Hot Press's 50 Best Albums of 2022

Grian Chatten and co. reign supreme as our critics give their verdict on the year’s finest albums.

Published: December 20, 2022 13:36 Source

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 Skinty Fia Fontaines D.C. Apr-22-2022, Gothic Rock
#2 Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Kendrick Lamar May-13-2022, Conscious Hip Hop
#3 If My Wife New I’d Be Dead CMAT Mar-04-2022, Singer-Songwriter
#4 Wet Leg Wet Leg Apr-08-2022, Indie Rock
#5 Being Funny In a Foreign Language The 1975 Oct-14-2022, Pop Rock
#6 Midnights Taylor Swift Oct-21-2022, Alt-Pop
#7 CRASH Charli XCX Mar-18-2022, Dance-Pop
#8 Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You Big Thief Feb-11-2022, Indie Folk
#9 For All Our Days That Tear The Heart Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler Jun-17-2022,
#10 Leave The Light On Pillow Queens Apr-01-2022, Indie Rock
#11 If I never know you like this again SOAK May-20-2022, Indie Rock
#12 The Great Irish Famine Junior Brother Sep-02-2022, Progressive Folk
#13 The Line Is A Curve Kae Tempest Apr-08-2022, UK Hip Hop
#14 Cool It Down Yeah Yeah Yeahs Sep-30-2022, Indie Rock
#15 BAMANAN Rokia Koné, Jacknife Lee Feb-18-2022, Mande Music
#16 Harry's House Harry Styles May-20-2022, Pop Rock
#17 Nine Waves Ye Vagabonds May-13-2022, Irish Folk Music
#18 PRE PLEASURE Julia Jacklin Aug-26-2022, Singer-Songwriter
#19 WE Arcade Fire May-06-2022, Art Rock
#20 Aboogi Imarhan Jan-28-2022, Tishoumaren
#21 Laurel Hell Mitski Feb-04-2022, Synthpop
#22 We've Been Going About This All Wrong Sharon Van Etten May-06-2022, Singer-Songwriter
#23 Ali Vieux Farka Touré, Khruangbin Sep-23-2022, Songhai Music
#24 Beatopia beabadoobee Jul-15-2022, Indie Pop
#25 Last Night In The Bittersweet Paolo Nutini Jul-01-2022, Soft Rock
#26 Delusions of Grandeur Thumper Mar-18-2022, Post-Punk
#27 Heart Under Just Mustard May-27-2022, Post-Punk
#28 Freakout / Release Hot Chip Aug-19-2022, Synthpop
#29 The Less I Knew James Vincent McMorrow Jun-24-2022, Singer-Songwriter
#30 Unlimited Love Red Hot Chili Peppers Apr-01-2022, Alternative Rock
#31 Midnight Rocker Horace Andy Apr-08-2022, Roots Reggae
#32 Surrender Maggie Rogers Jul-29-2022, Pop Rock
#33 RENAISSANCE Beyoncé Jul-29-2022, Dance-Pop
#34 God Save the Animals Alex G Sep-23-2022, Indie Rock
#35 And I Have Been Benjamin Clementine Oct-28-2022, Art Pop
#36 Sonder Dermot Kennedy Nov-18-2022, Pop Soul
#37 Dance Fever Florence + the Machine May-13-2022, Pop Rock
#38 Time Stopped The Coronas Oct-07-2022, Pop Rock
#39 Fear Of The Dawn Jack White Apr-08-2022, Blues Rock
#40 Hands Wallis Bird May-27-2022, Singer-Songwriter
#41 SELLÓTAPE Sello Oct-14-2022,
#42 Big Time Angel Olsen Jun-03-2022, Americana
#43 LIFE ON EARTH Hurray for the Riff Raff Feb-18-2022, Singer-Songwriter
#44 Smiling Like An Idiot Sorcha Richardson Sep-23-2022, Indie Rock
#45 Doggerel Pixies Sep-30-2022, Alternative Rock
#46 Courageous Róisín O Apr-29-2022,
#47 Searching for the Answers Hudson Taylor Jun-03-2022,
#48 Most Normal Gilla Band Oct-07-2022, Noise Rock
#49 Sometimes, Forever Soccer Mommy Jun-24-2022, Indie Rock
#50 five seconds flat Lizzy McAlpine Apr-08-2022, Singer-Songwriter
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Skinty Fia | Fontaines D.C. | Album, Apr-22-2022, Gothic Rock |
| #2 | Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers | Kendrick Lamar | Album, May-13-2022, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #3 | If My Wife New I’d Be Dead | CMAT | Album, Mar-04-2022, Singer-Songwriter |
