Do you like lists? Do you like ranking things? Do you like to torture yourself with the daunting task of picking only your top 10 albums of the year? Apparently we do, because we’re back with our Top 10 Albums of the Year lists for 2022! Truly a tough task, but totally worth it to show love and support to our friends and favorite bands and artists.
What was your favorite album of 2022? Let us know on all social media, @spinthoughts
10. Bayside – The Red EP
• Hopeless Records — October 2022
• Standout track: “Just Like Home”
9. The Wild Frontier – Ascension: A Story of a Man at the End of the World
• The Wild Frontiers — July 2022
• Standout track: “Ascend: I Am Not Afraid of You”
8. Highly Suspect – Midnight Demon Club
• Roadrunner Records — September 2022
• Standout Track: “Natural Born Killer”
7. The Regrettes – Further Joy
• Warner Records — April 2022
• Standout track: “Barely On My Mind”
6. Red Handed Denial – I’d Rather Be Asleep
• Paid Vacation — June 2022
• Standout track: “Rose”
5. In Her Own Words – Distance or Decay
• Thriller Records — May 2022
• Standout track: “One Thing You Should Know”
4. Dayseeker – Dark Sun
• Spinefarm Records — November 2022
• Standout track: “Without Me”
3. Bad Omens – The Death of Peace of Mind
• Sumerian Records — February 2022
• Standout track: “Like a Villain”
2. Dance Gavin Dance – Jackpot Juicer
• Rise Records — July 2022
• Standout track: “Cream of the Crop”
1. Arlie – Break the Curse
• Atlantic Recording Company — June 2022
• Standout track: “Crashing Down”
This year I turned back to the bands I listened to growing up, and dove even deeper to find more artists in the scene. From Jackpot Juicer being a major part of my summer soundtrack to Bayside entering my fall playlist with the Red EP. Artists were so raw and emotionally vulnerable in the works they released in 2022, for which I’m thankful for. As the year ends I feel more true to myself than I did when it began, I believe a large part of that is due to these albums and music released this year by old and new artists alike.
Cat’s AOTY 2022 Spotify Playlist
10. State Champs – Kings of the New Age
• Pure Noise Records — May 2022
• Standout track: “Half Empty”
9. Cherie Amour – Spiritual Ascension
• Equal Vision Records — November 2022
• Standout track: “God Be a Woman”
8. Magnolia Park – Baku’s Revenge
• Epitaph Records — November 2022
• Standout Track: “I Should’ve Listened to My Friends”
7. blackbear – In Loving Memory
• Alamo Records — August 2022
• Standout track: “Nothing Matters”
6. CLIFFDIVER – Exercise Your Demons
• SideOneDummy Records — May 2022
• Standout track: “Super Saiyan Al Pacino”
5. Action/Adventure – Imposter Syndrome
• Pure Noise Records — November 2022
• Standout track: “Levity”
4. Stand Atlantic – f.e.a.r.
• Hopeless Records — May 2022
• Standout track: “nails from the back”
3. Death Cab For Cutie – Asphalt Meadows
• Atlantic Records — September 2022
• Standout track: “Pepper”
2. Arm’s Length – Never Before Seen, Never Again Found
• Wax Bodega — October 2022
• Standout track: “Formative Age”
1. The Wonder Years – The Hum Goes on Forever
• Loneliest Place on Earth/Hopeless Records — September 2022
• Standout track: “You’re the Reason I Don’t Want the World to End”
Thankfully, 2022 was a high-speed year that saw one incredible release after another. It was one hell of a task to condense it all into a top ten list! However, “The Hum Goes On Forever” stole the year away the day it dropped. It is by far The Wonder Years’ best work to date. It feels like every part of the record has purpose and it digs deeper lyrically than ever before. If you haven’t heard this masterpiece yet, I suggest you drop whatever it is you’re doing and listen now!
10. State Champs – Kings of the New Age
• Pure Noise Records — May 2022
• Standout track: “Half Empty”
9. Harry Styles – Harry’s House
• Columbia Records — May 2022
• Standout track: “Matilda”
8. Alt-J – The Dream
• Infectious Music — February 2022
• Standout Track: “Happier When You’re Gone”
7. Polyphia – Remember You Will Die
• Rise Records — October 2022
• Standout track: “ABC” feat. Sophia Black
6. Glacier Veins – Lunar Reflection
• Equal Vision Records — March 2022
• Standout track: “Autonomy”
5. Taylor Swift – Midnights
• Republic Records — October 2022
• Standout track: “You’re On Your Own, Kid”
4. Conan Grey – Superache
• Republic Records — June 2022
• Standout track: “Family Line”
3. The Weeknd – Dawn AM
• XO/Republic Records — January 2022
• Standout track: “Gasoline”
2. The Wonder Years – The Hum Goes On Forever
• Hopeless Records — September 2022
• Standout track: “Your Name (Wyatt’s Song)”
1. The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language
• Dirty Hit — October 2022
• Standout track: “About You”
2022 has been quite the momentous year with my emotions and experiences, as it also has been for the music. I love how diverse the music scene is, I feel like I can always find a band or song I like to match the moment no matter what the moment is.
