the famous magazine Rolling Stone listed which were the 100 best albums of 2022, featuring a number of well-known artists — as well as more niche ones — who really deserved the attention they received. Artists like Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Anitta, Taylor Swift and many international music names appeared here — even the Top 10 itself is completely filled with younger musicians. Come check it out!
The 100 best albums of 2022
Lizzo is one of the great personalities of modern pop, a whirlwind of charisma that produces bangers that assert themselves and enrich life with impressive consistency. 2019's career follow-up Cuz I Love You is as addictive and savvy as you'd expect, honing its sound with help from Max Martin, Mark Ronson and Harry Styles producer Kid Harpoon, among other collaborators. Songs like the smash hit “About Damn Time” are fun, but the vulnerable moments are highlights — like on the title track, where Lizzo draws in detail about her Houston upbringing and the online hate she’s racked up, so turns them into a second personal statement that anyone could use.
Rolling Stone Magazine on Lizzo's "Special" album, which appeared at number 91 on the best albums of 2022 list.
- 100th – Archers of Loaf, from Reason in Decline;
- 99º – Coping Mechanism, by Willow;
- 98th – Boat Songs, by MJ Lenderman;
- 97th – Let the Festivities Begin!, by Los Bitchos;
- 96º – Back Home, by Big Joanie;
- 95th – From Toda Las Flores, by Natalia Lafourcade;
- 94th – OUT:SIDE, by Runkus and Toddla T;
- 93rd – Visitor, by Empath;
- 92nd – Good Person, by Ingrid Andress;
- 91º – Special, by Lizzo.
Multitude made Stromae's seven-year hiatus worthwhile. The Belgian artist, known for experimenting with African and electronic sounds, marked his return to music with Multitude, an album he almost called Folklore before Taylor Swift achieved that title. The record, at its core, is filled with folkloric sounds from around the world, including Andean charango, a Bulgarian chorus on the album opener, and electrocumbias from Mexico on the LP's lead single, "Santé." Only Stromae could pull together elements from around the world and still make an album this cohesive.
Rolling Stone Magazine on Stromae's "Multitude" album, which appeared at number 83 on the list of best albums of 2022.
- 90º – Third Time's the Charm, by Protoje;
- 89th – En Letra De Otro, by Goyo;
- 88th – Loose Future, by Courtney Marie Andrews;
- 87º – Before You Go, by Blxst;
- 86th – Z1, by Zora;
- 85th – Lighten Up, by Erin Rae;
- 84th – Asha's Awakening, by Raveena;
- 83 – Multitude, by Stromae;
- 82nd – The Forever Story, by JID;
- 81º – Superache, by Conan Gray.
While the pop psychology of “inner child work” may seem trite, Rina Sawayama shows in Hold the Girl that healing can be ugly, complex and transformative. Tackling her deep traumas through incisive pop hooks, she represents the chaotic process of putting herself back together, piecing together frantic UK garage beats, punishing Eurodance drums and over-the-top stadium rock. These Franken productions collide with early-2000s pop ballads about finally finding your true self and country-pop about celebrating with queer relatives, revealing that on the other side of confronting your pain lies transcendent joy. — MHK
Rolling Stone Magazine on Rina Sawayama's "Hold the Girl" album, which appeared at number 75 on the list of best albums of 2022.
- 80º – Forgiveness, by Girlpool;
- 79º – A Legacy of Rentals, by Craig Finn;
- 78th – Give or Take, by Giveon;
- 77th – Old-Time Folks, by Lee Bains and the Glory Fires;
- 76th – 777th, by Latto;
- 75th – Hold the Girl, by Rina Sawayama;
- 74th – Few Good Things, by Saba;
- 73rd – Bell Bottom Country, by Lainey Wilson;
- 72nd – I Never Liked You, by Future;
- 71º – Hit With The Most, by Ribbon Stage.
Five years after her Spanish breakthrough, "Mayores" featuring Bad Bunny, Becky G delivered Esquemas, a diverse and mature project that fully epitomized the "reverse crossover" label the Inglewood-born star placed on herself. On the LP, Becky showed her natural ability to experiment with pure Latin pop songs like “Bailé Con Mi Ex” and danceable reggaeton beats like “No Mienten”, while collaborating with genre heavyweights Karol G, Natti Natasha and El Alfa. . Becky has proven that she is far from the young teen pop star that fans knew years ago — and that she is a prominent female leader in the ever-growing Latin music scene.
