2022 is at an end, so how did the year stack up as a whole? Honestly my main feeling coming out of this year is simply that not much happened and that is especially true when looking down the year-end Hot 100. Most of the biggest hits were released in 2021, Christmas music takes up four of the slots, thirteen positions go to holdovers from last year, and Doja Cat and Bad Bunny take up a further thirteen places between them. I’m sticking to songs that debuted on the year-end chart as my eligibility for the sake of consistency but more than ever that does create the feeling that there isn’t a whole lot to choose from.
Granted last year didn’t feel all that exciting either aside from Olivia Rodrigo, but 2021’s top ten was one of the strongest in years with almost every song being a recognizable and generally well-loved hit. I certainly couldn’t say the same for 2022, especially given which song ultimately ended up being its biggest hit. As far as specific genres go, country wound up carrying this list with a vacuum in place of where pop music was supposed to have happened and hip-hop having a particularly terrible year in terms of hits for both quantity and quality.
All that being said, looking at my final list year I still don’t know if I’d call 2022 a terrible year. There was really no competition beyond these seventeen songs but as a select batch I think they’re reasonably on par with the past few years. And as far as my top two goes, I would argue that they’re the two best songs to make a year-end list in the past decade, although there is the slight caveat that neither one was originally released this decade. If you’re thinking I just spoiled the top of my list there, well maybe but I don’t think that was too hard to guess. Once again the bad songs aren’t really bad enough to justify a full written worst list but for interest’s sake it would be this:
Dishonourable mentions:
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – Sweetest Pie
GAYLE – abcdefu
Post Malone ft. Doja Cat – I Like You (A Happier Song)
Lil Baby – In a Minute
Dove Cameron – Boyfriend
Lauren Spencer-Smith – Fingers Crossed
Parmalee – Take My Name
10. Walker Hayes – AA (Walker Hayes is truly the worst)
9. Ed Sheeran – Shivers (His worst ever hit. Gross aesthetically and lyrically)
8. Elton John & Dua Lipa – Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) (I don’t normally consider impact for my lists but the success of this song had a terrible effect on sample culture. It also just sucks)
7. The Weeknd & Post Malone – One Right Now (Sounds like absolute ass plus horrible lyrics)
6. Gunna & Future ft. Young Thug – pushin P (Awful upon arrival but it was that SNL performance that truly exposed just how worthless this song is)
5. Jnr Choi & Sam Tompkins – To the Moon! (Not even acknowledging this as a song)
4. Kodak Black – Super Gremlin (Kodak Black fucking sucks as a rapper and this song creeps me out)
3. Sam Smith ft. Kim Petras – Unholy (Nightmare headache)
2. Imagine Dragons & JID – Enemy (Bigger nightmare headache)
1. Russell Dickerson ft. Jake Scott- She Likes It (Makes me feel physically sick)
And with that, onto the good stuff,
HM #1
Cole Swindell – She Had Me At Heads Carolina
Peak #16, Year-end #46
In a year full of bad, lazy sampling it would be easy to throw this song into the same box, but it seems like pretty much everybody came around to liking this one. A direct retread of Jo Dee Messina’s 90s hit Heads Carolina, Tails California, Cole just about offers enough original material to get away with it, styling it through the lens of being captivated by a woman performing the original at karaoke.
Whilst the production may be somewhat lacking compared to the source material, the wonderful chorus melody remains intact, and given that I, like many others, had never heard the original before I think this song deserves its dues for drawing more attention to it and even getting Jo Dee on board for a remix.
HM #2
Silk Sonic – Smokin Out the Window
Peak #5, Year-end #41
Gosh this feels like a distant memory. Silk Sonic’s ultra cohesive 70s soul project was so unlike anything else on the charts in the past year and with an odd lack of follow-up singles or videos, the album’s third single faded in the memory faster than I expected. And yet coming back to it now, the quality is still evident.
The immaculate drums, buttery smooth vocals and soaring melodies all sound stunning as Anderson and Bruno deliver a humorous relationship lament. Probably a song I need to listen to within the album more than an individual track that I’ve had on repeat, but a huge jam nonetheless.
HM #3
Cody Johnson – ‘Til You Can’t
Peak #18, Year-end #34
Take a look at the top ten songs on Billboard’s year-end Hot Country Songs chart and this is what you’ll see: two Morgan Wallen smashes at the top; two pop crossovers from Walker Hayes (ew); expected big hits from Luke Combs, Cole Swindell and Luke Bryan; the two big, young breakout stars of the year Bailey Zimmerman and Zach Bryan; and then right up there at number three, this unexpectedly massive hit from B-lister Cody Johnson.
I guess sometimes good work does get rewarded as he put out the song of his career with this one and was rewarded in kind. An epic, soaring anthem to taking life’s chances with a belting vocal performance, organic production and a huge, goosebump-worthy climax. Certainly a surprise that this was as huge as it was, but a very welcome one.
HM #4
Jon Pardi – Last Night Lonely
Peak #27, Year-end #95
Jon Pardi is arguably one of the most consistent mainstream country artists, and whilst some may say that his work has kind of a high floor and a low ceiling, Last Night Lonely was another single of his that I enjoyed in regular rotation. Killer drum groove, plentiful fiddle, and a chorus that is ridiculously fun to sing along to. Not a song that circumvents or exceeds expectations, but country music doesn’t have to do that to still be a great time.
HM #5
Becky G & Karol G – MAMIII
Peak #15, Year-end #59
Bad Bunny was fairly clearly the biggest artist of 2022, and his latest album produced an incredible seven year-end hits. I’ve ignored all of them and gone with this as my Spanish language representation instead. What can I say, the two G’s bouncy vocals are much more appealing to me than Bad Bunny’s incessant droning and they’re aided by a brilliant hook and more textured percussion. There weren’t a lot of out-and-out “bops” this year as pop music stuttered, but this was one of the best.
HM #6
Scotty McCreery – Damn Strait
Peak #32, Year-end #93
Well OK, I underestimated this track on first listen. Putting aside my unfamiliarity with George Strait’s music, this is still an extremely potent song. I adore the soft drum shuffle and subtle slides of electric guitar as Scotty does his best Alan Jackson impression with some incredibly soulful, deep crooning. And even if the references to Strait’s songs fly over my head there remains a painful relatability to being unable to listen to your favourite singer’s music anymore because its all now associated with heartbreak. Without doubt the most I’ve ever liked a Scotty McCreery single, hope he continues in this direction.
HM #7
Camila Cabello ft. Ed Sheeran – Bam Bam
Peak #21, Year-end #66
Yeah I don’t care, this song still goes off. A pop song that puts a danceable groove as its first priority is not something we get enough of these days, and those acoustic strums and pattering drums are irresistible to me. Throw in Camila Cabello being effortlessly charismatic and an Ed Sheeran guest verse that fits way better than it has any right to and you have a very good pop song that serves its purpose to a tee.
And with that, the top ten…
10. Steve Lacy – Bad Habit
Peak #1, Year-end #28
Bad Habit fits in nicely at number ten on my list in the same way that Happier Than Ever did last year. It’s a song that gained tons of acclaim and whilst I personally have issues with parts of it, the good parts are great enough that it justifies its place on the list. So no, I’m still not a fan of the part where the instrumental drops out, nor the references to astrology or biscuits and gravy, a mental image that remains disgusting to me as a non-American.
But rather than focusing on that let’s give credit to the parts of this song which feel genuinely inventive and make the fact that this reached number one pretty cool. The melodies are absolutely out of this world. The first two minutes is just hook after hook, memorable line after memorable line as Steve’s slightly odd vocals contort around this vibrant instrumental which has a great percussion sound and bold synths.
