Ah, yes! The coveted album of the year list! This year gave me some of my favorite albums from many artists that provided the soundtrack to previous important years of my life. So without further ado, we present My Life Backstage’s (aka Abby Clare’s) Top 10 Albums Of 2022:
Arm’s Length – Never Before Seen, Never Again Found
From the very first listen, Never Before Seen, Never Again Found felt like everything my pre-teen self would have needed during my formative years. Arm’s Length dialed into a familiar sound while simultaneously making an emo/pop-punk album with a sound that’s completely their own – this is definitely going to be a cold-weather staple for me.
Favorite songs: Tough Love, Formative Age, In Loving Memory
5 Seconds Of Summer – 5SOS5
I dove headfirst back into my 5sos fangirl-era after seeing them on their Take My Hand tour in August and I can confidently say that 2022 would not have been the same without 5 Seconds of Summer. This band reminds me of all of the good parts of growing up and it was really fun to hear them embrace an indie-pop sound on their highly anticipated 5th album.
Favorite songs: You Don’t Go To Parties, Haze, Caramel
Young Culture – You Had To Be There
YC F*cks, amiright? You Had To Be There is Young Culture’s best work to date. With their pop hooks and raw lyricism, it’s obvious that they’re putting out songs that are true to them as people. YC has soundtracked many eras of my life and I am absolutely honored to have had this album as a backing track to my Fall this year.
Favorite songs: Know Better, Whiskey, Kinda Over It
Prince Daddy & The Hyena – Prince Daddy & The Hyena
Prince Daddy is a band that I really got into after first listening to “Curly Q” on a lonely winter drive back home from the shore in February and they’ve been on repeat ever since. I loved this album because it felt like a grown up version of all of Prince Daddy’s previous work in the best possible way.
Favorite songs: Shoelaces, Keep Up That Talk, El Dorado
Harry Styles – Harry’s House
I definitely took up residency in Harry’s House this year. While this wasn’t an album that I had on a complete repeat for the majority of the year, Harry Styles is an artist I put on when I want to slow down and really take time to sit with the music. This album holds so many special memories with some of my dearest friends and that alone is why I’m giving it a top spot on the list.
Favorite songs: Late Night Talking, Keep Driving, Daylight
Pollyanna – Slime
This band is so near and dear to my heart and after listening to this album on a Dropbox link for months prior, it was a real treat to finally be able to listen to it on a streaming service come the Summer. Pollyanna’s raw emotions mixed with heavy tones and a sprinkle of pop melodies is sure to make this album one that fans will keep coming back to for years to come.
Favorite songs: Relationship Anxiety, Smile, Okay.
Stand Atlantic – f.e.a.r.
I have never disliked a Stand Atlantic album and f.e.a.r. was no different! The heavier tones of this album were a welcomed change to my normal pop-punk listening and I love that Stand Atlantic are more or less a band that always do whatever the f*ck they want on every release.
Favorite songs: van gogh, don’t talk [to me], doomsday
State Champs – Kings Of The New Age
State Champs really are the Kings of putting out a solid, upbeat, can’t-get-this song-out-of-my-head, pop-punk album and for that I am grateful. While this was more of a summer staple than a year-long favorite, State Champs has been one of my top 5 favorite bands since I was in High School and that’s a good enough reason for me to have them make an appearance on this list.
Favorite songs: Sundress, Where Were You, Outta My Head
Mom Jeans – Sweet Tooth
In 2021, I listened to Mom Jeans’ single ‘What’s Up?’ an embarrassing amount of times, so you can only imagine how excited I was to have a whole new album from them come 2022! Not much to say about this one except that it was just plain fun to listen to and sometimes that’s all we really need from an album.
Favorite songs: What’s Up?, White Trash Millionaire, Anime Theme Song
Bears In Trees – Every Moonbeam, Every Fever Dream (EP)
After stumbling upon Bears In Trees purely accidentally, they quickly became a band that I found earned a coveted spot on every playlist I made this year. Bears in Trees’ brutally honest, storytelling lyrics keep drawing me in and Every Moonbeam, Every Fever Dream is a perfect example of what made BIT such a staple of my 2022 listening habits.
Favorite songs: Feel So Empty, Kind Love, Doing This Again!
While there was so much incredible music to come out this year, I truly believe that this list showcases most of my playlists over the last 12 months. Comment below what your favorite albums of 2022 were and listen to my favorite songs of the year on Spotify here. Happy New Year, everyone!