The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2022

 The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2022

In the following article, I look at a year that’s not only overhated but a year that I consider one of the best of the last half decade. And I look at the songs that may be why I like this year so much.

Welcome back to Fire’s Flaming Hot Takes. And I’m gonna try getting this list out as fast as possible. That’s right guys, today we’re looking at the top 10 best hit songs of 2022!

Well...this was quite a year, “oh joy!! Another year-end list where Fire talks about how bad the year was for him”, probably what some of you are thinking right now. 2022 though in particular is what I can only describe as the worst year of my life so far, and  this was a year that pretty much forced me to take a wider lens at everything and realize that the problems I had faced before are very minor in the grand scheme of things.

I get why this year is hated: the charts were mostly super stagnant the first few months before getting hit with album bomb after album bomb in rapid succession. And that meant what survived was the overexposed songs on the radio and whatever album tracks had enough streaming to weather the storm. But I’m making the claim that 2022 is actually the best year for the Hot 100 since 2017. The music was really there for me this year. So basically what happened was that in the summer of 2022 a pesky headache translated into an AVM rupture, which, short version, is a massive stroke and I had slipped into a coma, just minutes away from losing my life. I spent the better part of this year in rehab trying to regain my strength and recover as fully as possible. And to detail the emotions I felt while I was recovering would be getting a bit more personal than I’d like to get even for this blog, even some of the songs I cut from this list had some emotional resonnance for me. Suffice to say, this was a physically and emotionally difficult year. Don’t worry, though, I’m doing better now and I’m recovering slowly but surely, and cognitively, I’m absolutely fine. Honestly, I’ve been going over how I wanted to order this list all year, but I think I’m satisfied with this final list.

This may have made me a bit more rosier to the music this year but whatever. Overall, there were 69 songs on the 2022 year-end list - including 2021 repeats - that fell into my “good tier” or higher. So now it’s time to get started on this list. As a rule, the songs had to debut on the year-end Hot 100 list for 2022 in order to qualify, so no, “Levitating” and “good 4 u” are not eligible for this list. So anyway,  Let’s do something new, let’s look at my best list from last year and see what would change:

HMS:

24kGoldn f/iann dior - Mood

Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow - INDUSTRY BABY The Weeknd - Take My Breath

Ariana Grande - pov

Lil Tjay f/6LACK - Calling My Phone SZA - Good Days

The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber - STAY

Marshmello & Jonas Brothers - Leave Before You Love Me

Lil Nas X - MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) Tate McRae - you broke me first

Doja Cat f/SZA - Kiss Me More

10. Silk Sonic - Leave The Door Open

9. The Weeknd & Ariana Grande - Save Your Tears

8. Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license

7. Thomas Rhett - What’s Your Country Song

6. Olivia Rodrigo - traitor

5. Tate McRae - you broke me first Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow - INDUSTRY BABY

4. Masked Wolf - Astronaut In The Ocean

3. Justin Bieber - Anyone

2. Olivia Rodrigo - good 4 u

1. Dua Lipa - Levitating

 Not too many changes! Yeah, I do feel I was slightly too kind to “you broke me first” last year but I do still really like it and “INDUSTRY BABY” grew on me a ton. Also sue me, I still love “Astronaut In The Ocean”. Now with that out of the way, let’s get started with some honorable mentions.

HM #1: NEIKED, Mae Muller, & Polo G - Better Days (YE: #73, PEAK: #23)

Jam! The nu-disco beat slaps and Mae Muller is a remarkably solid choice for this production, I get the Bebe Rexha comparisons, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing per se. And Polo G nails the melancholic vibe of this song perfectly. Also the whole sentiment of “all I do is sit around and wait for better days” was genuinely my mood for this year. And, side note, but, while it’ll just be missing this list, “Numb Little Bug” by Em Beihold hit some similar notes for me.

HM #2: Adele - Easy On Me (YE: #4, PEAK: #1)

This is not Adele’s best song - “When We Were Young” puts up some stiff competition in that arena. But it’s still great regardless. From the beautiful piano melody to Adele’s beautiful vocals, she sounds extremely vulnerable here, a plea to her son to go easy on her after a failed marriage, it’s a very poignant sentiment that Adele sells beautifully. And yeah I do see AC radio probably shoving this down my throat for the years to come, but at least for now, I’m fine with it. Great little song.

