With such quality albums released all along the year, it has been quite difficult to choose the best ones. The following ranking includes 2022 Top 20 LPs.
At the end, you’ll also find a list of 20 other excellent albums released last year.
Anyway, with an exceptional year as was 2022 for country music, it’s impossible to be complete, and the fact that an album is not present on this list doesn’t mean that I didn’t like it. It was just impossible to include in this kind of post all the records that I liked.
The main goal of this article is to share my passion for real country music, possibly let you know about albums that you hadn’t listened to and, most importantly, encourage you to listen to more actual artists, because, definitely, real country music is more alive than ever !
#20 Mike Kuster – Better Late Than Never
The debut album of Mike Kuster, an artist from Maryland, “Better Late Than Never“, is full of traditional country music and authentic songs. Excellently written, it’s the evidence that real country is more alive then ever in 2022.
#19 Alex Williams – Waging Peace
“Waging Peace” is a fantastic album. You’ll find on this record authenticity, excellent songwriting, wonderful music, and one of the best voices of actual country music. Absolutely brilliant!
#18 Adam Hood – Bad Days Better
“Bad Days Better” is a brilliant album where you find awesome storytelling and quality music. Groovy and catchy, full of amazing songs, it’s an album that you’ll appreciate more and more after each listening.
#17 Bri Bagwell – Corazón y Cabeza
“Corazón y Cabeza” is a wonderful album, with a lot of splendid songs, beautifully written. Bri Bagwell is one of the most talented artists on the Texas music scene, and her beautiful voice enhances all the lyrics of this brilliant record.
#16 Memphis Kee – Wimberley
“Wimberley“, the debut LP album of Memphis Kee, is absolutely brilliant. With this catchy record, you have quality red dirt music and excellent songwriting. The real deal. Memphis Kee is a name that y’all have to keep in mind.
#15 The Great Divide – Providence
Being able to listen to a new album of the legendary red dirt band in 2022 was a great surprise. This album, reviewed here, is particularly brilliant, full of authentic and relatable songs, with wonderful songwriting.
#14 William Beckmann – Faded Memories
“Faded Memories” is a splendid album, full of relatable songs, wonderfully written. My 2022 will be definitely connected with several songs present on this record, particularly “Danced All Night Long” and “Bourbon Whiskey“.
#13 Zach Bryan – American Heartbreak
What a prolific year for Zach Bryan ! “American Heartbreak” is an unusual album, for the quantity of its songs (34!). But beyond the number, the most important thing is that all these songs are high quality music with wonderful songwriting. A fantastic record!
#12 Joshua Hedley – Neon Blue
Listening to Joshua Hedley, we have always the impression to dive into the olden days of country music. “Neon Blue” is a timeless album, brilliant since the first song till the last one. Really impressive !
#11 Willi Carlisle – Peculiar, Missouri
“Peculiar, Missouri” is one of those albums that you appreciate more and more after listening to it several times. Full of authentic and traditional country songs, it’s particularly brilliant.
#10 Teague Brothers Band – Love and War
“Love And War” is a brilliant and catchy album. The energy that comes from this record is absolutely impressive, and the rhythm of the fiddle takes us to the highest and more ethereal peaks of country music’s territory.
#9 John Fullbright – The Liar
A very awaited album that didn’t disappoint. “The Liar” is a record where you’ll find impressive songwriting and high quality songs, some of them among the best released this year. The more you’ll listen to it, the more you’ll appreciate it.
#8 Ian Noe – River Fools & Mountain Saints
All has been said about Ian Noe’s wonderful album. It’s a fantastic record, traditional and authentic. Its 12 songs are 12 gems for all those who love real country music.
#7 American Aquarium – Chicamacomico
Listening to “Chicamacomico“, you have the evidence that songwriting is an art. Different from American Aquarium’s last albums, like “Lamentations” or “Things Change“, probably more refined and peaceful, it’s a beautiful record.
#6 Town Mountain – Lines in The Levee
“Lines in The Levee” is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant albums released this year. It’s traditional and catchy. A brilliant album since the first song till the last one.
#5 Sunny Sweeney – Married Alone
As a monument built in honor of country music, “Married Alone” shines brightly above us. All is here: beautiful lyrcs, impressive quality of the music and the wonderful voice of Sunny Sweeney.
#4 The Broken Spokes – Where I Went Wrong
This record, full of wonderful pedal steel and fiddle, is particularly brilliant and authentic. “Where I Went Wrong” is a wonderful album of traditional country music. Impressive !
#3 Kaitlin Butts – What Else Can She Do
“What Else Can She Do” is a real gem. Songwriting and music are brilliant. Kaitlin Butts’s voice captivates us, and, for a moment, we are lucky enough to enjoy the supreme beauty of country music.
#2 Arlo McKinley – The Mess We’re In
“The Mess We’re In” is an exceptional album, with 11 song that are 11 gems for all who love quality music and songwriting. This record is absolutely splendid. A true masterpiece.
#1 49 Winchester – Fortune Favors The Bold
This album released on May 13th and reviewed here is really exceptional. The time that has gone since its release, and the quantity of excellent other albums that went out since May didn’t make me change my mind. “Fortune Favors The Bold” is an album for the ages.
Here’s a list of 20 other albums particularly brilliant released in 2022, without particular order :
Ashley McBryde – Ashley McBryde presents: Lindeville
Billy Strings – Me/And/Dad
Gabe Lee – The Hometown Kid
David Adam Byrnes – Keep Up With A Cowgirl (reviewed here)
Squeezebox Bandits – Check To Check (reviewed here)
Kendell Marvel – Come On Sunshine
The Lowdown Drifters – Cheating On A Memory (reviewed here)
Trent Walker – Texas Saturday Night
Jon Stork – Fast Horse
Drew Cooper – This Life (reviewed here)
Emily Nenni – On The Ranch
Courtney Patton – Electrostatic
Clete Bradley and The Mood – Too Many Chiefs (Not Enough Indians)
Charley Crockett – The Man From Waco
Jenny Tolman – Married in a Honky Tonk
Wade Bowen – Somewhere Between The Secret And The Truth
Vandoliers – The Vandoliers
Whiskey Myers – Tornillo
Randall King – Shot Glass
The Wilder Blue – The Wilder Blue
Nicolas Davelu
Country Music France 