Since the Greeks carved the melody of Seikilos Epitaph on a stone tablet in the first century, people have always felt common ground with others through sharing a song.
Of course, we all have our favorite music, and we have our playlists of essential listening material – but the fact is that there is a TON of fantastic new music that hit earbuds around the world in 2022 – it’s impossible to play them all, but here is a solid sample of the best of the best. Enjoy this piece as we reached out to some of our readers for their Best of 2022 albums (along with some of their all-time faves so you can see their interests).
With these favorite tunes, we hope you can dive into something new that you can go on to carve into your own stone tablet…
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Donny Stancato
Ideator & Photographer, Happenings Magazine
Co-creator and host, Ktown Connects Podcast
Stuff I Like: Pearl Jam, Bright Eyes, Death Cab For Cutie
1. My Boy – Marlon Williams
2. Chloe and the Next 20th Century – Father John Misty
3. Fear of the Dawn – Jack White
4. Things Are Great – Band Of Horses
5. Songs From House in Blue – Peter Raffoul
6. Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab For Cutie
7. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
8. Cool It Down – The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
9. A Legacy of Rentals – Craig Finn
10. Leading Up To – Rutabega
Honorable Mentions:
WE – Arcade Fire
Earthling – Eddie Vedder
Dropout Boogie – The Black Keys
Cruel Country – Wilco
Romeo & Juliet – Ryan Adams
SZNZ/ Summer – Weezer
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Jason Hedman
Artist/Historian
Editorial Manager, Happenings Magazine
Co-creator and host, Ktown Connects Podcast
Stuff I like: Mike Patton, Parliament/Funkadelic, Descendants
1. Bellevue – The Bobby Lees
2. Free LSD – Off!
3. Total Party Kill – Lollygagger
4. Fever Dream – Grumpster
5. Fear of the Dawn – Jack White
6. II – Dead Cross
7. She Said – Starcrawler
8. Extreme Witchcraft – Eels
9. Cult Classic – Dog Fashion Disco
10. Hellfire – Black Midi
Honorable Mentions:
Best compilation: Snoop Dogg Presents Death Row Summer 2022
Best single of the year: Cobra Man – “Cool Nice“
Kristie Matteau
Executive Director, Kenosha Community Media
Stuff I like: Tori Amos, Frazey Ford, The Doors
Blue Lullaby – Wolf Alice
Tremblers & Goggles by Rank – Guided By Voices
Ravage – Mogli
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Mike Mertz
Digital marketing &
graphic design specialist –
Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce
Stuff I like: Modest Mouse, Kacey Musgraves, Tyler the Creator
1. Painless – Nilüfer Yanya
2. Emotional Creature – Beach Bunny
3. Cheat Codes – Danger Mouse & Black Thought
4. It’s Almost Dry – Pusha T
5. Graves – Purity Ring
6. Midnights – Taylor Swift
7. SICK! – Earl Sweatshirt
8. Melt My Eyez See Your Future – Denzel Curry
9. Lucifer on the Sofa – Spoon
10. Alpha Zulu – Phoenix
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Sarah Kovach
owner, Wink Beauty Boutique
Stuff I like: David Bowie, Khruangbin, Talking Heads
1. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
2. Chloe & The Next 20th Century – Father John Misty
3. Ali – Vieux Farka Toure
4. Lucifer on the Sofa – Spoon
5. This is a Photograph – Kevin Morby
6. Cool it Down – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
7. Dropout Boogie – Black Keys
8. Gemini Rights – Steve Lacy
9. A Light for Attracting Attention – The Smile
10. Get on Board – Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder
Matt Gonya
artist/illustrator, mattgonya.com
Stuff I like: Radiohead, The Beatles, The Velvet Underground
1. Squeeze – SASAMI
2. Blue Rev – Alvvays
3. Versions of Modern Performance – Horsegirl
4. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
5. We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong – Sharon Van Etten
6. Growing Up – The Linda Lindas
7. Everything Was Beautiful – Spiritualized
8. Fables in a Foreign Land – John Doe
9. And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow – Weyes Blood
10. Wild Loneliness – Superchunk
Ismael Tapia
Stuff I like: Bjork, Mike Patton, Deftones
1. $oil $old $eparately – Freddie Gibbs
2. Cheatcodes – Black Thought and Dangermouse
3. Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers – Kendrick Lamar
4. A Light for Attracting Attention – The Smile
5. 10 – Westside Gunn
6. The Forever Story – JID
7. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
8. Harry’s House – Harry Styles
9. Mystery (21) – Turnstile
10. Depart – Origami Angel
Britney Boresch