HM #3: Zach Bryan - Something In The Orange (YE: #39, PEAK: #12)

Ah, possibly the most acclaimed country song of the year, and it’s absolutely deserving of it. Now this took some time to grow on me but once it clicked for me, it really clicked for me, the guitar sounds really bleak, but that puts all the focus on the writing and it’s gorgeous, the “orange” in this song is referring to this girl’s retreating headlights. It’s stunning imagery, it’s quite poetic. And the ending with Zach Bryan’s devastated delivery, “please turn those headlights around” is simply beautiful. Great song, Absolutely deserving of all its acclaim.

HM #4: Chris Stapleton - You Should Probably Leave (YE: #79, PEAK: #28)

Another one of the most acclaimed country songs of the year, “You Should Probably Leave” is a great song. “Starting Over” took some time to grow on me, but I was instant with “You Should Probably Leave." The bass is great and that combined with  the electric guitar gives this a dreamy feel that probably reminds me more than it should of dream pop or something that Cannons would make but that isn’t a bad thing at all. Chris’s wife, Morgane Stapleton also adds terrific backing vocals. Great little song.

HM #5: Tate McRae - she’s all i wanna be (YE: #94, PEAK: #44)

Okay, hot take, but I actually like “you broke me first” more than this, I get it, this objectively is better but my defense is that if this was by anyone else, it would’ve made the list proper. Tate McRae is no Ellie Goulding, it feels like the production is overpowering her. The nasal tone in her voice isn’t the greatest but she can sell the vulnerability and insecurity the song needs, but give this to say, Olivia Rodrigo instead, I probably would’ve wound up loving this, more than “good 4 u”; Seriously, the production here I actually like more than “good 4 u”’s, the groove is great and the guitars provide a really potent melody. I wish it could’ve been amazing, but as it is, I still really like this.

HM #6: Beyonce - BREAK MY SOUL (YE: #38, PEAK: #1)

Okay, hot take again, but I found Renaissance mid, better than Drake’s attempt at making a dance album for sure, but not a lot of it stuck with me. Well this one did, the house beat slaps and Beyonce’s glamor and personality elevates this to being memorable and great! Deep down, I know that house music like this hits all my weak spots but hey, I don’t care, this is a banger.

HM #7: Lil Nas X - THAT'S WHAT I WANT (YE: #14, PEAK: #8)

While “INDUSTRY BABY” grew on me a lot this year, if you want the most instant song for me from the MONTERO era, it was this. From the acoustics driving the choppy groove to Ryan Tedder’s backing vocals, and Lil Nas X proving to be a surprisingly potent singer on the hook, this is my favorite of the singles from MONTERO by far. Lil Nas X having rock timbres in his music works incredibly well, I’d be down for more like this.

HM EX: Kacey Musgraves - Rainbow (YE: N/A, PEAK: #98)

Not a hit, or even from this year at all, but this was such an important part of my year and any chance I get to praise this fantastic work of art, I’ll take. In a year with many moments where I felt extremely discouraged, this song elevated me and was a 3-minute long hug that was there when I needed it. And it just gave me the hope that everything would turn out alright. From the beautiful, impeccable piano melody and Kacey’s encouraging and calming voice, to possibly my favorite lyric ever in a song “it’ll all be alright” this was truly there for me, and for that reason, I call this my favorite song of all time. If you’ve never listened to this song before, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s impeccable. And if you disagree, you’re objectively wrong about music. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.

And now for the list proper!

10...Oh boy, I don’t see this going over well at all haha...

10. Nicky Youre f/Dazy - Sunroof (YE: #29, PEAK: #4)

Okay, yeah, I get the hate for this, Nicky Youre doesn’t exactly have the greatest voice and Dazy’s “solo” is kinda pathetic. But fuck it, this song was pretty much the summer I wish I had. The over the moon vibe, yeah it’s borderline bubblegum pop, but it perfectly captures what I wish my year was. It’s just so happy and cheerful that I can’t hate it. Oh yeah, I played this song as I was leaving the hospital and on my way home, and the mood in this song perfectly captured how I was feeling at the time. Oh yeah and if there was any highlight this year for me, it was driving down the freeway at sunset with this song playing, it was such a vibe. Honestly, I almost put this song higher on this list.

