2022 has been a great year for Rock Music. Emerging out of the pandemic there were a wealth of great releases in 2022 especially in the Hard Rock arena.  Looking back on the year it really is hard to pick an overall best album but easy to name a long list of outstanding releases. The lists below are this year just a little different – we have the same overall list from votes by all contributors, as well as the Australian releases and Blues and Roots releases. We’ve also added Mark and Rob’s lists of the year.

Click on the links below the images to find out why they are worth your attention!

Long Live Rock and Roll and here’s to a great 2023!

 

THE ROCKPIT COMBINED WRITERS BEST ALBUMS of 2022

 

1. Skid Row – The Gang’s All Here

2. Hardcore Superstar – Abrakadabra

3. The Cruel Intentions – Venomous Anonymous

4. Classless Act – Welcome To The Show

5. Michael Monroe – I Live Too Fast To Die Young

6. Kissin’ Dynamite – Not the End of the Road

7. Crashdïet – Automaton

8. The New Roses – Sweet Poison

9. The Dead Daisies – Radiance

10. H.E.A.T – Force Majeure

11. Reckless Love – Turborider

12. Thundermother – Black and Gold

13. Thunder – Dopamine

14. Queensryche – Digital Noise Alliance

15. Black Swan – Generation Mind

16. Chez Kane – Powerzone

17. The Erotics – Rot In the Shade

18. Nordic Union – Animalistic

19. House of Lords – Saints and Sinners

20. Dynazty – Final Advent

21. Leatherwolf – Kill The Hunted

22. Stabbing Westward – Chasing Ghosts

23. Shaman’s Harvest – Rebelator

24. Crobot – Feel This

25. Nestor – Kids in a Ghost Town

26. Black Paisley – Human Nature

27. Bloody Heels – Rotten Romance

28. Jizzy Pearl’s Love/Hate – Hell CA.

29. The Backstabbers – For All the Bastards

30. The Hellacopters – Eyes Of Oblivion

31. Dare – Road to Eden

32. Scorpions – Rock Believer

33. White Tyger – This is the Life

34. Warrior Soul – Out on Bail

35. Shades of Gray – Shades of Gray

36. Zinny Zan – Lullabies for the Masses

37. Michael Schenker Group – Universal 

38. Alter Bridge – Pawns Are The Kings

39. The Cult – Under The Midnight Sun

40. Lillian Axe – From Womb to Tomb

41. Dan Reed Network – Let’s Hear It For The King

42. Ronnie Atkins – Make It Count

43. Fozzy – Boombox

44. Ghost – Impera – Impera

45. Hell In The Club- Kamikaze (10 years in the slums)

46. L.A. Cobra- Superstition

47. Mädhouse- Down N’ Dirty

48. The Birthday Massacre- Fascination

49. Rabbit Junk- Apocalypse for beginners 

50. Enuff Z’Nuff – Finer Than Sin

 

 

THE BEST AUSTRALIAN RELEASES of 2022

Every year we separate out our Australian Releases from our main list so that we can showcase local talent. This year is the first year that ALL of the Australian albums would have made the Top 20 in our overall list the line-up is that strong. 2022 was a great year for Aussie Rock and Roll and 2023 is looking just as strong!

 

1. Noiseworks – Evolution

2. Dead City Ruins – Shockwave

3. Electric State – Green Machine

4. William Street Strikers – Baltimore Train

5. Cross Eyed Lover – Blonde Zombie

6. Silent Knight – Full Force

7. Code Red – Holding Hands in the Apocalypse

8. Full Flower Moon Band – Diesel Forever

9. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Omnium Gatherum

10. Rogue Sharks – In For the Kill

 

THE BEST BLUES & ROOTS RELEASES of 2022

Some very cool releases this year and every one in our Top 10 is well worth checking out – think of it as more of a ‘must have’ list than a Top 10 this year! You won’t be disappointed.

