The Top 100 Songs of 2022
Between the downcast nostalgia of Harry Styles’ “As It Was” and the urgent resistance of Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul,” this year in music was marked by both a desire to move forward into some kind of post-pandemic normal and a collective meditation on the scars and hurt of the first few years of the young decade. With a plethora of splashy breakthrough artists (GloRilla, Rema, Coco Jones) and veterans (Britney Spears, Cam’ron, Mary J. Blige) alike, we danced, cried, screamed, reflected, and danced some more. Here are the 100 best songs of 2022:
Note: For the full ranking head to Spotify, Apple Music, or TIDAL.
100. “When I Pray” (DOE)
99. “Warzone” (Stunna Gambino & A Boogie wit da Hoodie)
98. “Most Men” (Amber Mark)
97. “Holding Back” (BANKS)
96. “Bruises” (Jordan Rakei)
95. “Not One Of Them” (Nija)
94. “X10” (Koffee)
93. “Eat Me” (Demi Lovato & Royal & the Serpent)
92. “Letter to the Past” (Brandi Carlile)
91. “Finesse” (Pheelz & BNXN fka Buju)
90. “Mind Yo Business” (Lakeyah & Latto)
89. “Bad to Me” (Wizkid)
88. “Simple” (Babyface & Coco Jones)
87. “If You Want My Love” (Jordan Occasionally)
86. “HOLY GHOST” (Future)
85. “C'mon Baby, Cry” (Orville Peck)
84. “It’s Plenty” (Burna Boy)
83. “Cash In Cash Out” (Pharrell Williams, 21 Savage & Tyler, the Creator)
82. "Plan B” (Megan Thee Stallion)
81. “What Happened To Virgil” (Lil Durk & Gunna)
80. “ESCAPISM.” (RAYE & 070 Shake)
79. “Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” (Lana Del Rey)
78. “Washed Away” (Kelela)
77. “Shake It” (Kay Flock, Cardi B, Dougie B & Bory 300)
76. “AMBEYONCÉ” (EARTHGANG & Smino)
75. “i'm fine” (Fousheé)
74. “Waterfall” (Disclosure & RAYE)
73. “Yuck” (Charli XCX)
72. “F.N.F.” (Hitkidd & GloRilla)
71. “Alone” (Burna Boy)
70. “Dah Dah DahDah” (Nardo Wick)
69. “Stubborn Pride” (Zac Brown Band & Marcus King)
68. “Go Easy, Kid” (Monica Martin & James Blake)
67. “Rush” (Ayra Starr)
66. “NDA” (Megan Thee Stallion)
65. “Breathe” (IDK)
64. “Alone At The Ranch” (BRELAND)
63. “Dance Now” (JID & Kenny Mason)
62. “King” (Florence + the Machine)
61. “I'm Tired” (Labrinth & Zendaya)
60. “If I Die Tomorrow” (Jack White)
59. “BULERÍAS” (ROSALÍA)
58. “Iced Tea” (Joyce Wrice & KAYTRANADA)
57. '“Round Midnight” (Adam Blackstone & Jazmine Sullivan)
56. “BREAK MY SOUL — THE QUEEN'S REMIX” (Beyoncé & Madonna)
55. “Better Off High” (Marcus Mumford)
54. “you” (Ckay)
53. “Pro Freak” (Smino, Doechii & Fatman Scoop)
52. “Poland” (Lil Yachty)
51. “Andrea” (Bad Bunny & Buscabulla)
50. “Good Morning Gorgeous” (Mary J. Blige)
49. “Swagg Talk” (D4M $LOAN)
48. “papi bones” (FKA twigs & Shygirl)
47. “MOVE” (Beyoncé, Grace Jones & Tems)
46. “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” (Harry Styles)
45. “i'm a mess” (Omah Lay)
44. “Cardboard Box — Happi Remix” (FLO)
43. “ALL MINE” (Brent Faiyaz)
42. “1Uptown” (Bayka)
41. “I Just Wanna Know” (Jade Novah & Tarriona 'Tank' Ball)
40. “Nothing Even Matters” (SiR)
39. “Soundgasm” (Rema)
38. “Girls Against God” (Florence + the Machine)
37. “No One Dies From Love” (Tove Lo)
36. “Want Want” (Maggie Rogers)
35. “POF” (Ari Lennox)
34. “GOD DID” (DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, JAY-Z, John Legend & Fridayy)
33. “Bad Habit” (Steve Lacy)
32. “Seek & Destroy” (SZA)
31. “CUFF IT” (Beyoncé)
30. “Dipset Acrylics” (Cam'ron, A-Trak & Mr. Vegas)
29. “Tourist” (Miranda Lambert)
28. “Johnny P's Caddy” (Benny the Butcher & J. Cole)
27. “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” (Beyoncé)
26. “Married Next Year” (Rod Wave)