Credit also to the writing which introduces one of the more original lyrical ideas for a huge hit in recent memory. I mean who hasn’t found themselves singing “I wish I knew you wanted me” in an over-dramatic way at some point this year, I know I have. Cool song despite its flaws and definitely encouraging for creativity in mainstream music to see this be as huge as it was.
9. ERNEST ft. Morgan Wallen – Flower Shops
Peak #64, Year-end #96
The biggest redemption arc of 2022 was the comeback of Morgan Wallen. Blacklisted from country radio and denounced by some in the industry in early 2021 after his racial slur controversy, only to successfully re-cement himself as the biggest star of the genre this year. How much you can justify this return on a moral level is highly debatable. I’m inclined to believe in second chances but it wasn’t me who he offended in the first place so that is easy for me to say. Ultimately the fact is that whether or not somebody can be successfully “cancelled” depends on how popular they are, and on that basis Morgan was never going to go away that easily.
Bizarrely he chose to return with the somewhat dickish Broadway Girls, but two weeks later we got this gorgeous ballad with songwriter-turned-performer Ernest which even the most ardent Morgan hater could not deny. It’s a classic apology anthem with beautiful pedal steel and a slow, shuffling drum groove that supports the melody perfectly. I love the lyrical idea of telling it through all the flowers it will take to make up for his transgressions, just beautiful imagery that sells the song.
Impressively this got absolutely nowhere on country radio so had streams and sales to thank for its success. Hey country radio programmers – people actually like hearing this kinda stuff, they don’t just want simplified pop-country!
8. Bailey Zimmerman – Fall in Love
Peak #29, Year-end #54
It’s no secret that TikTok is the biggest music influencer these days and arguably no artist on this last has benefited more from that than country newcomer Bailey Zimmerman. He had a few viral snippets and songs thanks to the platform, got signed, and now he’s a pretty big star already. And yeah I would mainly attribute his rise to the fact that he’s pretty damn good.
He’s got a great voice, sings with a lot of passion, has pretty solid country-rock instrumentation backing him up, and a good knack for writing as well. Yes he does actually have writing credits on his material which is not something to take for granted at all in the world of Nashville country. Both of his breakout hits are pretty great but I think Fall In Love edges out Rock and a Hard Place on a stronger chorus, sharp guitar solo, and a deliciously fiery and bitter vocal performance. One of my most replayed hits of the year, cathartic as hell, let’s see where Bailey can take his sound in the future.
7. THE ANXIETY – Meet Me At Our Spot
Peak #21, Year-end #74
Well this was a grower. Only a couple of week’s away from making 2021’s year-end list but eligible for 2022 instead, this song grew on me with every listen until it became an ultimate comfort song. “Meet me at our spot they can’t find us there” is such a childlike turn of phrase but it hits the right spot with me as that enveloping bassline wraps itself around. Willow’s vocals have this odd tone to them particularly in the way she sings the quirky chorus melody that only adds to the mystical vibe of the song and even this other bloke’s part grew on me quite a lot.
Definitely a wintery sound to this as well which helped make it instantly nostalgic for me as it’s deeply tied to this time last year in my head. Perhaps not a song that seems all that special on first glance but it has certain unusual elements to it that make me feel a way that no other hit from this year does, like it doesn’t seem quite real. Great little TikTok hit and one that I see myself coming back to every winter on those long nights, it’s just got something about it.
6. Em Beihold – Numb Little Bug
Peak #18, Year-end #32
This is definitely one of the most out of nowhere hits of the year where I don’t really know where this girl came from, don’t know how this got popular and it doesn’t seem to make much sense as a hit in 2022. Everything about this musically seems to go against what’s popular. Em’s vocals are crystal clear and perfectly enunciated, no modern cursive singing here. The composition has one of the most clearly defined verse/chorus transitions that you’ll hear, a far cry from the monotonous vibe music that is so popular these days. Everything about Numb Little Bug sounds so sharp and well-defined with the staccato piano and excellently syncopated hand claps making this sound so bold and crisp.