Rolling Stone Magazine on Becky G's album "Esquemas", which appeared at number 69 on the list of best albums of 2022.
- 70º – Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville, by Ashley McBryde;
- 69º – Schemes, by Becky G;
- 68th – Marchita, by Silvana Estrada;
- 67th – Expert in a Dying Field, by The Beths;
- 66th – Her Loss, by Drake and 21 Savage;
- 65th – A Light for Attracting Attention, by The Smile;
- 64th – Ay!, by Lucretia Dalt;
- 63rd – Girls Night Out, by Babyface;
- 62nd – Tinta y Tiempo, by Jorge Drexler;
- 61º – 7220, by Lil Durk.
On their first album in nine years, the post-punk Brooklyn trio deliver the most heartfelt and deeply felt music of their career. They open with “Spitting Off the Edge of the World,” a song that's as imposing as the classic ballad “Maps,” but this time the crisis isn't romantic, it's political, environmental and generational. Then they break into a pain dance on “Wolf” and “Fleez,” songs steeped in the artsy New York rhythms that have kept the cool kids moving forward since the 1970s. On the moving “Blacktop,” singer Karen O quotes Dylan Thomas over a Brian Eno synth drone. As she implores us to "wait until the love is gone," her words move through the song's dark, enveloping beauty like a faint message of hope in a sea of doubt and chaos.
Rolling Stone magazine on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' album "Cool It Down", which appeared at number 54 on the list of best albums of 2022.
- 60th – Laurel Hell, by Mitski;
- 59th – Saturn, by Rauw Alejandro;
- 58th – Age/Sex/Location, by Ari Lennox;
- 57th – The Parts I Dread, by Pictoria Vark;
- 56th – Versions of Modern Performance, by Horsegirl;
- 55th – Llego El Domi, by Kiko El Crazy;
- 54th – Cool it Down, by Yeah Yeah Yeahs;
- 53º – Only Built for Infinity Links, by Quavo & Takeoff;
- 52nd – Watch My Moves, by Kurt Vile;
- 51st – Formula Vol. 3, by Romeo Santos.
There is no doubt that Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein made it big this year with their first EP. Clocking in at just under 13 minutes, singles "Attention", "Hype Boy", "Cookie" and Hurt" each feature a unique sound and new visual component, leaning heavily on the '90s pop aesthetic that blends well with this band and guarantees replays. NewJeans is part of the latest generation of K-pop groups, and with New Jeans, they have a solid foundation to evolve and grow. It's only a small EP, but it left us wanting so much more.
Rolling Stone Magazine on NewJeans' album "New Jeans", which appeared at number 46 on the list of best albums of 2022.
- 50th – Squeeze, by Sasami;
- 49th – Surrender, by Maggie Rogers;
- 48th – Cruel Country, by Wilco;
- 47th – Laughing So Hard, It Hurts, by Mavi;
- 46th – New Jeans, by NewJeans;
- 45th – Muna, from Muna;
- 44th – Emails I Can't Send, by Sabrina Carpenter;
- 43rd – Good or Bad, by Trueno;
- 42nd – Sometimes, Forever, from Soccer Mommy;
- 41º – Headful of Sugar, by Sunflower Bean.
In Versions of Me, Anitta masters the rare art of crossing three cultures. Opening with the megasmash “Envolver,” a song that made her the first solo Latin artist with a number one hit on Spotify, the album shoots off in multiple directions like a radiant firework, and not unlike Anitta herself. “Gata,” featuring reggaeton pioneer Chencho Corleone, flirts with dembow beats; “Boys Don't Cry” is a dizzying disco lightning storm; “Girl From Rio” reinvents the 60s classic “The Girl From Ipanema” with uptempo R&B melodies. Each track is a new side of Anitta, catching her at her wildest and funniest – reminding listeners exactly why the world fell in love with her.
Rolling Stone magazine on Anitta's album "Versions of Me", which appeared in 31st place on the list of best albums of 2022.