25. “Family Tree” (Ethel Cain)
24. “Mother I Sober” (Kendrick Lamar)
23. “I'm Pressed” (serpentwithfeet)
22. “Dawkniss” (Pablo YG)
On this standalone single released towards the end of the year, Pablo YG is a master of ambiance. A sublime slice of trap dancehall, “Dawkniss” find Pablo YG cementing his spot as one of the subgenre’s most audacious leaders. He balances the gritty honesty at the core of both traditional trap and dancehall with the innate carnality of the latter genre. “Dawkniss” is at once sensual, reflective, and brooding — a dastardly delicious mixture that only gets better with each listen.
21. “Kill Bill” (SZA)
SZA has always been a theatrical songwriter and artist. With “Kill Bill,” she inserts herself into both the long line of female musicians musing on murder and the legacy of Black women’s blues-indebted storytelling. “Kill Bill,” which sources its title from Quentin Tarantino’s beloved duology, finds SZA plotting and carrying out the murder of her ex-lover, but not without some gems of introspection. In the chorus, she sings “I’m so mature, I got me a therapist to tell me there’s other men / I don’t want none, I just want you,” a tidy lyrical encapsulation of the tension that sits at the core of healing. “Kill Bill” is undoubtedly a dark song. The song’s plot might be intentionally melodramatic, but the feelings that anchor SZA’s lyrics are devastatingly real.
20. “So Be It” (Alex Vaughn)
R&B thrived in 2022, and Alex Vaughn was one of the genre’s brightest stars. “So Be It,” the opening track to her The Hurtbook EP, finds Alex working her way through the deepest depths of hurt. The pain of a broken friendship is unlike any other feeling in the world. Alex infuses her devastating ache into each syllable of every word, contorting the melody with anguish and perseverance alike. Between a melancholy guitar line, a Rodney Jerkins co-writing credit, and a chorus of grief-stricken voices, “So Be It” blends foundational elements of classic R&B into something fresh and full.
19. “Tomorrow 2” (GloRilla & Cardi B)
Despite not dropping an album in 2022, Cardi B had two guest verses that shook the world. While “Shake It” appears a bit lower down on this 100-song ranking, Cardi’s guest verse on the updated version of GloRilla’s “Tomorrow 2” is her crown jewel of the year. “Tomorrow 2” finds Cardi working at the height of her powers: her flow is precise, the beat’s twinkling piano plays well against her gruff delivery, her lyrics drip with charisma, and she still finds a way to keep the spotlight on GloRilla. On “Tomorrow 2,” Memphis and New York join forces for one of the most irresistible and anthemic tracks of the year. If you’re not shouting this hook at the top of your lungs when you hear it… you’re lame!
18. “Naked” (Lizzo)
Bookmarked by another No. 1 single (“About Damn Time”) and the release of both a concert film and a documentary (Love, Lizzo) on HBO Max, Lizzo made 2022 hers. Her Special album garnered career-best sales figures, but the record also featured some of Lizzo’s best songs yet — especially a little tune called “Naked.” In between the bombastic disco-tinged feel-good jams, Lizzo holds some space for facing body insecurities head-on. She questions how accepting her partner is of her and her voice floats over a soundscape that includes orchestral strings, drums, trombone, saxophone, and piano. “Naked” finds Lizzo lightening up her tone to complement her pondering of the concept of nakedness both sexually and metaphorically. It’s a perfect song.
17. “Anxiety” (Megan Thee Stallion)
Megan has had an unfairly difficult year on a number of fronts. In the midst of all of the chaos, however, she still found time to drop one of her strongest bodies of work yet. “Anxiety,” with its intelligent mélange of a yodeling loop and soul-baring bars, is Traumazine’s best track. In her verses, Megan seeks her late mother’s advice, inserts herself into a lineage of embattled pop stars that includes Whitney Houston and Britney Spears, and vents her frustrations concerning social media’s sliding scale of “truth.” Even outside of one of the world’s biggest stars talking about her struggles with anxiety as a black woman in the public eye, “Anxiety” is simply a damn good song.
16. “Hide & Seek” (Stormzy)
Stormzy stormed this year’s fourth quarter with his stunning This Is What I Mean album, and “Hide & Seek” is one of the set’s strongest songs. A warm, soulful single that blends notes of afrobeats, R&B, and rap, “Hide & Seek” finds Stormzy excelling in a more somber lane than we’re used to seeing him in. Here, Stormzy truly embodies the spirit of the master of ceremonies as he oversees the song’s moving parts — a tight hook from Oxlade, the gravitational pull of Äyanna’s wordless vocalizations, and Teni’s gentle post-chorus — while finding the time to deliver verses that outline his allegiance to his lover despite the rough patches they may be working through. Stormzy just doesn’t miss.
15. “Just Wanna Rock” (Lil Uzi Vert)
Uzi’s seismic “Just Wanna Rock” is perhaps, at present time, the peak of Jersey club’s convergence with mainstream rap in the 2020s. The soundtrack behind one of the more interesting TikTok dance trends, “Just Wanna Rock” finds Uzi becoming one with the essence of Jersey club. “Buh, buh, buh, buh,” they pant over MCVertt and Synthetic’s soul-stirring production. When Uzi warns “this ain’t what you want,” it’s not empty advice. With “Just Wanna Rock,” Uzi infuses the fervent physicality of Jersey club and its accompanying dance culture into the synergy of his voice and the track’s instrumental. It’s equal parts hypnotic and incomprehensible just how vibrant this track is. Maybe, Uzi’s right and this isn’t what we want… but I beg to differ.
14. “The Loneliest Time” (Carly Rae Jepsen & Rufus Wainwright)
Carly Rae Jepsen making sublime pop music is about as unsurprising as Twitter’s ongoing implosion at the hands of Elon Musk. “The Loneliest Time,” the title track of Carly’s latest album, is nothing short of perfect. Carly lifts Rufus Wainwright, a delightfully unlikely duet partner, into her world of honeyed disco-indebted pop on this buttery track. Between the swirling strings and that idiosyncratic spoken word bit in the bridge, "The Loneliest Time” blends subverts the ephemerality of pop music trends by grounding its exploration of disco in the innate theatricality that anchors all popular music. When the music fades and Carly and Rufus’s voices get ever-so-slightly more somber on the final chorus… that’s pop!
13. “Sweeter” (DIXSON)
With a production credit on Beyoncé’s magnetic “PURE/HONEY” to follow up his first career Oscar nomination (also alongside Beyoncé) with King Richard’s “Be Alive,” 2022 was already going to be a banner year for DIXSON. Nonetheless, 2022 also happened to be the year that DIXSON unleashed his latest album, 004Daisy. “Sweeter,” a country and gospel-tinged tour de force, closes the album on a rousing note. His smooth tone and tight harmonies add shades of wistfulness to the song’s lovestruck lyrics. This a full-bodied song — two full verses, an actual bridge, and choruses galore — and it just feels warm. What more could you ask from music in a year that was so unmistakably cold?
12. “Glimpse of Us” (Joji)
When the nominees for next year’s Grammy Awards ceremony were announced, there was the annual discourse about who was “snubbed” by the Academy. Chief among those snubbed artists and songs was undoubtedly Joji’s “Glimpse of Us.” One of the most despondent piano ballads in recent memory, “Glimpse of Us” displays not only the vastness of Joji’s musical range, but also how effective of a vocalist he’s grown into. "Maybe you’ll start slippin’ slowly and find me again,” he sings, completely committed to the bleakness of being stuck in the throes of a former relationship. Joji’s musical evolution has been absolutely incredible to witness, and “Glimpse of Us” finds him tapping into something that feels like the beginning of his prime.
11. “Bwoi Affi” (1Biggs Don)
Originally a freestyle, “Bwoii Affi” grew into a monstrous TikTok hit and eventually saw a proper release. Biggs blends his penchant for braggadocious lyrics with a smooth, cavalier flow that speaks to both the rap and dancehall elements of the production. There’s an inimitable effortlessness that anchors “Bwoii Affi.” Biggs has a natural command over melody, and he plays with silence and pauses in a way that tantalizes his listeners before really putting his foot on the gas. In an era where TikTok virality is as manufactured as it is organic, “Bwoi Affi” feels real, a quality that is sorely lacking in so much mainstream music.
10. “Let Me Be Great” (Sampa the Great & Angélique Kidjo)
The closing track on Sampa the Great’s fantastic sophomore album is simply regal. Zambian-Australian poet and rapper Sampa the Great links up with Beninese music legend Angélique Kidjo for a transcendent anthem about the power of self-love in the face of a world that seeks to stomp it out at every turn. Stacked with references to everyone from Lauryn Hill to OutKast, there’s a Pan-Africanist bent that grounds the song. The rousing percussive production and backing choir make for one of the most triumphant songs of the year. Sampa’s demands to let her be great are not coming from a place of desperation, she’s already decided that she’s going to be great, and this is just a courtesy notice.
9. “Something in the Orange (Z&E’s Version)” (Zach Bryan)
Zach Bryan had a breakout year with his rousing American Heartbreak album. The set’s splashiest song, “Something in the Orange,” also happens to be one of the best songs of the year. With a stirring vocal performance that is equal parts lovelorn and wistful, Zach lifts Eddie Spear’s raw production into a rhapsody of reflection. Rooted in nature metaphors the boundlessness of the biggest star in the solar system, “Something in the Orange” is the kind of song that artists spend years trying to make. It’s a ballad for the ages.
8. “ICU” (Coco Jones)
Whether you were introduced to Coco Jones through her performance in Disney’s Let It Shine or via Peacock’s Bulletin Award-nominated Bel-Air, you gotta be over the moon about where her career is currently. On the heels of signing to Def Jam, Coco released her What I Didn’t Tell You EP which houses the sumptuous “ICU.” A simple piano ballad, Coco croons from the depths of her soul in this blues-steeped track. An ode to all the singular things that makes a lover irreplaceable, “ICU” is a stunner. Coco’s voice, warm with a tinge of darkness, anchors the track, but it’s DJ Camper’s moody soundscape that drives everything home.
7. “Send My Love To John” (Rina Sawayama)
Hold the Girl might have been a relatively lukewarm follow-up to Rina’s daring debut album, but it did grant us its fair share of excellent tracks. “Send My Love To John,” a folk-indebted song about an immigrant mother apologizing to her queer son for her parental shortcomings, is one of those excellent tracks. Rina’s voice has the capacity to soar across pretty much any genre in existence. With “Send My Love,” however, she chooses to keep the dynamics more muted to match the quiet contemplation that the song’s soundscape suggests. As one of the few Hold the Girl songs that does not feature a production credit from Rina’s longtime collaborator Clarence Clarity, this is a strong hint as to what she can accomplish with some different minds behind the boards.
6. “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” (Arctic Monkeys)
Arctic Monkeys have been on an intriguing trajectory for the past couple of years, and “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” is yet another stunning record for them to add to their repertoire. Alex Turner’s lyrics are as opaque as usual, but with instrumentation that pulls from traditional 1960s pop and sweeping jazz ballads, “Mirrorball” is a truly gorgeous listen. “Mirrorball” is a smart display of Arctic Monkeys’ growth. Past explorations of breakups in their music have been comparatively more intense, but, here, the band goes for a more whimsical approach that still packs a hefty punch. Between Turner’s languid delivery and the ornate strings arrangement, “Mirrorball” adds some bits of beauty to the band’s dreary realism.