Stuff I like: Weezer, The Beatles/John Lennon, Prince
Megan Mylar
Stuff I Like: The Beatles, Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire
1. Renaissance – Beyoncé
2 . WE – Arcade Fire
3. Lucifer on the Sofa – Spoon
4. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
5. Gemini Rights – Steve Lacy
Jeff Moody
Lead vocalist, Fowlmouth
Stuff I like: Chuck Berry, Little Richard , James Brown
Janky Star – Grace Ives
The Overload – Yard Act
Super Champon – Otoboke Beaver
Leading Up To – The Rutabega
Get F*cked – The Chats
Cave World – Viagra Boys
Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers – Kendrick Lamar
Labyrinthitis – Destroyer
Electricity – Ibibio Sound Machine
Drag Me – Service
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Troy Dillard
Stuff I Like: John Mayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mac Miller
1. Vinyl Days – Logic
2. The Forever Story – JID
3. Meet the Moonlight – Jack Johnson
4. Unlimited Love – Red Hot Chili Peppers
5. Her Loss – Drake
6. Return of the Dream Canteen – Red Hot Chili Peppers
7. Soul $old Separately – Freddie Gibbs
8. Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers – Kendrick Lamar
9. Come Home the Kids Miss You – Jack Harlow
10. Midnights – Taylor Swift
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Jayme Raddatz
Stuff I Like: Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Beatles, The Black Angels
1. Apocalypse Love – Black Lips
2. Wilderness of Mirrors – The Black Angels
3. Oh Death – Goat
4. Reset – Panda Bear and Sonic Boom
5. Live at Izola – King Khan and Barbecue
6. 2011-2021 – Perro Agradecido
7. A Foul Form – Thee Oh Sees
8. Changes – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
9. Alpha Predator – Emaj/Kai Dub-Alpha
10. Time Skiffs – Animal Collective
Abby Blox
band manager, Lunde
Stuff I like: Car Seat Headrest, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Alvvays
1. Blue Rev – Alvvays
2. Once Twice Melody – Beach House
3. Hiding in Plain Sight – Drugdealer
4. Baetopia – Baebadoobee
5. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers – Kendrick Lamar
6. Hello, Hi – Ty Segall
7. A Foul Form – Osees
8. Omnium Gatherum – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
9. C’MON YOU KNOW – Liam Gallagher
10. Ants From Up There – Black Country, New Road
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Josh Maglasang
Stuff I like: Linkin Park, Sick Puppies, Would You Kindly?
1. The Aftermath – Would You Kindly?
2. Reflections – ARTIFAS
3. The Bitter Truth – Evanescence
4. Planet Zero – Shinedown
5. This Is Your Sign Part II – Citizen Soldier
6. Dirt Femme – Tove Lo
7. Maybe You’re The Problem – Ava Max
8. Vinyl Days – Logic
9. For Those That Wish To Exist – Architects
10. TRUE POWER – I Prevail
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Laura Gregorski
Marketing Director, Visit Kenosha
Stuff I like: Barenaked Ladies, Phil Vassar, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
What’s It Gonna Take – Van Morrison
Palomino – Miranda Lambert
Dance Fever – Florence & the Machine
Midnights – Taylor Swift
Denim & Rhinestones – Carrie Underwood
Bright side – The Lumineers
Patient Number 9 – Ozzy Osbourne
PlanetZero – Shinedown
Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab For Cutie
Different Man – Kane Brown
Jenna Fanduzzi
Stuff I like: Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, BTS
1. Renaissance – Beyoncé
2. Crash – Charli XCX
3. Motomami – Rosalia
4. Midnights – Taylor Swift
5. Between 1&2– TWICE
6. The Loneliest Time – Carly Rae Jepsen
7. Hold The Girl – Rina Sawayama
8. Dirt Femme – Tove Lo
9. Im Nayeon – Nayeon
10. Jack In The Box – J-Hope
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Daniel Gaitan
journalist, Kenosha News
Stuff I like: Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Amy Winehouse, Lil’ Kim
1. MOTOMAMI – by Rosalía
2. Renaissance – by Beyoncé
3. Un Verano Sin Ti – by Bad Bunny
4. Midnights, and Red (Taylor’s Version) – by Taylor Swift
5. Wet Leg – by Wet Leg
6. Palomino – Miranda Lambert
7. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers – Kendrick Lamar
8. Fear Of The Dawn – Jack White
9. The Car – Arctic Monkeys
10. Harry’s House– Harry Styles
Take a look in the rearview mirror at some of our previous favorites
Best Albums of 2021
Best Albums of 2019/ Music Reviews
Special thank you to everyone who participated in this piece, now lets KICK OUT THE JAMS!
This article will also appear in the 12/29/22 issue of Happenings Magazine
What’s your top albums of 2022? Shoot me an email at donnyhappeningsmag@gmail.com
Concept & Q&A’s by Donny Stancato
Edited and layout by Jason Hedman
