Artwork by Lisa Cradduck
Below, you’ll find the last in our series of three ‘main’ 2022 roundup charts – a rundown of our top 50 tracks of the last 12 months.
This chart is a little different from our albums and reissues etc. round-ups, in that we’re keeping things immediate – no waffle, just the songs themselves, picked by tQ staff with a focus on the ABCs (anthems, bangers, classics).
That is not to say, of course, that this marks the end of our 2022 round-up. All through this month, our columnists have been delivering their personal end-of-year retrospectives. Whether punk, metal, jazz, psych or something altogether different, we’re certain that there’s something for all tastes across those selections.
The same goes for the 50 songs below – whether deranged wonky bangers or elegant pop masterpieces, it’s a diverse list, and, as ever, we hope you find something new that you enjoy as much as we have this year.
This chart was voted for by Bobby Barry, Jasa Buzinel, Patrick Clarke, John Doran, Christian Eede, Mariam Rezaei, Alex Rigotti and Luke Turner
50. For Breakfast – ‘Heavy Horse Museum’
49. Joy Orbison – ‘pinky ring’
48. June McDoom – ‘The City’
47. Pearson Sound – ‘Red Sky’
46. NewJeans – ‘Cookie’
45. Siu Mata & Amor Satyr – ‘Jiggy Bow’
44. Caroline Polachek – ‘Billions’
43. Gnod – ‘Spotlight’
42. Nolay – ‘Trill Shit’
41. The Mars Volta – ‘Vigil’
40. ALMA – ‘Summer Really Hurt Us’
39. Beyoncé – ‘Alien Superstar’
38. Björk – ‘Atopos’
37. Two Shell – ‘Ghosts’
36. Working Men’s Club – ‘Widow’
35. Use Knife – ‘True-Love Not’
34. 700 Bliss – ‘Anthology’
33. FKA twigs – ‘Jealousy’ (feat. Rema)
32. Fingergap – ‘Would You Like To Dance With Me’
31. Syd – ‘Fast Car’
30. Eliza Rose & Interplanetary Criminal – ‘B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All)’
29. Nick León feat. DJ Babatr – ‘Xtasis (Pearson Sound Remix)’
28. Heartworms – ‘Consistent Dedication’
27. Helena Hauff – ‘Touching Plastic’
26. Kendrick Lamar – ‘Mother I Sober’ ft. Beth Gibbons
25. LUCI – ‘Gnarly’
24. Audiobooks – ‘Tryna Tryna Take Control’
23. Springtime – ‘The Names Of The Plague’
22. Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul – ‘It Hit Me’
21. Reigns – ‘The Hoarder’
20. Boychik – ‘Bombed Out Building’
19. Joseph Ashworth – ‘Ladder’
18. Horace Andy – ‘This Must Be Hell’
17. Patrick Wolf – ‘Enter The Day’
16. Manni Dee – ‘The Remedy’
15. The Utopia Strong – ‘Castalia’
14. Concentration – ‘Diet Of Worms’
13. Jockstrap – ‘Concrete Over Water’
12. Young Fathers – ‘I Saw’
11. VTSS – ‘Make You Scream’
10. Pariah – ‘Caterpillar’
9. The Soft Pink Truth – ‘The Anal Staircase’
8. Laibach – ‘The Future’
7. Conjunto Primitivo – ‘Bailando Primitivo’
6. Acid Klaus – ‘Party Sized Away Day’ (feat. Maria Uzor)
5. KH – ‘Looking At Your Pager’
4. Benefits – ‘Meat Teeth’
3. Algiers ft. Billy Woods and Backxwash – ‘Bite Back’
2. Decius – ‘Look Like A Man’
1. Shit And Shine – ‘Annoyed’
The Quietus Tracks The Year 2022
- 1: Shit And Shine – ‘Annoyed’
- 2: Decius – ‘Look Like A Man’
- 3: Algiers ft. Billy Woods and Backxwash – ‘Bite Back’
- 4: Benefits – ‘Meat Teeth’
- 5: KH – ‘Looking At Your Pager’
- 6: Acid Klaus – ‘Party Sized Away Day’ (feat Maria Uzor)
- 7: Conjunto Primitivo – ‘Bailando Primitivo’
- 8: Laibach – ‘The Future’
- 9: The Soft Pink Truth – ‘The Anal Staircase
- 10: Pariah – ‘Caterpillar’
- 11: VTSS – ‘Make You Scream’
- 12: Young Fathers – ‘I Saw’
- 13: Jockstrap – ‘Concrete Over Water’
- 14: Concentration – ‘Diet Of Worms’
- 15: The Utopia Strong – ‘Castalia’
- 16: Manni Dee – ‘The Remedy’
- 17: Patrick Wolf – ‘Enter The Day’
- 18: Horace Andy – ‘This Must Be Hell’
- 19: Joseph Ashworth – ‘Ladder’
- 20: Boychik – ‘Bombed Out Building’
- 21: Reigns – ‘The Hoarder’
- 22: Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul – ‘It Hit Me’
- 23: Springtime – ‘The Names Of The Plague’
- 24: Audiobooks – ‘Tryna Tryna Take Control’
- 25: LUCI – ‘Gnarly’
- 26: Kendrick Lamar – ‘Mother I Sober’ ft. Beth Gibbons
- 27: Helena Hauff – ‘Touching Plastic’
- 28: Heartworms – ‘Consistent Dedication’
- 29: Nick León feat. DJ Babatr – ‘Xstasis (Pearson Sound Remix)’
- 30: Eliza Rose & Interplanetary Criminal – ‘B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All)’
- 31: Syd – ‘Fast Car’
- 32: Fingergap – ‘Would You Like To Dance With Me’
- 33: FKA twigs – ‘Jealousy’ (feat. Rema)
- 34: 700 Bliss – ‘Anthology’
- 35: Use Knife – ‘True-Love Not’
- 36: Working Men’s Club – ‘Widow’
- 37: Two Shell – ‘Ghosts’
- 38: Björk – ‘Atopos’
- 39: Beyoncé – ‘Alien Superstar’
- 40: ALMA – ‘Summer Really Hurt Us’
- 41: The Mars Volta – ‘Vigil’
- 42: Nolay – ‘Trill Shit’
- 43: Gnod – ‘Spotlight’
- 44: Caroline Polachek – ‘Billions’
- 45: Siu Mata & Amor Satyr – ‘Jiggy Bow’
- 46: NewJeans – ‘Cookie’
- 47: Pearson Sound – ‘Red Sky’
- 48: June McDoom – ‘The City’
- 49: Joy Orbison – ‘pinky ring’
- 50: For Breakfast – ‘Heavy Horse Museum’