The lyrical content is a little more expected with the references to taking anti-depressants to cope. However whilst songs that touch on these topics, particularly from younger artists, often make my eyes roll Em’s phrasing along with her clarity of delivery make this song different. I made the Sara Bareilles comparison when I first reviewed this and I’ll bring it up again because it’s so rare in the pop mainstream to get a singer that sounds and writes like this. From what I’ve seen Em doesn’t seem to have much of a fan base backing her up at this point but I’d sure like to hear more like this from her.
5. Chris Stapleton – You Should Probably Leave
Peak #28, Year-end #79
After finally getting his first year-end Hot 100 entry last year Chris Stapleton picked just about the best possible follow-up single and was duly rewarded with his second. You Should Probably Leave isn’t on the same level as Starting Over but it doesn’t aspire to be. It’s a chilled-out, smoky, late night type of song about an on-again-off-again relationship where both people know that it doesn’t quite work but can’t walk away.
The stakes with a song like this are not all that high compared to some of the more dramatic country hits of the year but Chris brings a soulful maturity that pretty much no others in the mainstream can match, and so as such this song stands out all the same. Of course it helps that it’s also exquisitely produced with the low-key groove, wandering bass and underplayed solo that all contribute to a terrifically cool and surprisingly sultry song. Nobody does it quite like Chris Stapleton when it comes to mainstream country and I’m so happy he’s getting these proper hits now.
4. Zach Bryan – Something in the Orange
Peak #12, Year-end #39
Now this is one of those more dramatic country hits that I was just talking about. I think it’s still underrated by some how unusual Zach Bryan’s rise has been. These sort of surges from indie country into massive mainstream traction just don’t really happen, or at least not at the speed or to the heights that Zach has gone in 2022. But again, in the modern age when the quality is there people will follow and make it huge, and Zach’s one hell of a singer-songwriter with this song being an epic introduction for many.
What I love about Something in the Orange is how massive it sounds. It makes incredible use of negative space along with of course Zach’s chilling vocals and the excellently recorded guitar to create a sound that is truly spine-tingling. It almost doesn’t feel like country song as it has a darker edge that places it in a different realm of gothic, haunting music. Honestly I’m surprised that this hasn’t had more traction internationally since it has that indie-folk vibe that usually translates more outside the US than what country does.
Naturally to go along with such a visceral soundscape we also get a set of lyrics full of striking images of blood orange sunsets, fading taillights and creaking floorboards. “To you I’m just a man, to me you’re all I am” is one of the year’s most straightforward but effective lyrics, perfectly encapsulating the desperate sadness of this waning relationship. Part of me wishes that he went all in for a more bombastic climax that the song seemed to be building towards, but for a song about the sad dwindling of love perhaps the quiet, echoing ending was more fitting. Either way this is one of the rawest and most striking hits of the year and I’m excited to see where this breakthrough leads us.
3. Morgan Wallen – Sand in My Boots
Peak #30, Year-end #58
On the flip side this is a song that should’ve been a hit almost two years ago, but better late than never. Released in early 2021 Sand in My Boots seemed like another surefire smash for Morgan Wallen only for him to sabotage his own career in spectacular fashion mere weeks later. However in 2022 Nashville radio saw fit to rehabilitate him and this finally got the radio run it was destined for. Putting aside the politics, I’m delighted that this got its moment in the sun because it’s arguably Morgan’s best ever song.
Morgan’s raspy vocal delivery can be a little hit and miss but he sounds serene here, nailing the balance between wistful longing and heartbroken yowling. The central melody to this is just goddamn gorgeous, he could be saying anything and it would still hit because it’s that beautiful with just the vocal and piano delivering a perfect tune. The way the chorus comes in with “Oh, but now I’m dodging potholes in my sunburnt Silverado” cuts straight through, such a pretty line as well.
