2022 in Review: Top 25 Songs

a picture stolen from elsewhere, not representative of any of my favorite songs of 2022, especially the jabroni at the bottom left

Yesterday we did best albums, today we're doing best songs, tomorrow we start preparing for the 2023 Best Of lists. Or, if you want, you can submit your own Best of 2022 list, and I will publish it on this very blog. Let your opinions be known to the tens of readers who visit this site every month!

I put these 25 songs on a YouTube playlist. Press play and read along!

Top 25 Favorite Songs of 2022

25. "Change" by Beachheads

We start today's countdown with a cliché. A big one. This is a classic "here's a corny song that hits me square in the chest" song. Man, no one wants to hear about parenthood, especially in a blurb about a jangle pop song from a Norweigan death metal band's side project. But you can understand why this song was important to me this year, right?

24. "Angel Band (Jubilee Version)" by Tyler Childers

Always kind of interesting when a worship song ends up on my year's end list. Since I am no more religious at the end of this year than I was at the beginning of the year (maybe even less so, honestly), then I'm forced to consider the possibility that some religious music can be good. Or, alternatively, I'm forced to question the intentions of our dear pal Tyler Childers. Is tongue firmly in cheek? Or am I just a cynic? Tell the band to turn it up and drown me out.

23. "Unnecessary Drama" by Belle and Sebastian

I don't care if a band sounds exactly like another band, as long as that second band is great. Someone told Belle and Sebastian that it was okay to sound like the New Pornographers. It is, and they certainly do. This is not a secret. There was a day this summer when my own goddamn father asked me, "Have you heard the new Belle and Sebastian song? It sounds like the New Pornographers." The fact of the matter is that I haven't heard any fresh sounds from Belle and Sebastian in years, and if being fresh means swiping from the premiere indie rock supergroup of the mid-2000s, then I am totally on board.

22. "Gospel Night at the Strip Club" by Ashley McBryde

Okay, going back to the religious thing from #24, sorry. With McBryde's song here, there's no question whether it's serious or not. In it, we hear the strip club used as a stand-in for church. Even Jesus Christ stops in for a visit (unknown if he gets a lapdance). No, this is not worship music, no way. But here's the really funny thing: I'd argue that the ultimate lesson in this song's conclusion is closer to Jesus' actual teachings than anything I've ever heard at church.

21. "Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome" by the Mountain Goats

I don't blame the Goats for mixing it up in between album releases, chasing lo-fi folk and lounge jazz and whatever the fuck else they want to. But my absolute favorite Mountain Goats song ever, and one of my favorite songs of all time point blank, features an elbow off the top rope. There was no surprise that the Goats' newest action movie-themed album was going to be right up my alley (and it was produced by Bully, no less!). There's action, of course. There's drama. It all moves with the pedal to the floor. Go big, I say.

20. "OMG BRITT" by Sudan Archives

Look, I was an orchestra kid too. I can tell you this with full confidence—violin kids are dorks. There's nothing wrong with that. I was a dork. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing. In fact, it's a good thing. And it's a great thing in the context of this song, in which Brittney Parks, a.k.a. Sudan Archives, sounds like the farthest thing from dorky as possible. She is confident, she is cocky, she is the coolest motherfucker on the planet. Oh my god indeed.

19. "Generational Dust" by John Moreland

I remember the summer of 2016, being down the shore with a few generations of family. We were all chilling at the rental house, eating some appetizers and drinking some beers or whatever. Then, all of a sudden, my Pappy looks up from his iPad and says, "Well, it's official, they have enough evidence to prove that Hillary Clinton murdered someone." He was dead serious. No one knew how to respond, so no one did. But that moment has stuck by me as a sort of watershed moment in a lifetime of complicated relationships with family members due to political nonsense. Here's the thing, though—I loved Pappy, because he was family, despite the fact that he was a Fox News guy, with all the baggage that entails. I think John Moreland is saying in this song that that's okay. He frames it in a few different ways, like: "Love will see us through it," and "great city, shitty state," and "they wage a war on truth / stay and be the proof / get above it." I first heard this song on the long drive to Maryland to clean out Pappy's house after he was gone. I still don't really know if I've sorted everything out internally, but John Moreland helps.