My top albums reflect my whirlwind of a year it’s been. All of the highs, lows, and in-between blended in my top 10 albums and stand out singles. The 1975, Polyphia, and The Wonder Years representing my highs. Conan Gray, Taylor Swift, and Glacier Veins helping me through my lows. The Weeknd, Apt-J, Harry Styles, and State Champs dancing the in between of those!
10. Avril Lavigne – Love Sux
• Avril Lavigne Music — February 2022
• Standout track: “Bois Lie”
9. Young Culture – You Had to Be There
• Equal Vision Records — November 2022
• Standout track: “Good Karma”
8. Machine Gun Kelly – mainstream sellout
• Bad Boy/Interscope Records — March 2022
• Standout Track: “die in california”
7. No Love For The Middle Child – Say It Like You Mean It
• Prim8 Music/No Love For The Middle Child — October 2022
• Standout track: “Out Loud”
6. The Summer Set – Blossom (Part 1)
• The Summer Set — September 2022
• Standout track: “Street Lightning”
5. 408 – Out of It
• Regime Music Group — October 2022
• Standout track: “2016”
4. State Champs – Kings of the New Age
• Pure Noise Records — May 2022
• Standout track: “Sundress”
3. Magnolia Park – Baku’s Revenge
• Epitaph Records — November 2022
• Standout track: “Radio Reject”
2. Stand Atlantic – f.e.a.r.
• Hopeless Records — May 2022
• Standout track: “van gogh”
1. Cherie Amour – Spiritual Ascension
• Equal Vision Records — November 2022
• Standout track: “Low n Lean”
2022 was an such a great year for the music industry after these past few years. I went to a record number of concerts, fell in love with some new bands (one of which made my top album of the year), and some amazing music came out that it was incredibly hard to pick just 10 albums. My top three were an easy pick, what order they went in though, not so much. But Cherie Amour won the battle. Not only is their album amazing from start to finish, the growth I watched them have since March when I first discovered them, to December is remarkable. I wish I would have recorded my reaction when I first sat down to listen to Spiritual Ascension, because I was genuinely blew away with it.
I couldn’t be happier that The Summer Set is back together and so their album obviously made the list. Magnolia Park’s Baku’s Revenge has been on repeat since the day it was released. And Stand Atlantic’s album is honestly one of my favorite albums of all time. “Everybody but You” from State Champ’s Kings of the New Age was my most played song of the year, so that can tell you how much I enjoyed their album as well.
I can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store!
10. The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language
• Dirty Hit — October 2022
• Standout track: “Looking for Somebody to Love”
9. Beyoncé – Renaissance
• Columbia Records — July 2022
• Standout track: “Break My Soul”
8. Brent Faiyaz – Wasteland
• Lost Kids — July 2022
• Standout Track: “Jackie Brown”
7. Charli XCX – Crash (Deluxe)
• Asylum Records — March 2022
• Standout track: “How Can I Not Know What I Need Right Now”
6. Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future
• Loma Vista Recordings — March 2022
• Standout track: “The Ills”
5. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
• Interscope Records — May 2022
• Standout track: “Purple Hearts” feat. Summer Walker & Ghostface Killah
4. Logic – Vinyl Days
• Def Jam Recordings — June 2022
• Standout track: “Porta One” feat. RZA
3. Said The Sky – Sentiment
• Lowly — February 2022
• Standout track: “Go On Then, Love” feat. The Maine
2. Soccer Mommy – Sometimes, Forever
• Loma Vista Recordings — June 2022
• Standout track: “Bones”
1. The Weeknd – Dawn FM
• Republic Records — January 2022
• Standout track: “Out of Time”
2022… was a year. Considerably better than the last two, but that really isn’t saying anything at all. Even though we’ve gone through yet another difficult year in a decade that’s been nothing short of a disaster, to say the least, one light shining through the lasting darkness has been the music. 2022 was another strong year of releases that helped ease the pain of the world crashing down around us.
As always, putting together these lists is always fun and always hard, especially having to narrow it down to just ten albums. But these albums stood out to me the most this year. Venturing through these records, I did a lot of dancing, vibing, time travel, and sitting in on therapy sessions I didn’t know I needed to be a part of. I’m sure you’re probably wanting to binge Wednesday again so without further delay, here are my top ten albums of 2022 in no particular order but numerically alphabetically.