But really the songwriting as a whole is superb and pushes this into the tier I hold it in. Morgan has always been far more engaging as the maker of wistful songs about loss and longing than in his douchey bro-country lane, and his tale here of himself as the lonesome cowboy returning from a trip where he met a girl, with nothing but sand in his boots perfectly captures that sad-boy country vibe that he has done so much to popularise. The tune is simple but instantly memorable, the performance comes from the heart, and those two things together make for a show-stopping ballad that was simply too good for controversy to derail. Arguably another modern country classic already, and deservingly so.
2. Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill
Peak #3, Year-end #23
As I alluded to in the intro these top two picks, as amazing as they are, almost feel like cheating, this one especially so. But I’m consistent with my rules and this only peaked at #30 in 1985 with 2022’s being the first year-end chart it made and the first year it was a legit mainstream hit in the United States, so it counts. Oddly enough I don’t think Running Up That Hill is nearly as out of place in a list of this year’s hits as you might think it would be. For one, 80s revivalism has been a huge trend in popular music for the past several years but even beyond that the song seems to capture a dark, mystical vibe that is as relevant now as it has ever been.
And really what is there for me to say about this song at this point that hasn’t already been said a thousand times before? The production is incredibly visceral with the cacophonous drum march and biting synths. Kate Bush’s vocal performance is a work of art with perfectly placed harmonisation sliding in only when necessary. The transition from the brooding verses to the striking way the chorus crashes in is enough to send chills down your spine. Every moment where it seems as though the track might have run its course a new, subtle sound or backing vocal slides in to elevate the song further towards its volcanic climax.
The incredible sound of the record shouldn’t distract from the excellent writing which matches the intensity with its epic portrayal of men and women’s struggle to understand one another’s perspective. It should’ve been a smash forty years ago but sometimes time is the greatest test of all. Always was a true classic, and now everybody knows it to be true. There was only one song and one artist that was ever going to have a shot at topping this…
1. Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version)
Peak #1, Year-end #76
In a career that relentlessly surpasses itself, I will tentatively say that more than anything else Taylor Swift has done, the release of this song feels like her victory lap. She’s already the biggest country star, the biggest pop star and the biggest singer-songwriter of the 21st century and at this point she’s just doing side quests. So how about an updated version of what was already her greatest ever song, adding in a ton of extra verses and instantly iconic lyrics, cementing her finest deep cut as her finest hit single, accompanied by a short film that established her as a credible director, and sending it all the way to #1 on the Hot 100 whilst we’re at it? Yeah, why the hell not.
The release of this song is simply something that only Taylor could’ve masterminded. What other artist would have such hype for a ten year-old album track that there would be expectation to release this? Who else would have the creative vision to actually pull it off and somehow surpass expectations? Who else has such a command of storytelling that a ten minute song would not just be a novelty but something that thousands of fans have memorized every word to and will revisit for years to come? For an artist whom it is often said doesn’t put her best foot forwards when it comes to singles, the ten minute All Too Well was the triumphant exhibition of artistry that nobody could ignore or deny.
The reasons why All Too Well is a masterpiece are too many to count. When I reviewed this song I listed the ten best new moments in the extended version and that didn’t even come close to covering it, just go back one more time and experience the full thing for yourself, you deserve it. For an artist unlike any other it’s one of the most unique and ambitious chart toppers of all time.
Perhaps the greatest compliment I can pay to song and artist is to say that this is the only hit from recent years that I could put above Kate Bush’s signature hit and not only feel that it was justified, but that I’m not even being particularly controversial by doing so. That’s how quickly this song solidified itself as a modern classic; the defining song of the finest songwriter of our time. For those of us in the know, we had this to ourselves for ten years and now the whole world knows. Best hit song of 2022 and with another record breaking album released since, this may go down in the history books as her crowning moment but there will undoubtedly be many more to come. I cannot wait.
Happy New Year, see ya 🙂
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