Check Out the Discogs Record Shelf of Can’t-Miss Records from 2022

Trending new releases, coveted reissues, nostalgic music moments, the records you kept spinning on repeat — these are some of the best albums from last year.
Inspired by the experience of flipping through album covers in a record store, Discogs is sharing some of the best records that collectors may have missed last year. This virtual record shelf of recommendations was fueled by exclusive collection data from people on Discogs, including the albums they cataloged in their Collections and Wantlists and the releases they purchased in the Marketplace. Then, we added a special curative touch to find the most interesting music of 2022.
New Records Not to Miss
We’re starting with a selection of records that might have flown under your radar last year. Sun’s Signature and Nu Genea’s Bar Mediterraneo won’t be on any other year-end list of the biggest albums, but they were among the best-selling 2022 releases on Discogs. Natural Brown Prom Queen by Sudan Archives and Motomami by Rosalía did earn such accolades from the likes of NPR and Pitchfork and are equally deserving of attention from your ears. And while you might have heard the viral hits from Steve Lacy and Wet Leg, the rest of the songs on those albums are definitely worth a listen.
Read more: Rosalía | Steve Lacy | Wet Leg
Popular Reissues and First Pressings
Nothing stings like not being able to find your favorite albums on vinyl. 2022 blessed collectors with stunning reissues or first pressings of popular music from Frank Ocean, Tool, Nujabes, A Tribe Called Quest, and Tyler, the Creator that had fans on Discogs scrambling to add them to their collections. Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By is the perfect example (and one of the best-selling records on Discogs). This collaboration between Nathaniel Merriweather (pseudonym for Dan the Automator), Mike Patton, and Jennifer Charles was released in 2001 but had a limited run. In 2022, the label Bulk Recordings reissued it on a variety of color vinyl variants.
Community Picks
We asked you to vote for your favorite records and you answered! These picks are some of the best albums of 2022, according to a survey shared with subscribers to the Discogs Newsletter. Rock by classic artists is the prevailing theme, ranging from Ghost’s metal anthems to prog by Porcupine Tree and the return of 1980s stars Tears for Fears.
New Records on Repeat
Because your Spotify Wrapped doesn’t track your turntable, we asked people to share the 2022 album that they listened to the most last year. On average, collectors said they listened to Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers 61 times, Harry Styles’ Harry’s House 54 times, and Beyonce’s Renaissance 50 times. In total, they spent 29,865 minutes listening to these top three releases — that’s almost three weeks’ worth of record spinning.
Read more: Harry Styles
Music Moments
Reminisce with us and look back at the tremendous moments in 2022 that brought classic albums back into the mainstream, like when Dr. Dre performed at last year’s Super Bowl halftime show. The trend is most obvious with the unfortunate passings of the beloved Meat Loaf, Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie, and Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters. However, television and movies prove to be the biggest influencers. Kate Bush continues to dominate the Discogs Marketplace and radio charts after her song “Running Up That Hill” was featured in the most recent season of the popular Netflix show Stranger Things. Similarly, “Something In The Way” by Nirvana experienced a resurgence when it was paired with the equally moody new Batman film.
Read more: Classic Alternative Music in the Mainstream
Old Favorites Over New Releases
Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, Arctic Monkeys, SZA, The Mars Volta, and FKA Twigs all delivered fantastic new music last year. However, sometimes the oldies are the goodies. The following catalog releases were more popular amongst collectors on Discogs than their 2022 albums. Bad Bunny has the best excuse of the bunch. Un Verano Sin Ti is arguably the biggest album of the year, but it never received a vinyl release. Until the label finally presses records, we’ll have to keep spinning 2019’s X 100PRE.
Best-Selling Artist of 2022
It was impossible to avoid Taylor Swift in 2022. The massive star dominated all of the charts, including Billboard, Spotify, and Discogs, making her the best-selling artist of 2022. The blue “moonstone” vinyl variant of her new album, Midnights, proved to be the favorite color of collectors on Discogs. However, the limited Record Store Day release of The Lakes sold more copies than any individual version of Midnights, making it the second best-selling 2022 release. These new drops also caused fans to clamor for older albums, including a picture disc version of Reputation and an original pressing of 1989, which is her most sonically similar album to Midnights.
Read more: Taylor Swift | Swiftie Fandom
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