5. “Sun Bleached Flies” (Ethel Cain)
What’s better that a country ballad about the contradictions and pitfalls of Christianity steeped in the Southern Gothic aesthetic? Not much! The penultimate song on Ethel Cain’s jaw-dropping debut album Preacher’s Daughter, “Sun Bleached Flies” is a thorough analysis of the intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships that exist within the framework of the traditional American Christian church. Here, unfulfilled church mothers are the flies, and Cain digs into the most uncomfortable pockets of organized religion with lyrics like “God loves you, / but not enough to save you.” “Sun Bleached Flies” is just one part of an album that functions like a Homeric epic, but, even on its own, it’s gorgeous.
4. “This Is Why” (Paramore)
It seems like a solid portion of the pop scene has been rummaging in Paramore’s purse to make their own hits, but, with “This Is Why,” the band is interested in moving forward. Frontwoman Hayley Williams, like the formidable vocalist she is, snarls through glissandos that float across a lush mixture of cymbals, drums, marimba, guitars, and synths. In every realm, be it political, cultural, or medical, it’s been a hellish few years. Paramore gifted us an anthem of solitude and justifiable melodrama to process all of the years-old emotions that continue to simmer in our collective consciousness. “This is why / I don’t leave the house / you say the coast is clear, but you won’t catch me out.” Indeed Hayley & Co., indeed.
3. “Tití Me Preguntó” (Bad Bunny)
Bad Bunny ruled the planet this year, and “Tití Me Preguntó” led the charge. Benito’s Un Verano Sin Ti had scores of tracks that could have become commercially dominant hits (and plenty did), but “Tití” was always destined to claim one of those spots. A unique amalgamation of trap, dembow, bachata, and psychedelic rock, “Tití” is as idiosyncratic as Bad Bunny himself. The song is objectively hilarious (the song’s title translates to “Auntie Asked Me,” and he rhymes “selfie” with “say cheese!”), and Benito flies through rapping, singing, wise-cracking, and bantering with astonishing ease. “Tití Me Preguntó” never quite settles into a predictable groove, the track shifts through different movements every couple of seconds while still feeling like one complete song. There’s no surprise that this is one of the biggest hits from the year’s biggest album.
2. “Last Last” (Burna Boy)
With every line becoming a quotable and a Toni Braxton sample that successfully transcends the recognizability of the original song, “Last Last” is nothing short of career-high for Burna Boy. The communal nature of the background chants lifts the song from a singular rumination on heartbreak to a collective reckoning with the ramifications of misery in all of its forms. “Last Last” is a shining jewel in a year that featured mainstream music’s least inventive uses of samples. The iconic guitar riffs of “He Wasn’t Man Enough” remain relatively untouched, but Burna’s lyrics and heartfelt delivery shift them to a brand new, and equally arresting, sonic environment. A one-song encapsulation of the diversity and interconnectedness of black music, “Last Last” will always be a winner.
1. “VIRGO’S GROOVE” (Beyoncé)
Now, y’all already knew something from Renaissance was topping this list, be for real! Anything from Beyoncé’s instantly legendary seventh solo studio album could have made the #1 spot, but “Virgo’s Groove” is simply that song. With a little over six minutes of sweaty sensuality and a lustful combination of lush synths and ebullient background vocals, “Virgo’s Groove” is a masterpiece. Beyoncé’s inimitable vocal gymnastics in the song’s outro elevate the track from a simple pastiche of the disco-funk to a hypnotic reimagining of that era. Queen Bey’s incomparable ear for harmonies pairs well with the silkiness of Leven Kali and The-Dream’s production on this Renaissance standout. Nominated for Best R&B Performance at next year’s Grammy Awards, “Virgo’s Groove” is yet another peak in Beyoncé’s mastery of vocal performance. She’s able to offset how mechanical technical precision can sound by infusing her vocal with the kind of ardent passion only found on the dancefloor or the bedroom — the two realms that “Virgo’s Groove” rules over.
