 9/30/2022 | Country, Folk, Gospel |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Nicholas Craven & Boldy James | Fair Exchange No Robbery | 9/30/2022 | Gangsta Rap, Jazz Rap |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Alvvays | Blue Rev | 10/7/2022 | Indie Pop, Shoegaze, Noise, Pop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard | Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava | 10/7/2022 | Jam Band, Funk Rock, Progressive Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Open Mike Eagle | A Tape Called Component System With the Auto Reverse | 10/7/2022 | Jazz Rap, Conscious Hip Hop, Abstract Hip Hop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard | Laminated Denim | 10/12/2022 | Psychedelic Rock, Progressive Rock, Krautrock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Bill Callahan | YTI⅃AƎЯ | 10/14/2022 | Alt-Country, Folk Rock, Psychedelic Folk |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | Return of the Dream Canteen | 10/14/2022 | Alternative Rock, Funk |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
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| Arctic Monkeys | The Car | 10/21/2022 | Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Baroque Pop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
|
| Simple Minds | Direction of the Heart | 10/21/2022 | Electronic, Alternative Rock, Synth-Pop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
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| Taylor Swift | Midnights | 10/21/2022 | Synth-pop, Vocal, Indie Pop |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
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| Drugdealer | Hiding in Plain Sight | 10/28/2022 | Alternative Rock, Indie Rock |
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
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| Fred Again... | Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022) | 10/28/2022 | House, Breakbeat, UK Garage | |
| King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard | Changes | 10/28/2022 | Psychedelic Rock, Alternative Rock, Jazz-Rock | |
| Ezra Collective | Where I'm Meant To Be | 11/4/2022 | Hip Hop, Jazz, Latin | |
| Nas | King's Disease III | 11/11/2022 | Hip Hop | |
| Billy Strings | Me/And/Dad | 11/18/2022 | Bluegrass | |
| Nina Hagen | Unity | 12/9/2022 | Vocal, Synth-pop, Pop Rock, Avantgarde |