Music
Best Music of 2022
2022 is in the books, which means it’s time to celebrate the best pop culture picks of the year!
Here at Think Christian, we believe that there is no such thing as secular in our favorite music—whether that be pop, rap, indie rock, or anything in between. From Saba to Carly Rae Jepsen, from Wild Pink to Beach Bunny, here is a complete list of our favorite 2022 tunes, as chosen by Think Christian contributors and followers. All of this music can be heard on John J. Thompson's Best of 2022 Spotify playlist. (Spoiler alert: It may be our most eclectic year-end list yet!)
The TC podcast team also discusses a handful of these artists on our Best Music of 2022 episode. You can find it via Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.
“A Ghost Story,” Nick Lutsko
Always Be My Baby, Rosie Thomas
“An Alien In Minneapolis,” Ondara
“B-Side,” Khruangbin, Leon Bridges
“Break My Soul,” Beyoncé
Carlo Rossi (Love in the Face of Great Danger), Tyson Motsenbocker
“Comes In Waves,” Dawes
Cosmic Sigh, Erin Rae
“Dead Dead Beat,” Wovenhand
“Did You Know I Was a Ghost?,” Andy Zipf
Drill Music in Zion, Lupe Fiasco
“Interesting and provocative, Lupe Fiasco’s album deals with hard themes of violence and despair and how it’s affecting us communally and nationally.” - Claude Atcho, TC contributor
“Falling Apart (Right Now),” Wilco
“Ghetto Reporter,” Nas
“Go Down River,” The Heavy Heavy
“Go Through You,” Rhett Miller
“Grace,” Marcus Mumford
“Happiness,” The 1975
“Hawk For The Dove,” Amanda Shires
Heaven Is Everywhere, Johnnyswim
“Hi-De-Ho,” Jack White, Q-Tip
“Hide & Seek,” Stormy
“Holy Ghost,” Cory Henry
“Hospital,” Madison Cunningham
“Though Cunningham’s songs are always skillfully written and remain wide-open to interpretation, there is a prevailing ‘fearful and wonderful’ working out of her place in the world shot straight through the entire project. The album is a brilliant example of how introspective, impressionistic art can be spiritually convicting and open to wide audiences at the same time.” - John J. Thompson, TC contributor
“I Want My Crown,” Eric Gales, Joe Bonamassa
ILYSM, Wild Pink
“Like great road trip music with a little more atmospherics, Wild Pink’s ILYSM is a terrific record. Written mostly after lead singer John Ross’ cancer diagnosis, the album turns inward and asks: If this is all I get, was it a good life? As the album ends with ICLYM, the artist settles on an answer of gratitude.” - Aarik Danielsen, TC contributor
“Jenny Put the Kettle On,” Nora Brown
“La Fama,” ROSALÍA, The Weeknd
“Make a Picture,” Andrew Bird
(I Am) Origami Pt. 4 — Marathon Daze, John Van Deusen
“Littered with equal parts praise and provocation for the modern Church and Christians, Van Deusen wraps up his excellent I Am Origami series with the astonishingly good Pt. 4 — Marathon Daze. It’s a pop/rock effort tackling topics like politics, mental health, addiction, marriage, and more with his typical puckish and poetic lyrics.” - Josh Balogh, TC listener
Midnight Rain, Taylor Swift
“Mother Cross (We Think We Think),” T Bone Burnett, Jay Bellerose, Keefus Ciancia
“Oxygen,” Beach Bunny
“A musical highlight from my 2022 was seeing Beach Bunny at Lollapalooza—it was a hot summer afternoon and just the right place for the band’s heavy guitars and fierce drive.” - Josh Larsen, TC editor
“Phoenix,” Aoife O'Donovan
“Put Me Back Together,” Taelor Gray
“Ready or Not (feat. Sierra Ferrell),” Shakey Graves, Sierra Ferrell
“Satellite,” Courtney Marie Andrews
“Silk Chiffon,” MUNA, Phoebe Bridgers
“Sinners, Saints and Fools (In The Canyon Haze),” Brandi Carlile
“Brandi Carlile has had another huge year, showing up just about everywhere with her spiritually-engaging confessional and accessible version of Americana music.” - John J. Thompson, TC contributor
“Still (feat. 6LACK and Smino),” Saba, 6LACK, Smino
“Saba’s Few Good Things album is artistically wonderful, but I also admire his creativity and insight related to money and survival. Especially in Fearmonger (feat. Daoud), the Chicago rapper considers: how do we enjoy life when so much of our life is about just getting by?” - Claude Atcho, TC contributor
“Swallowing The Water You Walk On,” Half-Handed Cloud
“Tear It Down,” Amy Ray, Allison Russell
“tend the garden,” Gang of Youths
“That's Where I Am,” Maggie Rogers
Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar
“How do we heal? Even if some of Lamar’s ideas around that question fall short, he’s someone who is taking his vocation and artistry really seriously in terms of enriching and bettering the lives of those who listen and look to him.” - Claude Atcho, TC contributor
The Loneliest Time, Carly Rae Jepsen
“There’s something about the emotional sophistication of Carly Rae Jepsen’s music that’s had me hooked for quite some time. Jepsen has been churning out party anthems and exuberant, joyful music for the better part of a decade—and The Loneliest Time is no exception.” - Sarah Welch-Larson, TC contributor
The Tipping Point, Tears for Fears
“Training Montage,” The Mountain Goats
“Truckers and Troubadours,” Mary Gauthier
Un Verano Sin Ti, Bad Bunny
“Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome,” The Mountain Goats
“What's Done is Done,” Delta Spirit
“Wretched,” Bartees Strange
Did we miss any of your top 2022 music picks? You can submit your favorites to us at tcpodcast@thinkchristian.net and we’ll add it to this list.
Topics: Music
