The Top 10 Australian Songs of 2022
2022 was a great year. In my view, the best year for Australian music since 2016.
And while the artists that made 2016 so special – Flume, A.B. Original, Camp Cope, Cub Sport – all released great new music this year, I couldn’t find room for any of them on this list.
Perhaps the last two years of pandemic-induced anxiety, isolation and emotion has resulted in a tidal wave of creativity and musical innovation, as Australia’s artists have emerged with innumerable new feats of musical genius. You can listen to my favourites on Spotify here and here. Enjoy!
10. ‘Canberra’ by Suzi
Earlier this year I saw Suzi open for The Hard Aches. She played ‘Canberra’, which hadn’t been released yet. The crowd lost its freaking mind. Singing along like they’d heard it a million times. I have never before seen a song become an anthem in real time. Suzi’s lyrics often explore insecurity and self-doubt, but ‘Canberra’ reckons with the other side of the coin – how to process it when things actually start to work out.
9. ‘CHEQUE’ by Tasman Keith (feat. Genesis Owusu)
‘CHEQUE’ is the musical equivalent of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando – a glorious massacre, death by 1000 flexes. It’s menacing, clever, braggadocious, and forceful. Tasman Keith raps like he’s on fire, and Genesis Owusu turns in my favourite verse of the year, officially claiming his throne as the undisputed King of Australian Hip-Hop.
And the 2022 award for best debut single by an Australian band goes to… Blue Honey, for ‘colin’. An immersive, captivating six-minute ode to childhood trauma and the pain of dealing with loss, approached with heart and subtlety that sneaks up on you.
7. ‘Glitch’ by Parkway Drive
Parkway Drive are the Lebron James of Australian heavy metal – both exploded onto the scene in 2003, took the crown in 2007, and are still among the world’s best in 2022. ‘Glitch’ is claustrophobic and unnerving, metalcore at its imposing best. A perfectly terrifying introduction to their densely layered seventh album, Darker Still, which sees them operating at a new creative peak.
6. ‘lost in limbo’ by Little Green
A spellbinding enchantment that transforms the mundanity of everyday life into an elaborate and intricate fantasy world. Little Green is special, a remarkably gifted lyricist with a lilting voice that elevates every word into high art. One to watch.
5. ‘Sick To My Stomach’ by merci, mercy
Back in June, I named ‘Sick To My Stomach’ the best song of 2022 so far. It couldn’t quite hold onto the top spot, but it’s still brilliant. The standout track on her excellent EP is it me, or is it you?, it combines tender, vulnerable lyrics with lush, piano-laden production and an absolute banger of a chorus to create one of the best pop moments of the year.
4. ‘Camp Dog’ by King Stingray
King Stingray’s debut record was my favourite album of the year. And in amongst its collection of infectious, rollicking, super fun folk-rock ditties, ‘Camp Dog’ is a standout. Joins such classics as ‘Flame Trees’ and ‘Streets Of Our Town’ in the esteemed class of songs that perfectly capture the unique experience of Australian small town life.
3. ‘Terrible’ by Teenage Joans
It’s been a beautiful thing to see Teenage Joans develop as songwriters in the short time since their 2020 Unearthed High victory. They’re no longer teenagers, and ‘Terrible’ feels like another level up from their previous efforts. It’s extremely catchy pop punk seasoned with wit, intelligence and maturity, and a killer refrain that will echo in your ears for hours.
2. ‘in the wake of your leave’ by Gang of Youths
At this point in their career, with a third near-perfect album added to their resume, where do Gang of Youths rank in the all-time Australian rock band hierarchy? Top 10, surely? And climbing. I have become increasingly convinced that ‘in the wake of your leave’ might actually be their best ever song – deeply personal yet accessible, mournful but uplifting, soaring and soulful and unexpectedly groovy.
1. ‘Never Forget’ by Sampa The Great (feat. Chef 187, Tio Nason and Mwanje)
It might be a touch facetious to claim Sampa The Great as Australian now. She is originally from Zambia, and hasn’t been based in Australia since 2020. But much like Crowded House and The Bee Gees, once Australian, always Australian – no matter how tenuous the connection might be. And thank goodness for that, because she is incredible.
‘Never Forget’ is a meticulously crafted, magnificent work of art – it’s majestic, worldly, epic. It feels so much bigger than a song, more like an expansive history of humanity and music and movement put to a beat that hits you right in the soul. Glorious.
And a few honourable mentions: ‘Mermaid Avenue’ by Vera Blue, ‘Running With The Hurricane’ by Camp Cope, ‘Hate Goodbyes’ by Hope D, ‘Softly Spoken’ by Blusher, ‘Set It Off, Set It Right’ by Vallis Alps