Whether you heard them on TikTok, on the radio or on a fresh slab of old-fashioned vinyl, new songs helped make sense this year of a world that seemed to need more interpretation with every passing month.
Here, in ascending order of greatness, are our picks for the 50 best of 2022 — note that we restricted artists to one entry apiece — followed by 50 more to hear, to love, to be enlightened by.
50. Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange”: One of the year’s most compelling newcomers inexplicably failed to land a best new artist Grammy nomination, but don’t let that detract from the rippling sincerity of this streaming-smash highlight from Bryan’s sprawling “American Heartbreak” album.