9...So now how about hopefully a less unpopular choice...

9. Lil Durk f/ Gunna - What Happened To Virgil (YE: #83, PEAK: #22)

The piano line on this song is incredible, no other way to say it. Lil Durk sounds so vulnerable here and constantly like he’s on the verge of tears. If I had any complaint about this song, I guess it’d be that it’s maybe a bit slapdash? I guess? Even Gunna sounds pretty heartfelt on this if I’m being honest! Yeah, this is definitely the best song I’ve heard from both Lil Durk and Gunna,  such an amazing song.

8...So this guy used to be a YouTuber huh...

8. Joji - Glimpse Of Us (YE: #52, PEAK: #8)

So, YouTubers making songs is often a mixed bag to say the least. All you need is Logan Paul’s “Help Me Help You” or Jake Paul’s “It’s Every Day Bro” for proof of that (yikes)...So it’s a welcome surprise that “Glimpse Of Us” is excellent. Full disclosure, I actually never heard any of Joji’s other stuff other than this. But hey, maybe this is evidence that I need to check out more of his stuff! The piano melody is muted and simply beautiful while Joji’s vocals are quite breathtaking if I’m being honest! On the track, he sings about  being in a new and happy relationship but keeps getting a glimpse of his old partner and hopes he’ll get a spark of that old relationship in this new one, and wow he sells it incredibly. Such a devastating song that Joji delivered with such raw vulnerability that it genuinely almost brought me to tears. Such an excellent song, if you haven’t heard this yet, I highly recommend it, absolutely beautiful.

7...I’ve been debating whether to include special rules to disqualify this song but nah, let’s include this.

7. Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill ( A Deal With God) (YE: #23, PEAK: #3)

So the big news early this year was this song getting a resurgence thanks to “Stranger Things”. True story, I actually first heard this song back in 2020 from a Pulse Music Board rankdown, back then, I did like this song, but I didn’t love it. It was a song I guess I respected more than liked, but I fully got around to loving it this year. From the drum machine to Kate Bush’s heavenly vocals here it was so ahead of its time that in 1985 it only made it to #30. Fun little anecdote, during my rehab, I was able to bike on a stationary bike and this song was my biking music because of that beat haha.

6..As far as I’m concerned, this was the biggest hit of 2022, not “Heat Waves”....

6. Harry Styles - As It Was (YE: #2, PEAK: #1)

The song where Harry Styles turned Dayglow - I read that somewhere and it really described the song perfectly but it’s not a complaint in the slightest. It sounds just like an indie pop song from the 80s. From the synths to the fast tempo groove to the bells, this production is chef’s kiss. Now for one miniscule complaint I have, the chorus falls slightly flat. I do wish Harry could’ve built up more vocally but hey it’s a very tiny complaint. The track is still excellent. I  do wish Harry’s House delivered the same quality (the album is still good but there are a few bad songs in there...yikes) but oh well, it’s still excellent.

5..So yeah, wow country really rebounded after last year...

5. Cody Johnson - ‘Til You Can’t (YE: #34, PEAK: #18)

I alluded to it  in my 2000 worst list, and here it is! Yes, the sentiment of doing things right now instead of waiting can be seen as cliche, but as I said in my 2000 worst list, it always has the potential to work, and HOLY HELL does it work here!! Cody Johnson sells this sentiment like he means it with so much energy to anchor that propulsive hook. And the drums here are exploding with a ton of energy. And that guitar melody is really sweet too. And the fiddle sounds nice too. Overall it comes together wonderfully. That said, the best country hit of the year is still up ahead.

4..So I may have given Morgan Wallen a ton of shit on my worst list, but I can acknowledge quality when I see it...

