2022 was a year that brought us some great tunes from returning artists as well as material from newer acts slated to see their popularity skyrocket in the following years. With so much music being released, it can be tough to come up with a list of material that resonated with us the most. Fortunately, we have a list of 20 of the best albums and songs to arrive during such an eventful year.

The best 20 albums of 2022

20) Letting Up Despite Great Faults - IV - New Words

After an eight-year wait, Austin band Letting Up Despite Great Faults unveiled their studio album IV, which radiates with 10 tracks of dreampop elation.

19) Death Note Silence - Collide & Collapse - Kingside Records

Hailing from Quebec, industrial deathcore act Death Note Silence found themselves earning performances in their region alongside Obey The Brave and Born of Osiris following their 2018 self-titled album. For Collide & Collapse, the band dive into topics such as the pandemic ("7 Billion Connected"), assault ("Deadman Trial"), and their local music scene ("Fuel").

18) VR Sex - Rough Dimension - Dais Records

Post-punk act VR Sex (Drab Majesty's Andrew Clinco) unveiled their nine-song release Rough Dimension, which dives into the often-sordid streets of Los Angeles.

17) Vonamor - Vonamor - Time to Kill Records

Italian darkwave act Vonamor delivers some surprising twists and turns with their self-titled debut album. The nine-track album finds the band providing haunting music in multiple languages, including Chinese and German, with a swirl of electronic beats to gravitate listeners to the dancefloor.

16) Animalweapon - Set Of Constraints - Polychromatic Records

These past two years have put a strain on everyone’s mental health. For electronic artist Patrick Cortes a.k.a Animalweapon, they showcased their own battles with their eight-track release Set Of Constraints. The 32-minute release feels rather therapeutic at times with shimmering electronics floating through celestial musical landscapes.

15) Josie Pace - iVOx - Negative Gain Productions

Industrial pop artist Josie Pace unveils a debut album fit for a cyberpunk venture or a dancefloor showdown with iVOx, which finds them collaborating with Ken Roberts.

14) Dream Widow - self-titled - RCA

Foo Fighters going metal wasn't on anyone's bingo card for 2022. For their film Studio 666, Foo Fighters brought their heavier side out as the trash metal band Dream Widow. Sadly, this would be the last Foo Fighters recording with drummer Taylor Hawkins.

13) Black Math Horseman - self-titled - Profound Love

Los Angeles doom metal band Black Math Horseman made their big return to the scene with their self-titled EP. Following their 2009 debut album Wyllt, this four-song release showcases a band that didn't miss a step despite their long absence.

12) Hvndfvst - Big Sweeties - Blacktop Records

Great Lakes Basin art rock act Hvndfvst delivered one of the most personal releases of the year with their Big Sweeties EP, which finds the musician tiptoeing between indie rock and shoegaze in a six-song expedition through life.

11) GenCAB - Everything You See Is Mine - BLACKHAUS

Philadelphia industrial act Generation CABLE (or GenCAB for short) closed out 2022 with their four-song EP Everything You See Is Mine, which delivers offerings of gritty electropunk ("Soft") and soaring industrial rock ("Only Skin").

10) The Weeknd - Dawn FM - XO/Republic

Grammy-winning artist The Weeknd kicked off 2022 with the release of their fifth studio album Dawn FM, which brilliantly flows through city pop ("Out of Time") to new wave ("Less than Zero") in an effortless manner.

9) Lorna Shore - Pain Remains - Century Media

Lorna Shore had a lot to live up to with Pain Remains, and the band delivered big time (and then some). From the titanic opening track "Welcome Back, O' Sleeping Dreamer" to the majestic "Pain Remains" trilogy, Lorna Shore delivered a deathcore album that will be the blueprint for the genre for years to come.

8) Otoboke Beaver - Super Champon - Damnably

Japanese punk rock band Otoboke Beaver are known for their chaotic stylings, and their 18-track album Super Champon, which features distinctive song titles such as "Where Did You Buy Such a Nice Watch that You Are Wearing Now" and "Dirty Old Fart Is Waiting for My Reaction" delivers some manic punk rock fervor in under 22 minutes.

7) Amir Yaghmai - Go Bozo - Colorfield Records

The phrase "Go Bozo" meant so much to Los Angeles' Amir Yaghmai, they named their debut album after it. The end result is a serene electronic landscape slated to send the listener into a sovereign odyssey.

6) Carpenter Brut - Leather Terror - Universal Music

Synthwave artist Carpenter Brut changed things up while working on their studio album Leather Terror; they chose not to use guitar on the album and let the synths take center stage. With special appearances from acts such as Gunship and Greg Puciato, Leather Terror marks a complete musical shift in the artist's treasured discography.

5) Ho99o9 - SKIN - DTA Records

Since the release of their 2017 debut album United States of Horror, alternative hip-hop act Ho99o9 have been gaining fans with tours alongside Korn, The Prodigy, and Avenged Sevenfold. Following some EPs and mixtapes, the act unveiled their sophomore album SKIN, which finds them enhancing their songwriting skills to an astonishing result. With appearances from Slipknot's Corey Taylor ("Bite My Face") and Saul Williams ("Skinhead"), the 12-track album bounces around the realms of hip hop, metal, punk rock, and industrial.

4) Shutups - I can't eat nearly as much as I want to vomit - Kill Rock Stars

From the opening croons of "Shutups are back" in album opener "Square Wheels On My Bicycle," I can't eat nearly as much as I want to vomit gives the listener time to compose themselves before being launched in a 44-minute rock fest filled with tantalizing licks ("Televised Hit & Run") and moments of melodic righteousness ("A Sack Of Knives/Queen Of The Rodeo").

