Since I started working with Flyctory.com, I present you a list of my favorite songs at the end of every year. While I started with just five songs in 2018, I already split between country music and non-country music in my 2019 posting. Since then, things don’t innovate that much, the 2020 post and 2021 post only slightly differ by the number of songs I present. No changes for 2022 – here are my ten favorite listens, with a special list for country music and a song which was outstanding to me in 2022, even though it has been recorded earlier. Enjoy my list – and enjoy discussing with me – if you like.
My Favorite Non-Country Songs in 2022
Despite I established the Songs of the Week category on Flyctory.com in late 2021, it feels more and more difficult to me to identify songs in 2022, which I really liked on the one hand – and which also accompanied and maybe influenced me for more than a few weeks. Finally, these ten ones made it. If I saw that correctly, by the way – none of the tracks listed here are in the Top 50 of the German Annual Singles Charts for 2022. So… Enjoy some surprises.
10. Love Yourself by Sophie B. Hawkins
Sophie B. Hawkins is back! Thirty years after her amazing Tongues and Tails album release (she has been on tour with it in 2022), there is a new track by the New York City artist. Listening to Love Yourself made me think so much about her big songs like Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover. Very good song with memories.
9. Becky’s So Hot by Fletcher
2022 has been the year of Fletcher. Not only her debut album Girl of My Dreams and the corresponding tour, but also songs like Becky’s so hot made me listen to her quite a lot. I feel there will be a lot of great new music the next years by this US-American artist.
8. This Road of Mine by Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly is an Irish-US-American band which is mixing Celtic folk sounds with punk rock. Based in Los Angeles, they are active since 1994 – and songs like The Road of Mine simply show how much fun Dave King and his bandmates can be.
7. I”m Alive by Börni
After starting with three acts with at least partial US-American background, Swiss Börni is the first “full” European artists on my list. Her debut album Two Truths was very solid, but the song I’m Alive stayed in my mind for very long. So, here she is.
6. Fire It Up by Def Leppard
I am already spoiling that Def Leppard will appear twice in this posting. Diamond Star Halos has been a great 2022 album release, Fire It Up is my absolute hard rock favorite from the Sheffield band. But there will be another one… Maybe one of the biggest surprises of my year 2022.
5. Für diesen Moment by Alexander Eder
Austrian Alexander Eder is simply one of the most outstanding voices in German speaking countries. He absolutely impressed me in 2022 with several single releases and some really nice collaborations. The review of his 2020 album Schlagzeilen is one of the most frequently read postings on this website – I am sure you will have much more music of him in the future in here.
4. More To This Life by Max Giesinger & Michael Schulte
More To This Life is an amazing collaboration of two great German artists. Michael Schulte is well-known as a German The Voice contestant and former German competitor at the European Song Contest. Max Giesinger has also been boosted by the German talent show. The 2022 musical result is simply magical.
3. Bauer is a geile Hackn by Hannah
Hannah’s September album Kuhrios contained this one song which just did not leave me any more. The title Bauer is a geile Hackn literally translates to “The Farmer is a hot heel” – schlager meets pop and fun in here. I simply love it. Apart from that, this is one out of three songs by an Austrian artist in this list.
2. All 4 Nothing (I’m So In Love) by Lauv
58 million streams on Spotify – I am really relieved that at least “some” people like some of the music I am presenting in here. The San Francisco-origin artist had quite a lot of success with this 2022 track – and I liked it as well. Sometimes I am a bit of mainstream.
My Favorite Non-Country Song 2022:
You Got The Best of Me by Journey
The band that gave me Don’t stop believin’. The band I just cannot wait to see at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto in March 2023. Steve Perry is no longer active – but Journey are simply doing great – like in my Song of the Year 2022.
My Favorite Song during 2022, which has been recorded in previous years
I Like It, I Love It by Tim McGraw
Yeah, I have to admit that this song became more prominent to me, as it is also the goal jingle of the Nashville Predators. Day 6 of my great Pittsburgh Penguins trip in March 2023 lead to a loss for my team… and a song which I did not get out of my head. And it made me smile very often – so the bad memories at least haven’t been too deep.
My Favorite Country Songs in 2022
Even though I try to balance a bit more between the genres, country music is by far the dominating style on Flyctory.com. Here are my ten favorites of the year.
10. I’ll Be There For You by Pete Wolf Band
My non-country list came with a lot of US artists – so let’s start with a German act on the country side. The man behind the Pete Wolf Band is nobody but Germany’s schlager legend Wolfgang Petry. With his alter ego, he is doing really nice Americana sounds. Like the beautiful I’ll be there for you.
9. Me & My Old Man by Kyle Daniel
Kyle Daniel is one of the most underrated songwriters to me. His August 2022 show in Cologne did underline that to me another time. Kyle Daniel simply deserves to be listed in here. Me & My Old Man is great storytelling.
8. Knock by Brooke Eden
The July EP release Choosing You is a lovely set of love songs by Brooke Eden. Her music is great and it is also impressing to feel all the love between this amazing artist and her wife. Knock is a song, which I just cannot stop listening to.
7. 5 Foot 9 by Tyler Hubbard
While I might not be too commercial and mainstream in my taste of non-country music, there are some big sellers on the country music side. Tyler Hubbard’s 5 Foor 9 is one of them. I love it, North America loves it. Join the movement!
6. The Bad Guy by Kaylee Rose
Despite she had a hard year in private life, I really loved to follow the development of Kaylee Rose and her music in 2022. She grew a lot during the last twelve months and recorded some really great songs. Howdy has been a country party ever since, but The Bad Guy shows a very different, but not less fascinating side of her music. Look forward to her music next year.
5. Call Out The Sun by Jördis Tielsch
I am sure that there are not too many country music Best of lists for 2022, who include German artist Jördis Tielsch. However, this lady simply deserves it – not just because of the nice country-folk blend in her 2022 album New Mornings. The song Call Out The Sun simply made my life a bit brighter.
4. This Guitar by Def Leppard feat. Alison Krauss
Oh, the Sheffield guys. They are here as well. What are the hard rockers doing? Hmm, they recorded a die-hard country song alongside Alison Krauss. And they did amazing in it. Thus, you find the legendary Def Leppard in the country music list as well.
3. Copy, Paste, Repeat by Kenny Foster
Kenny Foster is just an amazing storyteller. His 2022 songs were great, I enjoyed his new album Somewhere in Middle America. But this song is simply outstanding in his portfolio of the year. Great one!
2. Thank God by Kane & Katelyn Brown
That’s the way you do it. Marry a great lady, who is even having an amazing voice as well. And then recording a duet. About love. That’s definitely my love song of the year – great recording by Kane Brown – hope is bringing his wife with him on his European tour. .
My Favorite Country Song 2022:
She Had Me At Heads Carolina by Cole Swindell
I just have to state: I am a bit of proud of myself: I put this one in my playlist in Apri 2022 already, just when the album Stereohype has been released. There is no even a version with the amazing Jo Dee Messina, who is somehow covered or quoted in this song. What a great song and what a lovely reference to 1990’s country. Fantastic listen by Cole Swindell.
All “classic” blog posts
No reviews – just debating and certain topics – these are my “traditional” blog posts in the categories Just blogging, Just blogging on music and Sports Blogging:
Flyctory.com about Weird Al Yankovic
Here are all postings related to Weird Al Yankovic: