PopMatters' 50 Best Albums of 2022 So Far

The 50 best albums of 2022 offer sublime music as major artists return with new albums and brilliant new sounds bubble up from the underground and worldwide.

Source

# 1

Nothing To Declare by 700 Bliss

Album • May 27 / 2022 Experimental Hip Hop Deconstructed Club

# 2

The Dream by alt-J

Album • Feb 11 / 2022 Art Pop Indietronica Alt-Pop

# 3

Farm to Table by Bartees Strange

Album • Jun 17 / 2022 Indie Rock

# 4

Once Twice Melody by Beach House

Album • Feb 18 / 2022 Dream Pop Neo-Psychedelia

# 5

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You by Big Thief

Album • Feb 11 / 2022 Indie Folk Folk Rock

# 6

Ants From Up There by Black Country, New Road

Album • Feb 04 / 2022 Art Rock Post-Rock Chamber Pop

# 7

Where's the One? by Congotronics International

Album • Apr 29 / 2022 Tradi-Modern

# 8

LABYRINTHITIS by Destroyer

Album • Mar 25 / 2022 Art Rock New Wave

# 9

Hygiene by Drug Church

Album • Mar 11 / 2022 Post-Hardcore

# 10

SICK! by Earl Sweatshirt

Album • Jan 14 / 2022 Abstract Hip Hop West Coast Hip Hop

# 11

Let's Say For Instance by Emeli Sandé

Album • May 06 / 2022 Pop Soul

# 12

You Have Got to Be Kidding Me by fanclubwallet

Album • May 20 / 2022 Indie Pop

# 13

Chloë and the Next 20th Century by Father John Misty

Album • Apr 08 / 2022 Traditional Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 14

Skinty Fia by Fontaines D.C.

Album • Apr 22 / 2022 Gothic Rock Post-Punk

# 15

angel in realtime. by Gang of Youths

Album • Feb 25 / 2022 Indie Rock Chamber Pop

# 16

IMPERA by Ghost

Album • Mar 11 / 2022 Hard Rock AOR Soft Rock

# 17

Famously Alive by Guerilla Toss

Album • Feb 16 / 2022 Neo-Psychedelia Indietronica

# 18

Crystal Nuns Cathedral by Guided By Voices

Album • Mar 04 / 2022 Indie Rock

# 19

Harry's House by Harry Styles

Album • May 20 / 2022 Pop Rock

# 20

Giving The World Away by Hatchie

Album • Apr 22 / 2022 Dream Pop Alternative Dance Baggy

# 21

LIFE ON EARTH by Hurray for the Riff Raff

Album • Feb 18 / 2022 Singer-Songwriter Indie Rock

# 22

Aboogi by Imarhan

Album • Jan 28 / 2022 Tishoumaren

# 23

The 7th Hand by Immanuel Wilkins

Album • Jan 28 / 2022 Post-Bop

# 24

Fear Of The Dawn by Jack White

Album • Apr 08 / 2022 Blues Rock Experimental Rock Art Rock

# 25

Classic Objects by Jenny Hval

Album • Mar 11 / 2022 Art Pop Ambient Pop

# 26

Cleanse by Joywave

Album • Feb 11 / 2022 Indie Pop Indie Rock

# 27

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar

Album • May 13 / 2022 Conscious Hip Hop West Coast Hip Hop

# 28

Reason to Smile by Kojey Radical

Album • Mar 04 / 2022 Conscious Hip Hop Neo-Soul UK Hip Hop

# 29

Breaking The Thermometer by Leyla McCalla

Album • May 06 / 2022 Acoustic Blues Caribbean Folk Music

# 30

Palomino by Miranda Lambert

Album • Apr 29 / 2022 Contemporary Country

# 31

Roots by Misha Sultan

Album • May 06 / 2022 Downtempo Progressive Electronic Ambient Dub

# 32

MUNA by MUNA

Album • Jun 24 / 2022 Synthpop Pop Rock

# 33

imagine naked! by OHYUNG

Album • Apr 22 / 2022 Ambient

# 34

Timbuktu by Oumou Sangaré

Album • Apr 29 / 2022 Wassoulou

# 35

Ugly Season by Perfume Genius

Album • Jun 17 / 2022 Art Pop Experimental

# 36

Profound Mysteries by Röyksopp

Album • Apr 29 / 2022 Electropop

# 37

BAMANAN by Rokia Koné + Jacknife Lee

Album • Feb 18 / 2022 Mande Music

# 38

MOTOMAMI by ROSALÍA

Album • Mar 18 / 2022 Neoperreo Art Pop

# 39

Few Good Things by Saba

Album • Feb 04 / 2022 Conscious Hip Hop

# 40

Nightroamer by Sarah Shook & the Disarmers

Album • Feb 18 / 2022 Alt-Country Americana

# 41

Heterosexuality by Shamir

Album • Feb 11 / 2022 Indie Rock Alternative R&B

# 42

We've Been Going About This All Wrong by Sharon Van Etten

Album • May 06 / 2022 Singer-Songwriter Indie Rock

# 43

If I never know you like this again by SOAK

Album • May 20 / 2022 Indie Rock

# 44

The Alien Coast by St. Paul & The Broken Bones

Album • Jan 28 / 2022 Rhythm & Blues Soul Psychedelic Soul

# 45

Rot by Tennyson

Album • Feb 18 / 2022 Alt-Pop Electropop

# 46

A Light for Attracting Attention by The Smile

Album • May 13 / 2022 Art Rock

# 47

How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars by The Weather Station

Album • Mar 04 / 2022 Singer-Songwriter

# 48

StandArt by Tigran Hamasyan

Album • Apr 29 / 2022 Post-Bop

# 49

Wet Leg by Wet Leg

Album • Apr 08 / 2022 Indie Rock

# 50

11 5 18 2 5 18 by Yann Tiersen

Album • Jun 10 / 2022 Progressive Electronic IDM