18. "Knees Deep" by the Beths

The Beths do a great job at making apprehension seem like confidence. Frontwoman Elizabeth Stokes says "I wish I was brave enough to dive in / but I never had been, and never will be." She calls this "shame." I get it. I feel like a coward sometimes too. Pretty often, actually. But that's the trick with the Beths, ain't it? They certainly don't sound like cowards, despite the lyrics. This is uptempo pop rock with plenty of hooks, and plenty of confidence. The act of making this song itself feels like a penance for past cowardice. You may have frozen in the past, but right now, we're in full motion, baby, and ain't nothing gonna stop us.

17. "Here to Forever" by Death Cab for Cutie

Okay, one more thing about the religious shit from #24 and #22. This is it, I promise. I can assure you that Death Cab for Cutie does not make worship music. That would be hilarious. Nah, we are deadly serious here. Kind of. It's not god, it's "god... or whatever." Ben Gibbard doesn't know if there is a god out there anywhere, and that's a problem. The world is out of control, so much so that you almost wish that there was someone up there with his hand on the wheel. Unfortunately, no—everyone in this film is already dead. Shit, man, I didn't know Death Cab could shift into this gear. Have I been missing out?

16. "Fearmonger" by Saba

I was listening to this song on my shitty Kia speakers, and that great thumping bass drum was more warbly than intended. Honestly, it kind of reminded me of a heartbeat, like I could feel the blood pumping in and out with each quarter note. I can't tell if that was intentional or not. "Fearmonger" is all anxiety for the future, and filled with the understanding that everything could fall apart at any moment. Of course Saba's heart is pounding. Whose wouldn't be?

15. "Thin Thing" by the Smile

I won't go too far with my description of the Smile, don't worry. The temptation is to say something like, "Well, they fixed Radiohead, and all they had to do was to get rid of Radiohead." It's no secret that I am a basic bitch who prefers OK Computer-era Radiohead to whatever the fuck fluffy bullshit A Moon Shaped Pool was. I don't think A Light for Attracting Attention is quite the answer. But there are moments that really do work, flashes of brilliance that make you pretend that everything is okay after all. "Thin Thing" is one such moment. I'm tempted to put a crown on Tom Skinner, the non-Radiohead drummer for the Smile, but who knows what it really is. Could be an aberration. Could really be the start of something cool. Could be nothing, just like Radiohead's become in recent years. Whatever.

14. "Vita frun" by Annika Norlin

I feel like I should say something derisive by connecting this blurb to the blurb for #23. Like, if Belle and Sebastian were doing the New Pornographers, then Annika Norlin is clearly doing Belle and Sebastian here in this song. I wouldn't be lying if I said that. But what I know about Annika Norlin pales in comparison to my familiarity with those other two bands. I don't even know the language she's singing in! So let's not be disingenuous here. Maybe Annika Norlin isn't stealing anything. Maybe she's always been this fun. Count me in for future fun times with Annika if that's the case.

13. "Runner" by Alex G

Speaking of stealing, a couple weeks after I wrote about this song on the blog, I heard "Runner" played back-to-back with "Runaway Train" on WXPN. I'm not saying they stole the bit from me. I wasn't even the first person to make the connection (I saw it in the Stereogum comment section, if I recall correctly). No one is stealing the revelation that they are similar songs, just like Alex G isn't stealing from Soul Asylum. Despite what the courts might say, music is public property. Take what you want, make something new, return it after improvements. I like "Runner" as much as I like "Runaway Train," and maybe even more so. No one in Soul Asylum is screaming like Alex G does here, if you think about it. There's the improvement.

12. "What Have We Done" by Brutus

Probably counts as irony that frontwoman Stefanie Mannaerts repeats the phrase "once more, with feeling" at the beginning of this song. If there is one vocalist who does NOT need reminding to sing something with feeling, it's Mannaerts. The whole appeal of Brutus as a band is that their lead vocalist (and also their drummer!) is an insane force of nature who makes every line sound like the wailing of a dying ghost. It's intense. I really the moment at 3:42 in "What Have We Done" that even Mannaerts can feel the intensity. I wonder if the quick "oh my god!" was intentional or if it was off the cuff. I gotta guess the latter.

11. "Line of Sight" by Plains

I might be misremembering this, since I was a few beers deep (and because the bootleg copy doesn't include visuals), but Katie Crutchfield spent the majority of her concert doing the same dance move over and over. Kinda reminded me of the Marcia Brady Thumb Push. I was smitten. But here in this song, we here Crutchfield admit that "I struggled every time in the bright spotlight," which makes sense. I loved the dance moves, but they were total stage-fright dance moves. The tempo in "Line of Sight" suggests that similar dance moves would be witnessed during a live version. But I dunno. The next line goes, "Gotta take my time / I'll get it right." I mean, you're preaching to the choir here. I know you got it right. Always have, and always will, if "Line of Sight" is any indication.

10. "Church Bells" by Camp Trash

A big, extroverted song for a small, introverted lifestyle. "I used to not feel tired / I mean I used to never sleep." This stands toe-to-toe with Japandroids' "Younger Us" as the touchstones for equating sleep with youth. For real, gang, sleep is important. I'm sitting here, listening to Camp Trash, bloodshot and baggy eyes, remembering a time when I could stay up all night like I've been doing recently, but also not feel tired... and probably get so drunk that I end of smoking cigarettes too. I don't smoke cigarettes anymore, and I am tired all the time. Thanks for being tired with me, Camp Trash.

9. "Red Moon" by Big Thief

Jeez, is there a better outburst of joy in 2022 than "That's my grandma!"? I mean, I don't even know if I understand why Adrianne Lenker yells this particular phrase. Maybe because it sounds like something a hick band would holler during such a backwoods song as this? So is it in jest or is she being serious? I really don't know. I don't think I want to know. All I know is that I'm happy when I hear this song, and because I like to be happy, I listened to "Red Moon" a lot. Whistle us into 2023, Big Thief.

8. "Chaise Longue" by Wet Leg

If I'm unsure whether Big Thief was being sarcastic in "Red Moon," then I can say with confidence where Wet Leg stands on "Chaise Longue." Of course there's sarcasm. Of course there's cockiness. That's the whole point. Wet Leg are the coolest because they don't give a fuck. They're gonna quote Mean Girls and they are gonna make penis references and they are gonna drink warm beer and they are gonna try to fuck as many people as they can on a very uncomfortable piece of French furniture. Post-punk as a genre feels like it's trying too hard; Wet Leg are the coolest post-punkers because they don't have to try at all.

7. "nothing says love like hydration" by Oso Oso

Like much of my favorite music from 2022, Oso Oso's latest and best album is inextricably tied to the idea of grief. Here is this cool little album made by cousins / best friends. By the time the album is released, one cousin has passed away. The line "nothing says 'love' like a Gatorade" is a silly line, but then again, Oso Oso admits it right here in another line: "We sing our silly songs." Peel back the layers, though, to find that it's more than a thirst quencher during a hangover. Much more. Love is... well, the guys in Oso Oso knew it. They sure as shit know it now. Love is about caring for someone so much that it fucking hurts. Gatorade is a symbol for that, but so could anything. So could, for instance, a wildly fun pop punk song.

6. "Shatter" by Maggie Rogers

Hmm. Here's something I got wrong, back in the day. Maggie Rogers, our inaugural Record Club artist (god bless her for going through that wringer first), came off as a quirky teenager during Heard It in a Past Life. My recommendation for her was to lean into that quirkiness, and try to separate herself from the herd. I can't say she took my advice in her follow-up, 2022's Surrender. This is definitely bigger and bolder and WAY closer to the center of the pop universe. I can't say that I like Surrender better than I do Heard It, but I can say that "Shatter" is the best thing that Maggie Rogers has ever done. I think she has lost everything that made her unique, and I think that "Shatter" proves that that doesn't fucking matter one iota. Shame on pop radio for not blasting this from every speaker in America.

5. "Teenage Overpopulation" by 2nd Grade

Last week, I went out to my small backyard lawn and cleaned up about a half dozen empty cans of Twisted Tea, no doubt scattered there by the teens who were underage drinking in the woods behind our house. Don't worry, teens of today—2nd Grade is being satirical with this song, and so too am I with this nonfictional blurb intro. Of course teens aren't the cause of all today's problems, just like they weren't when I was a teen, and just like they weren't when every up-in-arms child-hating boomer was a teen. Let's us listen to the catchiest song off of 2nd Grade's catchiest album and reminisce about the dumbass shit we ourselves got into when we were young and dumb and scattering empty Twisted Tea cans on some poor shmuck's lawn.

4. "the angel of 8th ave." by Gang of Youths

It's on an album that's all about the death of a father, but on this, that album's best song, the father plays only a cameo role. The star is—as it always should be—the wife, the confidant, the best friend, the ultimate source of comfort and support. Spoken as a broken idiot man just like David Le'aupepe indicates that he is/was, I can say that I agree wholeheartedly that I wouldn't be where I am today without my wife, that she also "called each of my sorrows by name" and continues to provide "a tide of tender mercies," and that I'd be lost without her. This is one of the best songs of the year, but it's also a tribute to all the wives out there who keep their partners from sinking into the abyss.

3. "The Place Where He Inserted the Blade" by Black Country, New Road

I listened to "The Place Where He Inserted the Blade" on the way to a social work simulation last week, and realized that there was a reason I subconsciously chose this particular song to pair with that particular situation. You see, I've unlocked in my master's program the secret to being a social worker. A hack, if you are not internet-averse like I am. It is as follows: give a shit about your fellow man. That's it. Maybe that's not exclusive to being a social worker, I dunno. I just feel like, in this line of work, you typically interact with honest to god human beings who are hurting just a little bit more than average. Show me the place where he inserted the blade, and I will show you great empathy in return. Let's fix this together. (I only regret that former frontman Isaac Wood was not able to find that help while he was fronting one of the most exciting young bands of the decade.)

2. "In the Midnight Hour" by Perennial

It doesn't matter what you're yelling, it just helps to yell. Go ahead. Scream. It can be cathartic. Yell gibberish, who gives a shit. Yell "Can I breathe in the midnight hour, yeah / can I live in the midnight hour!!!" It doesn't matter that it doesn't mean anything (pretty much confirmed by the loud ones themselves). What matters is that you are screaming as loud as you fucking can. Yes!!! Let's fucking go!!!! Let's wake the neighbors!!!

1. "The Paris of Nowhere" by the Wonder Years

The Wonder Years, in the best song of this wonderful year, put on a masterclass of showing, not telling. Note that not once do they mention by name the subject of focus. The vivid and geographically specific imagery make it clear, but still, it's like, let's let those in the know be the ones to appreciate this. I know I appreciate it.

Okay, it's not just geographically, it's emotionally too. Allusions to the best nights (shrines to "St. Nick Foles") to the worst days (what happened the day the Schuylkill overflowed), from the weekends that never happened (dancing to Valencia, dancing in Market East), to the moments that should exist if they haven't already (planting gardens, fixing potholes). This isn't Paris, just as it isn't New York. This is home. We are desperate, kind, and cutthroat. This is who we are. The Wonder Years are one of us.

There will be those who will argue that this song's placement at number one for 2022 is unfair, that the song is catnip for me, that it's not surprising that I loved it immediately and continue to shout its praises. These people are correct. It isn't fair. No song should cheat their way into my heart like this. It's fucked up is what it is.

But honestly, it's important beyond the literal meaning. We're talking about the idea of "home." That goes beyond any specific city. Home is family too, the building in which you reside, the place you feel most comfortable. I feel like 2022, for me, was a year that the importance of home was underlined. I felt needed at home, and I felt at peace at home. "The Paris of Nowhere" spoke to my idea of home in more than a few ways, and for that reason alone, it is the song of my year.