4. Morgan Wallen - Sand In My Boots (YE: #58, PEAK: #30)

Okay, I’ll admit, this reminds me a lot of “Colder Weather” by the Zac Brown Band, but that song is fantastic so eh, I don’t mind. For once, Morgan Wallen’s vocals actually sound decent! Entailing the story of a cowboy trying to make moves subtly for this girl but failing, it’s some of the best songwriting I’ve ever heard from Morgan Wallen. Now, why were the piles of shit that are “Wasted On You” and “You Proof” bigger than this? If anything, “Sand In My Boots” is Morgan Wallen’s true masterpiece, and proof he can make fantastic music.

3...My top 3 have been locked for pretty much this whole year. The real question was what order they were gonna be in, so here’s the first of them!...

3. Taylor Swift - All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) (YE: #76, PEAK: #1)

I’ve adored the original “All Too Well” ever since I first heard it back in 2020, and it’s my favorite song from Taylor, I literally did a live listen-react on her updated 10-minute version blog back in late 2021! And, okay well the song credited on the year-end list to the best of my knowledge is not the 10-minute version, it’s the re-recorded 5-minute version. But whatever version it is, it would always end up this high. Not higher, not lower. But anyway...what makes “All Too Well” such a masterclass in Taylor’s discography? Well, for one, this is some of the best songwriting of her career, the imagery, the vulnerability through it all, it’s just spectacular - “Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it/I'd like to be my old self again, but I'm still trying to find it”. Then, the production, it builds up nicely from just an acoustic guitar at the beginning that lets loose in each chorus. Also Taylor herself, who sounds incredibly devastated throughout the song. Fantastic little song, I’m beyond elated that “All Too Well” finally got its flowers.

2...So as I just mentioned, my top 3 have been locked for pretty much this whole year. The real question was what order they were gonna be in, so here’s the second of them!...

2. THE ANXIETY - Meet Me At Our Spot (YE: #74, PEAK: #21)

So I had a feeling this would heavily resonate with me, but it wasn’t in the way I expected. This song is kinda just about how being young sucks and having a hopeful optimism that things will be better. The idea of having a “spot” to get away from everything, for me, that “spot” would be the music, I just allowed myself to get swept away in the vocals, melodies, and lyrics it distracted me from reality and in a time where my recovery path felt so unknown, the hopeful optimism that things will get better did make processing that unknown a lot easier. Not to mention that as a song, “Meet Me At Our Spot” is already superb, the bassline is amazing and Willow and Tyler Cole have great chemistry and their vocals are stunning here. This song just feels so heavenly, I adore it, but still not the best hit of the year.

1...Okay, so this #1 pick is easily the most personal one that I’ve had, but personal significance always plays a role in evaluating a song so, here we go...

1. Justin Bieber - Ghost (YE: #8, PEAK: #5)

“Ghost” was among my favorite songs of 2021 and I consider it Bieber’s best song, period - with that incredible melody and Justin Bieber’s best vocal delivery ever, the acoustics on the hook and the lyrics reflecting the loss of a loved one in a heartbreaking way. Something happened to me that locked this song in at #1. So I mentioned at the beginning of this article that I suffered a massive stroke due to an AVM rupture in the summer and I had come just minutes away from losing my life. So something that I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned on this blog is that I love to sing. And before this happened to me, I used to always sing this in the car whenever it came on the radio. When I was in a coma my mom said that this was the only song she played over and over in her head because, in her words, “‘I miss you more than life’ just was perfect for that moment.” And ever since she told me that story I can’t listen to this song without feeling like crying. I sang this for my mom for her birthday in September and she loved it, it’s genuinely the proudest moment of my life. To the strongest person I know, ನಾನು ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ತುಂಬಾ ಪ್ರೀತಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ ಅಮ್ಮ. And that’s the list! I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making it, and I’m gonna try something new and add a Spotify playlist below this article with all the songs I’ve mentioned in case you wanna listen to the songs here! Let me know what you think! Hopefully my 2001 best list can be finished soon haha. But until next time, you’ve been reading Fire’s Flaming Hot Takes and I’ll see you! Hoping for a better 2023. And in the meantime, if you’d like to comment your own lists of the best hit songs of 2022, I’d love to read them!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7qW07a8g9vcEiJCrZsRp8V?si=4d43bd07ee1247eb