10. Tokio Hotel – 2001
• Epic Records — November 2022
• Standout track: “Bad Love”
9. Demi Lovato – HOLYFVCK
• Island Records — August 2022
• Standout track: “Eat Me” feat. Royal & the Serpent
8. I Prevail – True Power
• Fearless Records — August 2022
• Standout Track: “Self-Destruction”
7. Fit For A King – The Hell We Create
• Rise Records — October 2022
• Standout track: “Reaper”
6. Bad Omens – The Death of Peace of Mind
• Sumerian Records — February 2022
• Standout track: “The Death of Peace Mind”
5. Sleeping With Sirens – Complete Collapse
• Sumerian Records — June 2022
• Standout track: “Let You Down”
4. We Came As Romans – Darkbloom
• SharpTone Records — October 2022
• Standout track: “One More Day”
3. Yungblud – YUNGBLUD
• Locomotion Records — September 2022
• Standout track: “Sweet Heroine”
2. Motionless In White – Scoring The End of the World
• Roadrunner Records — June 2022
• Standout track: “Red White and Boom” feat. Caleb Shomo
1. Palaye Royale – Fever Dream
• Sumerian Records — October 2022
• Standout track: “Oblivion”
10. Our Mirage – Eclipse
• Arising Empire — November 2022
• Standout track: “Learn to Be Alone”
9. Slipknot – The End, So Far
• Roadrunner Records — September 2022
• Standout track: “Yen”
8. The Weeknd – Dawn FM
• Republic Records — January 2022
• Standout Track: “Gasoline”
7. Two Door Cinema Club – Keep On Smiling
• Prolifica Inc. — September 2022
• Standout track: “Wonderful Life”
6. Underoath – Voyeurist
• Fearless Records — January 2022
• Standout track: “Thorn”
5. Sunsleeper – While You Can
• Rude Records — October 2022
• Standout track: “In the Clouds”
4. Carly Rae Jepson – The Loneliest Time
• School Boy/Interscope Records — October 2022
• Standout track: “Surrender My Heart”
3. Dayseeker – Dark Sun
• Spinefarm Records — November 2022
• Standout track: “Gasoline”
2. Magnolia Park – Baku’s Revenge
• Epitaph Records — November 2022
• Standout track: “Feel Something”
1. Silverstein – Misery Made Me
• UNFD — May 2022
• Standout track: “Ultraviolet”
2022 was filled with plenty of amazing releases. I usually keep in my usual music realm, however, this year I opened my mind to more new music within genres I typically don’t. I was surprised to find I had more of a variety of tastes than previously know. The albums I have listed are ones I play on repeat and highly recommend to others!
Goodbye to 2022 music and cheers to 2023 music!
10. Fit For A King – The Hell We Create
• Solid State Records — October 2022
• Standout track: “The Hell We Create”
9. Young Culture – You Had to Be There
• Equal Vision Records — November 2022
• Standout track: “Kinda Over It”
8. Alexisonfire – Otherness
• Dine Alone Records — June 2022
• Standout Track: “Conditional Love”
7. Chief State – Waiting for Your Colors
• Mutant League Records — July 2022
• Standout track: “Out for Me”
6. L.S. Dunes – Past Lives
• Fantasy Records — November 2022
• Standout track: “Permanent Rebellion”
5. Action/Adventure – Imposter Syndrome
• Pure Noise Records — November 2022
• Standout track: “Levity”
4. Silverstein – Misery Made Me
• UNFD — May 2022
• Standout track: “Bankrupt”
3. Anxious – Little Green House
• Run For Cover Records — January 2022
• Standout track: “Call From You”
2. Arm’s Length – Never Before Seen, Never Again Found
• Wax Bodega — October 2022
• Standout track: “In Loving Memory”
1. The Dangerous Summer – Coming Home
• Rude Records — September 2022
• Standout track: “All I Ever Wanted Was a Chance to Know Myself”
As the world continued to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, there was much to celebrate in the way of new music throughout 2022. Numerous longstanding artists of great influence on their genres (and a supergroup of well-established artists) released albums indicative of the fact that they are just as passionate about the art they create as when they first began. Newer artists impressed with palpable energy and enthusiasm.
Ontario, Canada had much to be proud of in 2022. Both Silverstein and Alexisonfire continued their careers that now exceed two decades with the release of vibrant, immersive records. Arm’s Length left no doubt that the next generation of talent from Ontario has arrived with their debut full-length record. The visceral emotion it evokes makes it one of the most impressive releases of the year.
Veterans The Dangerous Summer released the best record of 2022 in July entitled Coming Home. It contains the single of the year, “All I Ever Wanted Was A Chance To Know Myself”. Full of soul searching and embodying hope while simultaneously being unafraid to confront pain, Coming Home will stand the test of time.