| #4 | Wet Leg | Wet Leg | Album, Apr-08-2022, Indie Rock |
| #5 | Being Funny In a Foreign Language | The 1975 | Album, Oct-14-2022, Pop Rock |
| #6 | Midnights | Taylor Swift | Album, Oct-21-2022, Alt-Pop |
| #7 | CRASH | Charli XCX | Album, Mar-18-2022, Dance-Pop |
| #8 | Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You | Big Thief | Album, Feb-11-2022, Indie Folk |
| #9 | For All Our Days That Tear The Heart | Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler | Album, Jun-17-2022,  |
| #10 | Leave The Light On | Pillow Queens | Album, Apr-01-2022, Indie Rock |
| #11 | If I never know you like this again | SOAK | Album, May-20-2022, Indie Rock |
| #12 | The Great Irish Famine | Junior Brother | Album, Sep-02-2022, Progressive Folk |
| #13 | The Line Is A Curve | Kae Tempest | Album, Apr-08-2022, UK Hip Hop |
| #14 | Cool It Down | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Album, Sep-30-2022, Indie Rock |
| #15 | BAMANAN | Rokia KonéJacknife Lee | Album, Feb-18-2022, Mande Music |
| #16 | Harry's House | Harry Styles | Album, May-20-2022, Pop Rock |
| #17 | Nine Waves | Ye Vagabonds | Album, May-13-2022, Irish Folk Music |
| #18 | PRE PLEASURE | Julia Jacklin | Album, Aug-26-2022, Singer-Songwriter |
| #19 | WE | Arcade Fire | Album, May-06-2022, Art Rock |
| #20 | Aboogi | Imarhan | Album, Jan-28-2022, Tishoumaren |
| #21 | Laurel Hell | Mitski | Album, Feb-04-2022, Synthpop |
| #22 | We've Been Going About This All Wrong | Sharon Van Etten | Album, May-06-2022, Singer-Songwriter |
| #23 | Ali | Vieux Farka TouréKhruangbin | Album, Sep-23-2022, Songhai Music |
| #24 | Beatopia | beabadoobee | Album, Jul-15-2022, Indie Pop |
| #25 | Last Night In The Bittersweet | Paolo Nutini | Album, Jul-01-2022, Soft Rock |
| #26 | Delusions of Grandeur | Thumper | Album, Mar-18-2022, Post-Punk |
| #27 | Heart Under | Just Mustard | Album, May-27-2022, Post-Punk |
| #28 | Freakout / Release | Hot Chip | Album, Aug-19-2022, Synthpop |
| #29 | The Less I Knew | James Vincent McMorrow | Album, Jun-24-2022, Singer-Songwriter |
| #30 | Unlimited Love | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Album, Apr-01-2022, Alternative Rock |
| #31 | Midnight Rocker | Horace Andy | Album, Apr-08-2022, Roots Reggae |
| #32 | Surrender | Maggie Rogers | Album, Jul-29-2022, Pop Rock |
| #33 | RENAISSANCE | Beyoncé | Album, Jul-29-2022, Dance-Pop |
| #34 | God Save the Animals | Alex G | Album, Sep-23-2022, Indie Rock |
| #35 | And I Have Been | Benjamin Clementine | Album, Oct-28-2022, Art Pop |
| #36 | Sonder | Dermot Kennedy | Album, Nov-18-2022, Pop Soul |
| #37 | Dance Fever | Florence + the Machine | Album, May-13-2022, Pop Rock |
| #38 | Time Stopped | The Coronas | Album, Oct-07-2022, Pop Rock |
| #39 | Fear Of The Dawn | Jack White | Album, Apr-08-2022, Blues Rock |
| #40 | Hands | Wallis Bird | Album, May-27-2022, Singer-Songwriter |
| #41 | SELLÓTAPE | Sello | Album, Oct-14-2022,  |
| #42 | Big Time | Angel Olsen | Album, Jun-03-2022, Americana |
| #43 | LIFE ON EARTH | Hurray for the Riff Raff | Album, Feb-18-2022, Singer-Songwriter |
| #44 | Smiling Like An Idiot | Sorcha Richardson | Album, Sep-23-2022, Indie Rock |
| #45 | Doggerel | Pixies | Album, Sep-30-2022, Alternative Rock |
| #46 | Courageous | Róisín O | Album, Apr-29-2022,  |
| #47 | Searching for the Answers | Hudson Taylor | Album, Jun-03-2022,  |
| #48 | Most Normal | Gilla Band | Album, Oct-07-2022, Noise Rock |
| #49 | Sometimes, Forever | Soccer Mommy | Album, Jun-24-2022, Indie Rock |
| #50 | five seconds flat | Lizzy McAlpine | Album, Apr-08-2022, Singer-Songwriter |