During the first six months of 2022, there has been a steady stream of new music releases: pleasant surprises, anticipated projects and brand new sounds.
For some, it was a long time coming: Tears for Fears released their first studio LP in 18 years, Eddie Vedder unveiled his first solo record in over a decade and Jethro Tull put out their first studio album since 2003. Others have been working feverishly: Jack White released the first of two albums this year and the Black Keys offered a new record almost exactly a year after their last one.
Some artists explored different soundscapes: Wilco embraced their early days with an album of country songs, while Dave Grohl tried his hand at heavy metal, releasing an album just a few hours before his Foo Fighters bandmate Taylor Hawkins was found dead in his hotel room. Some decided to breathe new life into old songs: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band gave their take on a collection of Bob Dylan numbers, while artists like David Byrne, Yo La Tengo and the Flaming Lips recorded renditions of Yoko Ono songs for a compilation.
An entirely new band arrived on the scene, too. The Smile – a trio featuring Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Sons of Kemet’s Tom Skinner – released their debut studio album.
All of these and more can be found in the below list of the Top 20 Rock Albums of 2022 (So Far.)
Top 20 Rock Albums of 2022 (So Far)
The soundtrack to the first half of 2022.
