2022 was the year we, kind of, got back into things. Live venues opened their shuttered doors after a couple of years and bands actually started to hit the road again. For better or worse and despite it all, the lingering sickness, inflation, high cost of touring, ticket prices, things have started to feel almost relatively normal again. The one thing that hasn’t changed at all from the last two years of lockdowns and restrictions is the amazingly constant stream of music being released. It’s hard to go a week and not hear your five new favourite songs. You can’t deny that artists and bands haven’t been working hard keeping things feeling bright in an increasingly complex and chaotic world.

2022 had reliable mainstays like Mitski, Sharon Van Etten, Jamie XX and Weyes Blood rush back into our collective consciousness. Newbies like Wet Leg, Jockstrap and Bartees Strange snuck up and stole our frazzled hearts while LCD Soundsystem and Yeah Yeah Yeahs drug their indie sleaze back up from the bathroom. Kendrick Lamar came back with an album that not only didn’t disappoint but continued to show what an incredible thoughtful artist this man is. The low points throughout the year remained but the high points were pretty damn high.

Through all our Dawn FM’s and Midnights, Ticketmaster woes and Twitter melt downs, Kayne headaches and Taylor Swift debates, 2022 was consistently great in the musical department. It’s comforting to know when we are at our most uneven, there is a contingent of amazing artists who continue to do the kind of work that allows us to feel some ease. The world seems like it’s just gonna keep getting shakier so hopefully these bands and musicians can continue to make all our days a little bit brighter. Can’t wait to see what 2023 throws at us..

Northern Transmissions Top Songs of 2022

Fontaines DC – “Roman Holiday”
LCD Soundsystem – “New Body Rhumba”
Alvvays – “Pharmacist”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Spitting off the edge of the world” ft: Perfume Genius”
Spoon – “Wild”
Mitski – “Working For The Knife”
The Smile – “You will never work in television again”
Angel Olsen – “All The Good Times”
Alex G – “Runner”
Wet Leg – “Angelica”
Sharon Van Etten – “Mistakes”
Soccer Mommy – “Shotgun”
Big Thief – “Simulation Swarm”
Steve Lacy – “Bad Habits”
Kendrick Lamar – “Mother I Sober”
Horsegirl – “Anti-Glory”
Soul Glo – “Jump”
The Weeknd – “Out of time”
Destroyer – “Eat The Wine, Drink The Bread”
Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul – “It hit me”
Caroline Polachek – “Billions”
Bartees Strange – “Wretched”
Jockstrap – “Greatest hits”
Jamie XX – “Kill Dem”
Earl Sweatshirt – “2010”
Dry cleaning – “Gary Ashby”
MJ Lenderman – “Tastes just like it costs”
Weyes Blood – “It’s not me it’s everybody”
MOMMA – “Speeding 72”
Arctic Monkeys – “Mirror Ball”
Panda Bear and Sonic Boom – “Edge of the Edge”
CASTLBEAT – “Looking For Something”
Yot Club – “u dont kno me”