PopMatters' 80 Best Albums of 2022

Musicians were more active in 2022 and it resulted in a vast treasure trove of superb work. The best albums of 2022 pushed boundaries and are more varied than ever.

Source

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 RENAISSANCE Beyoncé Jul-29-2022, Dance-Pop
#2 Fear Of The Dawn Jack White Apr-08-2022, Blues Rock
#3 A Light for Attracting Attention The Smile May-13-2022, Art Rock
#4 As Above So Below Sampa the Great Sep-09-2022, Conscious Hip Hop
#5 Midnights Taylor Swift Oct-21-2022, Alt-Pop
#6 THE POWER IN US Poppy Ajudha Apr-22-2022, Neo-Soul
#7 The Last Goodbye ODESZA Jul-22-2022, Electronic Dance Music
#8 Hold The Girl Rina Sawayama Sep-16-2022, Pop Rock
#9 Profound Mysteries Röyksopp Apr-29-2022, Electropop
#10 Ants From Up There Black Country, New Road Feb-04-2022, Art Rock
#11 Farm to Table Bartees Strange Jun-17-2022, Indie Rock
#12 Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You Big Thief Feb-11-2022, Indie Folk
#13 Once Twice Melody Beach House Feb-18-2022, Dream Pop
#14 Wet Leg Wet Leg Apr-08-2022, Indie Rock
#15 Ultra Truth Daniel Avery Nov-04-2022, Progressive Breaks
#16 Stumpwork Dry Cleaning Oct-21-2022, Post-Punk
#17 Angels & Queens - Part I Gabriels Sep-30-2022, Soul
#18 The Overload Yard Act Jan-21-2022, Post-Punk
#19 MOTOMAMI ROSALÍA Mar-18-2022, Neoperreo
#20 Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Kendrick Lamar May-13-2022, Conscious Hip Hop
#21 Take It Like A Man Amanda Shires Jul-29-2022, Singer-Songwriter
#22 Freakout / Release Hot Chip Aug-19-2022, Synthpop
#23 Nothing To Declare 700 Bliss May-27-2022, Experimental Hip Hop
#24 Let's Say For Instance Emeli Sandé May-06-2022, Pop Soul
#25 Hellfire black midi Jul-15-2022, Avant-Prog
#26 Where's the One? Congotronics International Apr-29-2022, Tradi-Modern
#27 LIFE ON EARTH Hurray for the Riff Raff Feb-18-2022, Singer-Songwriter
#28 Skinty Fia Fontaines D.C. Apr-22-2022, Gothic Rock
#29 Natural Brown Prom Queen Sudan Archives Sep-09-2022, Alternative R&B
#30 Tableau The Orielles Oct-07-2022, Dream Pop
#31 Weather Alive Beth Orton Sep-23-2022, Art Pop
#32 God Save the Animals Alex G Sep-23-2022, Indie Rock
#33 Reason to Smile Kojey Radical Mar-04-2022, Conscious Hip Hop
#34 The New Faith Jake Blount Sep-23-2022, Americana
#35 Melt My Eyez See Your Future Denzel Curry Mar-25-2022, Conscious Hip Hop
#36 angel in realtime. Gang of Youths Feb-25-2022, Indie Rock
#37 Breaking The Thermometer Leyla McCalla May-06-2022, Acoustic Blues
#38 LOGGERHEAD Wu-Lu Jul-08-2022, Experimental Hip Hop
#39 The Loneliest Time Carly Rae Jepsen Oct-21-2022, Dance-Pop
#40 a tape called component system with the auto reverse Open Mike Eagle Oct-07-2022, Abstract Hip Hop
#41 Expert in a Dying Field The Beths Sep-16-2022, Power Pop
#42 GREENZONE 108 Greentea Peng Sep-09-2022, Neo-Soul
#43 Ugly Season Perfume Genius Jun-17-2022, Art Pop
#44 Out of Heart FLOHIO Oct-07-2022, UK Hip Hop
#45 Surrender Maggie Rogers Jul-29-2022, Pop Rock
#46 Queen of Sheba Ibrahim Maalouf, Angelique Kidjo Jun-24-2022, Jazz
#47 I Love You Jennifer B Jockstrap Sep-09-2022, Art Pop
#48 Warm Chris Aldous Harding Mar-25-2022, Chamber Pop
#49 En Är För Mycket Och Tusen Aldrig Nog Dungen Oct-07-2022, Neo-Psychedelia
#50 Heterosexuality Shamir Feb-11-2022, Indie Rock
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | RENAISSANCE | Beyoncé | Album, Jul-29-2022, Dance-Pop |
| #2 | Fear Of The Dawn | Jack White | Album, Apr-08-2022, Blues Rock |
| #3 | A Light for Attracting Attention | The Smile | Album, May-13-2022, Art Rock |
| #4 | As Above So Below | Sampa the Great | Album, Sep-09-2022, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #5 | Midnights | Taylor Swift | Album, Oct-21-2022, Alt-Pop |