10. Carly Cosgrove – See You In Chemistry
• Carly Cosgrove/Wax Bodega — March 2022
• Standout track: “Really Big Shrimp”
9. Goalkeeper – I Wish I Met You Sooner
• Lost Music Collective — October 2022
• Standout track: “Car Wreck”
8. Stand Atlantic – f.e.a.r.
• Hopeless Records — May 2022
• Standout Track: “deathwish” feat. nothing,nowhere.
7. Future Teens – Self Care
• Triple Crown Records — September 2022
• Standout track: “Good Reason”
6. Pinkshift – Love Me Forever
• Hopeless Records — October 2022
• Standout track: “nothing (in my head)”
5. Mom Jeans. – Sweet Tooth
• Many Hats Endeavors & Sequel Music Group — February 2022
• Standout track: “What’s Up”
4. Pool Kids – Pool Kids
• Pool Kids/Skeletal Lightning — July 2022
• Standout track: “That’s Physics, Baby”
3. Ben Quad – I’m Scared That’s All There Is
• Chillwavve Records — June 2022
• Standout track: “You Gotta Listen to Learn, Lou”
2. The Callous Daoboys – Celebrity Therapist
• MNRK Records — September 2022
• Standout track: “Title Track”
1. Cliffdiver – Exercise Your Demons
• SideOneDummy Records — May 2022
• Standout track: “New Vegas Bomb”
2022 has been a wild ride for me. I moved from a place that I loved (and still do) to a much bigger city to spend way too much on rent. I got a job I was really good at but the job (and customers lol) tried to eat me alive. My health, finances, and relationships all deteriorated around me while I kept forcing myself forward, trying to keep my head above water. When that company screwed me over, I finally got the spiteful momentum to look for better work and I got a job that I thought I would HATE, but as it turns out I’m really good at it AND its super fun. Who knew preschoolers were so cool? (absolutely not me lol) This new job has also helped improve my mental health pretty significantly the last half of this year and it was actually a shock to realize I was feeling better lately. I had almost forgotten what it was like to feel like a real person with likes and dislikes and even thoughts that didn’t revolve around how miserable I was feeling.
Hands down, my soundtrack for the year has been Cliffdiver’s Exercise Your Demons. Not only have I been a Cliffdiver fanatic since I first found them in 2019, but this album is all about growing into something better. And it was really special to put in the work (even if it was a last-ditch effort that I didn’t really believe in) and see myself grow, overcome, and become a better person with an album that really digs into battling those vices and also “learning to breathe again.” Each of the albums that were part of my 2022-new and old-will hold a special place in my heart as they were with me through it all, but my whole year can be summed up with the closing line of Dick Van Yikes: “Not knowing where I’m going has a funny way of showing where I belong.” So, I guess I’ll just keep riding my own “Wonka boat disaster” and find out what 2023 has in store for me.
10. Prince Daddy & the Hyena – Prince Daddy & the Hyena
• Pure Noise Records — April 2022
• Standout track: “El Dorado”
9. JER – Bothered / Unbothered
• Bad Time Records — May 2022
• Standout track: “Nobody Can Dull My Sparkle”
8. State Champs – Kings of the New Age
• Pure Noise Records — May 2022
• Standout track: “Sundress” feat. Four Year Strong
7. Stand Atlantic – f.e.a.r.
• Hopeless Records — May 2022
• Standout Track: “nails from the back”
6. PUP – THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND
• Rise Records — April 2022
• Standout track: “Habits”
5. Set It Off – Elsewhere
• Fearless Records — March 2022
• Standout track: “Cordial”
4. The Wonder Years – The Hum Goes On Forever
• Hopeless Records — September 2022
• Standout track: “Summer Clothes”
3. Taylor Swift – Midnights
• Republic Records — October 2022
• Standout track: “Labyrinth “
2. Mom Jeans. – Sweet Tooth
• Many Hats Endeavors & Sequel Music Group — February 2022
• Standout track: “Graduating Life”
1. I Prevail – True Power
• Fearless Records — August 2022
• Standout Track: “The Negative”
What a weird year 2022 was. Not musically, but personally. A lot of life changes, good memories, and lessons learned. Every year has its ebbs and flows, highs and lows — one thing I know I can always lean on, is music. I respect all the bands and artists out there that released new music this year: independent all the way to our favorite record labels. Shout out to all the industry professionals and experts in their respective areas for their behind the scenes work that goes into pushing new music into our ears. As we round out 2022 and head into a brand new year with endless possibilities, I want to thank all of you who love and support Spinning Thoughts and the positive impact we try to make in the music scene. That love is mutual, and I’m looking forward to creating new and exciting music content as we start a new journey together in 2023.
You are loved ❤
Spinning Thoughts 