Earworms & Song Loops’ 100 Best Songs of 2022 — Part 2 (26-50)

The Year of the Wizened: The '80s and '90s are back and stronger than ever

(clockwise) bananarama, elvis costello, midnight oil, weezer, tears for fears, spoon

Before I get to part 2, I wanted to offer a few words of encouragement to those of you out there who might be considering starting your own Substack. Those of you who might have “writing my stories” as a new year’s resolution. Do it! Sure, there are a billion blogs and Substacks out there and maybe the world doesn’t need another one (one of the excuses many of us have used before we did start one), but I can tell you, after 8 months of doing this, it’s a great way to get to understand yourself and the world, or simply to rant and get things off your chest.

And if you click that link above to start one, something magical will happen, not just for you, but for me. I think maybe I get good Substack karma points or a toaster oven. Or a life-time supply of tootsie rolls. Or, maybe it’s just a giant Zonk.

So if you are on the fence about starting one, do it for me and the unclear benefits I may or may not get as a referral!

A Zonk behind door #2 on Let’s Make a Deal

Okay, back to the music.

As in part 1, a Spotify playlist is below and a YouTube playlist will be available for paid subscribers.

Elvis Costello — Magnificent Hurt

Elvis Costello releasing a new album is not a surprise. The surprise is how well he and The Imposters channel The Attractions at their early ‘80s peak. “Magnificent Hurt” features Costello’s usual lyrical sharpness, but Steve Nieve’s keyboard licks and the biting grit in Elvis’ voice make this sound like This Year’s Model.

Robyn Hitchcock — The Shuffle Man

On his latest album Shufflemania, Robyn Hitchcock is sounding more inspired than he has in decades. He’s my generation’s Ray Davies by way of Syd Barrett. Hitchcock is a musical treasure. He’s alternately witty, wise, funny, sad, surreal and down to earth. Usually all at the same time.

Hoodoo Gurus — Don’t Try and Sell My Soul

The Hoodoo Gurus were a hugely influential band for me in the early ‘80s. They were my transition band, flipping me from a 14-year-old, hesher metal-head with a sad wispy mustache to a punk rock and new-wave loving teen with a sad wispy mustache. Also, both lead singer Dave Faulkner and I sported luscious locks in 1981 and would become bald as cue balls 15 years later.

And I get to see them in concert in May! If the COVID doesn’t kill them or me first!

Midnight Oil — At the Time of Writing

The other Australian band that I fell in love with in the early ‘80s, Midnight Oil has continued to release essential new music since their popular peak of the late ‘80s-early ‘90s (and since their beginnings in the late' ‘70s), always standing up for the oppressed, always writing powerful, passionate, anthemic music that speaks to the current times.

Their latest release, RESIST, is no exception. I especially love the baritone sax in “At the Time of Writing,” and the message (at least as I see it) of how writing (social media, places like Medium, I assume) can be a crutch for avoiding real in-your-face substantive protest.

Tears For Fears — Long Long Long Time

This song is like a dagger straight into the feels. Isn’t that what Tears For Fears do, maybe better than anyone else? And how gorgeous do Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal’s voices sound on this tune? The backing vocals are perfectly blended into the mix. It’s a brilliant album, in my book, one of the year’s best, proving that each new Tears For Fears album is a gift and a treasure.

The Church — The Hypnogogue

The Church stood out from the pack of chiming guitar-based bands of the ’80s (think Echo and the Bunnymen, Talk Talk, Psychedelic Furs) with their more atmospheric, wistful songs. I accidentally came across “The Hypnogogue” a few weeks ago and was blown away. According to the band, it’s their most Progressive Rock album yet. Based on the epic lushness of this title track, that’s definitely a good thing.

The Fixx — Wake Up

Channeling The Cure by way of Killing Joke, The Fixx still manage to sound like The Fixx: dark, lush, moody and melodic. There’s an urgency to this song that most bands 30 years their junior rarely manage. The weaving bass/guitar line is hypnotic. Cy Curnin’s Ferry-esque baritone still sucks me in.

Johnny Marr — Spirit, Power and Soul

Clearly Johnny Marr’s time playing with Bernard Sumner in Electronic rubbed off on him in all the best ways. While this song does have more than a bit of New Order vibes, it doesn’t ‘Marr’ anything about it or this wonderful album (insert groan here). Spirit, power and soul, indeed.