| #6 | THE POWER IN US | Poppy Ajudha | Album, Apr-22-2022, Neo-Soul |
| #7 | The Last Goodbye | ODESZA | Album, Jul-22-2022, Electronic Dance Music |
| #8 | Hold The Girl | Rina Sawayama | Album, Sep-16-2022, Pop Rock |
| #9 | Profound Mysteries | Röyksopp | Album, Apr-29-2022, Electropop |
| #10 | Ants From Up There | Black Country, New Road | Album, Feb-04-2022, Art Rock |
| #11 | Farm to Table | Bartees Strange | Album, Jun-17-2022, Indie Rock |
| #12 | Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You | Big Thief | Album, Feb-11-2022, Indie Folk |
| #13 | Once Twice Melody | Beach House | Album, Feb-18-2022, Dream Pop |
| #14 | Wet Leg | Wet Leg | Album, Apr-08-2022, Indie Rock |
| #15 | Ultra Truth | Daniel Avery | Album, Nov-04-2022, Progressive Breaks |
| #16 | Stumpwork | Dry Cleaning | Album, Oct-21-2022, Post-Punk |
| #17 | Angels & Queens - Part I | Gabriels | Album, Sep-30-2022, Soul |
| #18 | The Overload | Yard Act | Album, Jan-21-2022, Post-Punk |
| #19 | MOTOMAMI | ROSALÍA | Album, Mar-18-2022, Neoperreo |
| #20 | Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers | Kendrick Lamar | Album, May-13-2022, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #21 | Take It Like A Man | Amanda Shires | Album, Jul-29-2022, Singer-Songwriter |
| #22 | Freakout / Release | Hot Chip | Album, Aug-19-2022, Synthpop |
| #23 | Nothing To Declare | 700 Bliss | Album, May-27-2022, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #24 | Let's Say For Instance | Emeli Sandé | Album, May-06-2022, Pop Soul |
| #25 | Hellfire | black midi | Album, Jul-15-2022, Avant-Prog |
| #26 | Where's the One? | Congotronics International | Album, Apr-29-2022, Tradi-Modern |
| #27 | LIFE ON EARTH | Hurray for the Riff Raff | Album, Feb-18-2022, Singer-Songwriter |
| #28 | Skinty Fia | Fontaines D.C. | Album, Apr-22-2022, Gothic Rock |
| #29 | Natural Brown Prom Queen | Sudan Archives | Album, Sep-09-2022, Alternative R&B |
| #30 | Tableau | The Orielles | Album, Oct-07-2022, Dream Pop |
| #31 | Weather Alive | Beth Orton | Album, Sep-23-2022, Art Pop |
| #32 | God Save the Animals | Alex G | Album, Sep-23-2022, Indie Rock |
| #33 | Reason to Smile | Kojey Radical | Album, Mar-04-2022, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #34 | The New Faith | Jake Blount | Album, Sep-23-2022, Americana |
| #35 | Melt My Eyez See Your Future | Denzel Curry | Album, Mar-25-2022, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #36 | angel in realtime. | Gang of Youths | Album, Feb-25-2022, Indie Rock |
| #37 | Breaking The Thermometer | Leyla McCalla | Album, May-06-2022, Acoustic Blues |
| #38 | LOGGERHEAD | Wu-Lu | Album, Jul-08-2022, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #39 | The Loneliest Time | Carly Rae Jepsen | Album, Oct-21-2022, Dance-Pop |
| #40 | a tape called component system with the auto reverse | Open Mike Eagle | Album, Oct-07-2022, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #41 | Expert in a Dying Field | The Beths | Album, Sep-16-2022, Power Pop |
| #42 | GREENZONE 108 | Greentea Peng | Album, Sep-09-2022, Neo-Soul |
| #43 | Ugly Season | Perfume Genius | Album, Jun-17-2022, Art Pop |
| #44 | Out of Heart | FLOHIO | Album, Oct-07-2022, UK Hip Hop |
| #45 | Surrender | Maggie Rogers | Album, Jul-29-2022, Pop Rock |
| #46 | Queen of Sheba | Ibrahim MaaloufAngelique Kidjo | Album, Jun-24-2022, Jazz |
| #47 | I Love You Jennifer B | Jockstrap | Album, Sep-09-2022, Art Pop |
| #48 | Warm Chris | Aldous Harding | Album, Mar-25-2022, Chamber Pop |
| #49 | En Är För Mycket Och Tusen Aldrig Nog | Dungen | Album, Oct-07-2022, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #50 | Heterosexuality | Shamir | Album, Feb-11-2022, Indie Rock |