2022 was the year when, after two batshit crazy years, things started to get back to normal – whatever that means in these post-pandemic times.
Brexit, Covid, the war in Ukraine and gross mismanagement of the UK economy for more than a decade means the price of just about everything has soared, with many pubs and venues struggling.
For the live music industry it’s meant attendance at all but the biggest live events seems to be down, with an increasing number of artists pulling gigs or even entire tours, as the numbers simply don’t add up.
On the upside, we were allowed out to gigs again post-Covid (though it’s never really gone away), and music has again proved to be a saving grace as the UK endures a winter of discontent.
Once again, artists old and new have provided beacons of light and hope in a year where one dark cloud has gathered after another.
In 2019, my first year doing this website, I produced a list of my top 20 albums, (which you can read HERE), and in 2020 expanded that to a Top 30 (read that HERE).
2021 produced so much good music that I did a Top 40 (read it HERE), and that’s the case again for 2022. Some of the featured albums are self-released, others on small indie labels, and one or two on majors.
Thanks to anyone who sent or recommended music to listen to – bands, labels, PR people or fellow music nuts. I try to listen to everything a few times and give it a fair review. I also buy far, far more music than I should…
This is a purely personal Top 40, and any of the top dozen could have been No 1, so I’ve tried to rank albums by the ‘wow’ factor they had when I first heard them, and how often I’ve gone back to them over the course of the year.
I haven’t included mini-albums (or The Drowns and Bishops Green would have been serious Top 10 contenders), compilations, live albums or reissues, while others (Snuff, Suede Razors, The Apparents, The Kut, Hung Like Hanratty, The Speedways, Big Joannie, Hot Water Music, and loads more) are missing simply because I haven’t got round to hearing them.
There are plenty of other good albums I’d thoroughly recommend, which just missed out on a slot in my Top 40. Take a bow, and in no particular order (…deep breath…Jo-Jo & The Teeth, Terror, The Dreadnoughts, Gogol Bordello, The Dualers, Newtown Neurotics, Flogging Molly, The Chats, The Mysterines, Nervous Twitch, Dry Cleaning, Johnny Marr, The Cundeez, Knock Off, The Inklings, Soul Glo, The Media Whores) . All are 7/10 albums or more, and well worth your time.
So without further ado, and in reverse order, here’s my Top 40 albums of 2022. All but one or two are reviewed elsewhere on this website, so click away, and I hope you find something new to your ears.