Bananarama — Stay Wild

Bananarama has been a duo since 1988, so for 30 plus years, remaining members Keren Woodward and Sarah Dallin have had time to deepen their musical bonds, releasing 8 albums since the early ‘90s. Where the hell was I during all that time? I didn’t even know they were still together until a few weeks ago! If any of those albums prior to 2022’s Masquerade share the lush, dance-floor charms of the new album, 2023 will be a Bananarama-extravaganza.

Shriekback — Doo-Dah Room

Early XTC keyboardist, Barry Andrews, started Shriekback back in 1982 and the band had immediate, though not overwhelming success. Their funky, tribal, dance music really grabbed me back in the day. It’s probably a terrible comparison to say they sounded like Adam and the Ants, but that’s what comes to mind. But more spooky sounding and with less of a rockabilly backbeat than the Ants.

Their latest, Bowlahoola, sounds like it could be outtakes from back in the ‘80s. In a good way. “Doo-dah Room” of course makes me think “Doo-doo Room” which certainly, at my age, is a place worthy of a song or two. Gotta know what you’re doing in the doo-dah room, the lyrics proclaim, so perhaps my immature interpretation isn’t far off.

The Cult — Give Me Mercy

Speaking of vocalists who still got it, Ian Astbury should be at the top of the list. He still sings like a less wasted Jim Morrison with a touch of Morrissey and a sprinkling of Billy Idol. The Cult still rock hard but with the melodic imperative that made them stand out from the pack for so many decades. They, better than most of the ’80s New Wave bands, straddled the alternative and hard rock scenes. Looks like they still have that unique talent.

Def Leppard — Take What You Want

Def Leppard always prioritized melody and song-smarts above all else. They, to me, were like what Cheap Trick would have sounded like as a hair-metal band. Their new album, Diamond Star Halos, clearly hints at their love of the glam rock bands that influenced them. “Take What You Want” is Def Leppard at their best, rocking out without too much posturing.

Ryan Adams — I Want You

No, this isn’t a lost track by Big Star. It’s Ryan Adams trying his hand at aping the legendary band. And he succeeds with flying colors. In fact, the first half of Adams’ 2002 album FM is a power-pop masterpiece. Unfortunately, the 2nd half of the record is a big drop off. But “I Want You” is pure joy.

Sloan — Human Nature

Sloan have been recording earworm-laden power-pop since 1992. 30 years later, they are proving as adept at pairing gorgeous melodies with cutting lyrics as ever. “Human Nature” is one of a dozen smart and hummable songs.

Liam Gallagher — Diamond in the Dark

Liam’s post-Oasis recordings have been spotty at best. But his latest album, C’mon You Know, is his most consistently solid album yet. Hearing “Diamond in the Dark” sounds like prime-era Oasis with a little less snark. It’s a reminder of what a powerhouse front-man Liam once was, and clearly still is when he wants to be.

Built To Spill — Fools Gold

During the early ‘90s, I probably played no band’s music more often than Built To Spill. Their albums Perfect From Now On and Keep it Like a Secret are masterpieces that still hold up today. After those peak years, BTS kept releasing more music, most of it quite good, but nothing that filled my body with the same sonic pleasure as those early albums. Until When the Wind Forgets Your Name, released in 2022.

“Fools Gold” proves that this is a band ‘Built To Spill’ their greatness into their 4th decade and beyond.

Spoon — Wild

Spoon has never put out a weak album. 2022’s Lucifer on the Sofa is making a lot of critics’ Best Of lists this year, and deservedly so. No band has ever done more with less (in a stripped down way) and they’ve been doing it for more than 25 years. It was hard to pick just one song for this list, but “Wild” is definitely a favorite.

Death Cab For Cutie — Here To Forever

I feel like I discovered Death Cab For Cutie around the same time as Spoon, but DCFC didn’t release their first album, Something About Airplanes, until 1998. But as I learned of Spoon on their second album in 1998, the timing did coincide for me. I was sort of obsessed at the time with literate, sensitive, melodic alt-rock; a response, perhaps to the excesses and long-haired machoness of grunge.

I sort of stopped following Death Cab once they hit the big time in 2005 with the album Plans. Yes, I was one of those early fans who abandoned ship once they became the hip “it” band of the day, with their songs appearing on the soundtrack to every teen drama on TV.

I was ready for louder music again, so moved on. But I did love Postal Service, vocalist Ben Gibbard’s other, more electronic musical project around that time. Although I can’t say I love Asphalt Meadows, DCFC’s latest album, a couple songs did connect for me, especially “Here To Forever.”