 

1. Jo Dog and Paul Black’s Sonic Boom – Everybody Rains on My Parade

2. Black Cat Bones – Book of Miriam

3. Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown – Shake The Roots

4. Eric Gales – Crown

5. Joanne Shaw Taylor – Nobody’s Fool

6. Robert Jon & The Wreck – Wreckage Vol. 2

7. Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners – Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners

8. Elles Bailey – Shining in the Half Light

9. Bernie Marsden – Chess

10. Troy Redfern – Wings of Salvation

 

MARK’s TOP 30 of 2022

EDITOR’s PICK

2022 is one of those years when there was so much great Rock and Roll unleashed that you know you’ll have missed something incredible! For me it was maybe even the best year for new music since the early 90’s. Honestly looking at my Top 10 now there’s nothing between most of those records – from great new bands to established bands hitting the highs – it was all happening in 2022! For me in the end after listening to over 500 albums and EP’s and reviewing over 100 there was an almost three way tie with Michael Monroe and Hardcore Superstar just edging out The Cruel Intentions for Top spot.

 

 

1. Michael Monroe – I Live Too Fast To Die Young
2. Hardcore Superstar – Abrakadabra
3. The Cruel Intentions – Venomous Anonymous
4. The New Roses – Sweet Poison
5. Kissin’ Dynamite – Not the End of the Road
6. Skid Row – The Gang’s All Here
7. H.E.A.T – Force Majeure
8. Crashdïet – Automaton
9. Classless Act – Welcome To The Show
10. The Erotics – Rot In the Shade
11. Nordic Union – Animalistic
12. House of Lords – Saints and Sinners
13. Queensryche – Digital Noise Alliance
14. Dynazty – Final Advent
15. Leatherwolf – Kill The Hunted
16. Black Swan – Generation Mind
17. Reckless Love – Turborider
18. The Dead Daisies – Radiance
19. Thunder – Dopamine
20. Crobot – Feel This
21. Nestor – Kids in a Ghost Town
22. Black Paisley – Human Nature
23. Stabbing Westward – Chasing Ghosts
24. Jizzy Pearl’s Love/Hate – Hell CA.
25. The Backstabbers – For All the Bastards
26. The Hellacopters – Eyes Of Oblivion
27. Dare – Road to Eden
28. Shaman’s Harvest – Rebelator
29. White Tyger – This is the Life
30. Warrior Soul – Out on Bail

 

ROB’s TOP 20 of 2022

2022 has been an incredible year for music , especially in rock music. Many of the albums on my list would be my pick for album of the year on any other year, But we as music fans were blessed with some truly top shelf albums this year. For me, The Cruel Intentions beat them all. Venomous Anonymous is not only the best album of 2022, It’s one of the best albums put out by any band in the modern movement. That’s not to take anything away from how incredible some of these albums are: Skid Row returned with a scorching new album, Stabbing Westward after a 20 year hiatus released possibly their best album to date, Kissin’ Dynamite put out a jaw dropping new album, the list goes on. It’s been an incredible year, So here’s my picks for the best albums of 2022.

1. The Cruel Intentions- Venomous Anonymous 
2. Skid Row- The gang’s all here
3. Stabbing Westward- Chasing ghosts
4. Ghost- Impera
5. Crashdïet- Automaton
6. Kissin’ Dynamite- Not the end of the road
7. H.E.A.T- Force Majeure
8. Reckless Love- Turborider
9. Bloody Heels- Rotten Romance
10. Chez Kane- Powerzone
11. The Hellacopters- Eyes of oblivion
12. L.A. Cobra- Superstition
13. Mädhouse- Down N’ Dirty
14. The Birthday Massacre- Fascination
15. The New Roses- Sweet Poison
16. The Dead Daisies- Radiance
17. Thundermother- Black and gold
18. Rabbit Junk- Apocalypse for beginners
19. Hell In The Club- Kamikaze (10 years in the slums)
20. Hardcore Superstar- Abracadabra

SEE YOU IN 2023!