- 40th – Subaru Boys, by Cruel Santino;
- 39th – Mr. Money With the Vibe, by Asake;
- 38th – Gifted, by Koffee;
- 37th – Dawn FM, by The Weeknd;
- 36th – Familia, by Camila Cabello;
- 35th – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, by Big Thief;
- 34th – Skinty Fia, by Fontaines DC;
- 33rd – American Heartbreak, by Zach Bryan;
- 32nd – Wasteland, by Brent Faiyaz;
- 31st – Versions of Me, by Anitta.
High-octane retro futurism is what Charli XCX served up on Crash, her last major-label album. Its palette is an ultra-bright pastiche of '80s New Jack Swing and disco, '2000s Swedish EDM, '70s funk and '90s house-pop via the Robin S anthem, "Show Me Love." However, Charli's masterclass vocal performance (which sits in the perfect midpoint between amorphous and energetic) and hyper-tactile production (a philosophy culled from SOPHIE and PC Music camp) keep the album from sounding mechanical or familiar. Similarly, the lyrics see Charli as a pop caricature, throwing clichés – “I'll make you my baby,” for example – with her signature punk irreverence.
Rolling Stone Magazine on Charli XCX's "Crash" album, which appeared at number 23 on the list of best albums of 2022.
- 30th – Broken Hearts Club, by Syd;
- 29th – SICK!, by Earl Sweatshirt;
- 28th – Dirt Femme, by Tove Lo;
- 27th – God Save The Animals, by Alex G;
- 26th – More Love, Less Ego, by Wizkid;
- 25th – Born Pink, by Blackpink;
- 24th – Legendaddy, by Daddy Yankee;
- 23rd – Crash, by Charli XCX;
- 22nd – Honestly, Nevermind, Drake;
- 21st – Palomino, by Miranda Lambert.
“Going through some shit so I gotta stay busy / Bought a 'Rari, can't let the shit I'm thinking' catch up with me,” Megan Thee Stallion sings with typical candor on “NDA.” True to form, she shines through much of her official second album, reveling in her physical and lyrical talents while taking aim at haters online and offline, her ire reserved for a determined melodic Canadian rapper. But it's the few moments when she pauses to consider her life, from grieving her parents' deaths in "Flip Flop" to admitting that she has "Anxiety," that make Traumazine more than just another rap showcase for Houston's finest.
Rolling Stone Magazine on Megan Thee Stallion's "Traumazine" album, which appeared at number 17 on the list of best albums of 2022.
- 20th – The Hardest Part, by Noah Cyrus;
- 19th – Ramona Park Broke My Heart, by Vince Staples;
- 18th – Big Time, by Angel Olsen;
- 17th – Traumazine, by Megan Thee Stallion;
- 16th – Farm to Table, by Bartees Strange;
- 15th – Ivory, by Omar Apollo;
- 14th – Gemini Rights, by Steve Lacy;
- 13th – Lucifer on the Sofa, by Spoon;
- 12th – Blue Rev, by Alvvays;
- 11th – Mr Morale and the Big Steppers, by Kendrick Lamar.
Beyoncé's stunning solo comeback on Renaissance was the musical highlight of the year. It was a moment when the universal critical acclaim for her work aligned with a massive number-one solo hit – her first in over a decade – with the rapturously triumphant piano house of “Break My Soul.” The album finds her unabashedly celebrating black pleasure in all her crowds, and illustrates that theme with dozens of sampled voices and sounds, esteemed guests (Grace Jones!) and echoes of global club styles past and present. As is her custom, she covers the album with enough totems to feed a million articles and dissertations. However, it is also possible to simply dance and vibrate to the music. This is Beyoncé at her joyous peak, and you won't make it unless you pull the "couch plastic", "drop it like a thottie" and enjoy Queen Bey at her finest.
Rolling Stone Magazine on Beyoncé's "Renaissance" album, which appeared at number 1 on the list of best albums of 2022.
- 10th – Wet Leg, from Wet Leg;
- 9th – Jack in the Box, by J-Hope;
- 8th – Caprisongs, by FKA Twigs;
- 7th – Hold on Baby, by King Princess;
- 6th – It's Almost Dry, by Pusha T;
- 5th – Harry's House, by Harry Styles;
- 4th – Motomami, by Rosalia;
- 3rd – Midnights, by Taylor Swift
- 2nd – Un Verano Sin Ti, by Bad Bunny;
- 1st – Renaissance, by Beyonce.
And you, what did you think of the verdict? Have you heard any of these albums? Tell us in the comments!
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Source: Rolling Stone.