3) OU - one - Insideoutmusic

China-based progressive metal band OU delivered an impressive debut album with one. While the album features some metal offerings (the seven-minute "Dark" is easily the standout track on the release), there are some moments of calm such as "Ghost" and the album closer "Light."

2) Chat Pile - God's Country - The Flenser

It's not hard to see why sludge metal band Chat Pile became the talk of the metal community with their studio album God's Country. From its menacing opener "Slaughterhouse" to the helllacious closer "grimace_smoking_weed.jpeg," this is one body of work that will continue to be on everyone's tongue in the following years.

1) November Ultra - Bedroom Walls - Republic Records

After writing songs for acts such as Jaden Smith and Kungs, French/Spanish/Portuguese singer-songwriter November Ultra stepped into their own spotlight with their debut album Bedroom Walls, which finds the singer tantalizing listeners in English, Spanish, and French throughout 11 luxurious tracks.

The best 20 songs of 2022

20) Alto Arc - "Bordello"

"Bordello" from experimental pop supergroup Alto Arc (which features Hundred Waters’ Danny L Harle, producer Trayer Tryon, Deafheaven’s George Clarke, and make-up artist Isamaya French) slithers with strong influences from influential industrial act Skinny Puppy.

19) Sniffany and the Nits - "Piggy Bank"

London punk band Sniffany and the Nits gets gears racing with their ode to Sex and the City titled "Piggy Bank."

18) Raekwon & Ghostface Killah - "We Ain't Came To Lose"

Taken from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge soundtrack, "We Ain't Came To Lose" finds Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon & Ghostface Killah taking sides in the battle between the Ninja Turtles and Shredder in a lyrical standoff.

17) Ron Killings - "Barnyard Flexin'"

WWE Superstar Ron Killings (b.k.a. R-Truth) still drops songs when he's not dropping elbows in the squared circle. "Barnyard Flexin'" finds the rapper unveiling bars over a twang-laden beat.

16) Petey - "Big Bad"

Los Angeles indie rock act Petey mashes up the punk rock sensibility of Blink-182 with the indie rock ambience of Modest Mouse on their blistering number "Big Bad."

15) Wretched Tongues - "Mortality"

Deathcore band Wretched Tongues unveils one scorcher of a pit starter with "Mortality" from their debut album Ulter Praefinitum. Look out for anything that isn't nailed down during the song's final breakdown.

14) VR Sex - "Live In A Dream"

As a standout track on VR Sex's studio album Rough Dimension, "Live In A Dream" is a post-punk nugget featuring Andrew Clinco's hypnotizing croons of "Live in a dream for now" swirling around the listener's brain.

13) Gorillaz - "Cracker Island"

Gorillaz' "Cracker Island" slithers with a mischievous synthline and Grammy-winner Thundercat's cries of "Forever cult" to deliver a summertime banger.

12) Lorna Shore - "Sun//Eater"

All eyes were on New Jersey deathcore band Lorna Shore upon announcing their new album Pain Remains. The first single from the record had to make an impact, and "Sun//Eater" did just that from its symphonic final boss opening to its crushing breakdown.

11) Dev Lemons - "One Whole Me"

Philadelphia indie-pop artist Dev Lemons distances themselves from typical love cliches ("If I can't breathe without you, baby, then what's that say about me?") and finding comfort with space from their partner ("And now I love alone time as much as I love you") with the bouncy cut "One Whole Me."

10) Tom The Mail Man - "Notdead"

Tom The Mail Man continues to impress fans and haters alike with their blend of hip hop, rock, and R&B. Their single "Notdead" cruises with a groovy bassline backed by the singer's forthright demands of "Get out there."

9) Hvndfvst - "Looming"

Hvndfvst's "Looming," which stems from their EP Big Sweeties, offers a dreary look at one’s past mistakes (“I never wanted this/Looming in my selfish wit”) over dripping guitars.

8) Floya - "Wonders"

Featuring former members of Time, The Valuator and Alazka, Floya have been turning heads in the German rock scene. Their debut single "Wonders" is one of the best pop-rock tracks of the year.

7) ThxSoMch - "Spit In My Face!"

ThxSoMch's emo-laced electro thumper "Spit In My Face!" is a tune that has a nostalgic feel yet still feels modern enough for the TikTok generation.

6) BoyWithUke - "Long Drives"

Massachusetts indie-pop artist BoyWithUke takes on the tough aspect of long-distance relationships ("We just FaceTime, is this a sign? I'm fallin' out of your life") with the earworm "Long Drives."

5) Smewthie - "Tokyo Mew Mew New Theme"

Smewthie’s theme for anime series Tokyo Mew Mew New flourishes as a grand J-pop tune with a nifty lyrical throwback to the original song.

4) SiM - "The Rumbling"

After nearly 20 years since their formation, J-rock band SiM were thrusted into the spotlight with Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2 theme song "The Rumbling," which topped the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart and peaked at number 13 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs. Check out our review of their recent Los Angeles performance.

3) Joji - "Glimpse of Us"

Joji knows how to make heartbreaking music, and "Glimpse of Us" is another wrecker with the singer crooning shattering lyrics such as "Why then, if she's so perfect, Do I still wish that it was you?/Perfect don't mean that it's workin', So what can I do?"

2) Chat Pile - "grimace_smoking_weed.jpeg"

Concluding Chat Pile's debut album God's Country, "grimace_smoking_weed.jpeg" is easily the best closing track from any album of 2022. Clocking in at around nine minutes, the song almost feels like an accidentally recorded realtime breakdown. Check out our recent look at how it compares to a beloved synth-punk song.

1) November Ultra - "Nostalgia/Ultra"

"Nostalgia/Ultra" is an awe-inspiring highlight of November Ultra's debut album Bedroom Walls. The nine-and-a-half-minute cut blossoms with heavenly synths and a heartwarming section including the singer’s grandparents.