Weezer — Get Off on the Pain

Is there an alt-pop band more polarizing than Weezer? I had their 2021 album OK Human in my top 10 albums of 2021. Moving in an orchestral pop direction seemed to inspire them, and me. But their 2017 album Pacific Daydream was in my bottom 10. Their other 2021 album, Van Weezer, also was disappointing.

In 2022, Weezer released 4 EPs, each one named after a season. SZNZ: Autumn, the third of the year, might be my favorite, but each of the EPs is a microcosm of this polarization. Gorgeous pop-smarts with a little bit of bombast and then some horribly dumb, cliche-ridden garbage that is borderline unlistenable. Some might say “Get Off on the Pain” is both. For me, it’s got just the right balance.

Archers of Loaf — Human

Archers of Loaf were one of those 90s-era bands that weren’t quite grunge and weren’t quite alt-rock. They didn’t break through to the mainstream but were a fairly successful part of the Chapel Hill indie-rock scene, releasing noisy-melodic critically acclaimed albums throughout the decade. 2022’s Reason In Decline was their first album in 22 years and is one of my favorites of the year.

Superchunk — Endless Summer

I didn’t mean to put two Chapel Hill bands side by side in this list, but that’s how it happens sometimes! Superchunk have been releasing new albums every 3-4 years since reforming in 2010. I would argue that their last 5 albums are even better than their first five from 1990-1995. Their latest, Wild Loneliness, is a bit more acoustic than the rest, but is no less filled with indelible melodies and intelligent commentaries on the world we all are living in. The perfect blend of nostalgia and timeliness.

Eels — Amateur Hour

Mark Oliver Everette (or “E”) has been recording music under the Eels moniker since 1991. I will admit to being a fair-weather fan of the ‘band,’ liking a lot of what I heard over the years, but not enough to become super excited. His bluesy, bar-band by way of singer-songwriter (I know that makes no sense) ramshackle way is appealing, but I suppose a little went a long way for me. “Amateur Hour” has a nice Keith Richards’-like riff and a hint of mid-era Replacements that makes me happy.

Wilco — I Am My Mother

I really could not get into the latest Wilco album Cruel Country. I wanted to. I gave it a few listens. But nothing came even close to sticking to me other than “I Am My Mother.” It’s a sentence I’ve probably written about myself more than once.

Flogging Molly — These Times Have Got Me Drinking (Tripping Up the Stairs)

Flogging Molly were/are the US version of The Pogues. I have always loved that Celtic-punk sound. The accordions and the penny whistles and the Bodhrán drum. And the tales of drunken misbehavior and pain. Flogging Molly pulled off that traditional Irish folk song by way of pub punk as well as any band could that wasn’t from Ireland.(I know singer Dave King is Irish, but they are a Los Angeles band). This song shows that they band is as tight as ever.

Jack White — A Tip From You To Me

In 2022, Jack White released two albums. The louder, heavier, electric Fear of the Dawn, and the quieter, more introspective and acoustic Entering Heaven Alive. I liked Fear of the Dawn more, as it sounded more adventurous and experimental. I was going to pick something from that album, but after playing both, I kept coming back to EHA’s opening track “A Tip From You to Me.” I think it’s because of the obvious Led Zeppelin thievery in the song’s chorus. When White sings: “Oh, will I be alone tonight?” it sounds just like Plant crooning “Oh, and it makes me wonder,” from “Stairway To Heaven.”

After being called out in his White Stripe days for his guitar licks sounding like Jimmy Page, I find it bold that he’s essentially borrowing a Robert Plant vocal riff from Led Zep’s most famous song. That takes balls and so it makes the list.

Alan Parsons — Fare Thee Well

I thought I’d end the list by going back to the ‘70s with Alan Parsons, who released From the New World in 2022. “Fare Thee Well” sounds like it could have been from Turn of a Friendly Card or I Robot. It’s got Parsons’ patented lush production, gorgeous melodies and enough sonic twists and turns to please the most discerning progressive music head. All in less than 5 minutes. A perfect last course to this hopefully filling (and fulfilling) retro meal.

Are there artists or bands from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s or ‘90s that put out new music in 2022 that have impressed you? Any from this list that you particularly liked or disliked?

I’d love to get your feedback in the comments!

Part 3 — songs 51-75 will arrive early next week. Expect a more current batch of artists for that one….