Stereogum's 50 Best Albums of 2022

Spanning indie, rap, country, metal, pop, hardcore, emo, and avant-garde weirdness.

Published: December 06, 2022 14:30 Source

# 1

Blue Rev by Alvvays

Album • Oct 07 / 2022 Indie Pop Shoegaze Noise Pop

# 2

MOTOMAMI by ROSALÍA

Album • Mar 18 / 2022 Neoperreo Art Pop

# 3

RENAISSANCE by Beyoncé

Album • Jul 29 / 2022 Dance-Pop House Contemporary R&B

# 4

Sometimes, Forever by Soccer Mommy

Album • Jun 24 / 2022 Indie Rock

# 5

Aethiopes by Billy Woods

Album • Apr 08 / 2022 Abstract Hip Hop Experimental Hip Hop East Coast Hip Hop Conscious Hip Hop

# 6

God Save the Animals by Alex G

Album • Sep 23 / 2022 Indie Rock Indie Folk

# 7

Expert in a Dying Field by The Beths

Album • Sep 16 / 2022 Power Pop Indie Rock

# 8

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You by Big Thief

Album • Feb 11 / 2022 Indie Folk Folk Rock

# 9

Diaspora Problems by Soul Glo

Album • Mar 25 / 2022 Hardcore Punk

# 10

Dawn FM by The Weeknd

Album • Jan 07 / 2022 Synthpop Dance-Pop

# 11

Boat Songs by MJ Lenderman

Album • Apr 29 / 2022 Slacker Rock Alt-Country

# 12

Gemini Rights by Steve Lacy

Album • Jul 15 / 2022 Neo-Soul Bedroom Pop

# 13

Wet Leg by Wet Leg

Album • Apr 08 / 2022 Indie Rock

# 14

Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville by Ashley McBryde

Album • Sep 30 / 2022 Neo-Traditionalist Country

# 15

Versions of Modern Performance by Horsegirl

Album • Jun 03 / 2022 Slacker Rock

# 16

New Lords by Mindforce

Album • Sep 16 / 2022 Crossover Thrash New York Hardcore

# 17

Being Funny In a Foreign Language by The 1975

Album • Oct 14 / 2022 Pop Rock

# 18

i don’t know who needs to hear this... by Tomberlin

Album • Apr 29 / 2022 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 19

PAINLESS by Nilüfer Yanya

Album • Mar 04 / 2022 Indie Rock

# 20

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar

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

# 21

Reset by Panda Bear + Sonic Boom

Album • Aug 12 / 2022 Neo-Psychedelia Psychedelic Pop

# 22

A Light for Attracting Attention by The Smile

Album • May 13 / 2022 Art Rock

# 23

Once Twice Melody by Beach House

Album • Feb 18 / 2022 Dream Pop Neo-Psychedelia

# 24

Giant Palm by Naima Bock

Album • Jul 01 / 2022 Contemporary Folk Psychedelic Folk

# 25

Anywhere but Here by Sorry

Album • Oct 06 / 2022 Indie Rock Post-Punk Revival

# 26

Animal Drowning by Knifeplay

Album • Oct 19 / 2022 Shoegaze Dream Pop

# 27

Blending by High Vis

Album • Sep 30 / 2022 Post-Punk Alternative Rock

# 28

Little Green House by Anxious

Album • Jan 21 / 2022 Emo Emo-Pop

# 29

Everything Was Beautiful by Spiritualized

Album • Feb 25 / 2022 Space Rock Revival

# 30

God's Country by Chat Pile

Album • Jul 29 / 2022 Noise Rock Sludge Metal

# 31

MUNA by MUNA

Album • Jun 24 / 2022 Synthpop Pop Rock

# 32

Pompeii by Cate Le Bon

Album • Feb 04 / 2022 Art Pop Neo-Psychedelia

# 33

Hygiene by Drug Church

Album • Mar 11 / 2022 Post-Hardcore

# 34

Palomino by Miranda Lambert

Album • Apr 29 / 2022 Contemporary Country

# 35

Heaven Come Crashing by Rachika Nayar

Album • Aug 26 / 2022 Progressive Electronic Ambient

# 36

Bin Reaper 3: Old Testament by BabyTron

Album • Oct 28 / 2022 Detroit Trap Gangsta Rap

# 37

In These Times by Makaya McCraven

Album • Sep 23 / 2022 Jazz Fusion

# 38

ILYSM by Wild Pink

Album • Oct 14 / 2022 Indie Rock

# 39

sore thumb by Oso Oso

Album • Mar 18 / 2022 Indie Rock

# 40

40 Oz. to Fresno by Joyce Manor

Album • Jun 10 / 2022 Power Pop Indie Rock

# 41

The Elephant Man's Bones by Roc Marciano + The Alchemist

Album • Aug 26 / 2022 Gangsta Rap Drumless East Coast Hip Hop

# 42

Pool Kids by Pool Kids

Album • Jul 22 / 2022 Emo-Pop

# 43

Farm to Table by Bartees Strange

Album • Jun 17 / 2022 Indie Rock

# 44

Club Godfather by Bandmanrill

Album • Oct 28 / 2022 Jersey Drill East Coast Hip Hop

# 45

And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow by Weyes Blood

Album • Nov 18 / 2022 Baroque Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 46

The Sun Still Seems to Move by Shannen Moser

Album • Sep 30 / 2022 Contemporary Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 47

SICK! by Earl Sweatshirt

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

# 48

Pigments by Dawn Richard + Spencer Zahn

Album • Oct 21 / 2022 Ambient Pop ECM Style Jazz

# 49

劇變 (Jubian) by Ripped to Shreds

Album • Oct 14 / 2022 Death Metal

# 50

Big Time by Angel Olsen

Album • Jun 03 / 2022 Americana Singer-Songwriter Country