Twostepcub's Biggest Hits of 2022: Part Ten - #10 to #1, and the whole she-bang....
Well, we're here, the last installment of my countdown of the biggest "hit" songs on my weekly music chart for 2022 has arrived. You can check out the rest of the series (including the 25 "also rans") by clicking here. And away we go...
#10 - "Numb Little Bug" - Em Beihold
from the EP Egg In The Backseat (2022)
Highest rank: #2 (three weeks)
Weeks on the chart: 29
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #18
Billboard Pop Airplay peak: #6
Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #9
Billboard Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #1 (four weeks)
Official British Singles Chart peak: #25
Songwriters: Em Beihold, Dru DeCaro, Nick Lopez
While newcomers Gayle and Lauren Spencer-Smith were busy railing against their exes, singer/songwriter Beihold went a different route, talking about her mental insecurities and the medications used to fight them. It's starkly real for such a musically sunny song, and people (including me) instantly clung to this. the bridge, which starts out "Do you ever get a little bit tired of life like you're not really happy but you don't wanna die" hits me to the core, and expresses how many feel but can't seem to find the words. Incredible. I hope she continues on in the footsteps of Sara Bareilles, with whom I really find similarities. One of my favorite songs hit or not of the year, this definitely deserves a place here (there's a reason why it stopped at #2, another song outdid it).
(Click below to see the rest of the post)
#9 - "Late Night Talking" - Harry Styles
from the album Harry's House (2022)
Highest rank: #1 (seven weeks)
Weeks in the chart (in 2022): 24 (still charting)
Hot 100 peak: #3
Pop Airplay peak: #1 (one week)
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #11
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #1 (one week)
Billboard Dance Airplay peak: #8
British Singles Chart peak: #2
Songwriters: Harry Styles, Thomas Hull (Kid Harpoon)
While this second single from Harry's House may have been overshadowed by its predecessor, I adored the conversational delivery of the lyrics of this synthpop bop. Harry was everywhere this year, from the music he put out to the movies he was in, from Don't Worry Darling to The Policeman to teasing his upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe stint as Eros (yes, the god of love). Last year Harry was at #32 on the countdown with "Golden".
#8 - "Heat Waves" - Glass Animals
from the album Dreamland (2020)
Highest rank (in 2022): #3 (one week) (went to #8 in 2021)
Weeks on the chart (in 2022): 36 (was on for 30 weeks in 2021)
Hot 100 peak: #1 (five weeks)
Pop Airplay peak: #1 (two weeks)
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #5
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #1 (two weeks)
Billboard Rock & Alternative Airplay peak: #5 (in 2021)
Billboard Alternative Rock Airplay peak: #1 (three weeks) (in 2021)
Billboard Adult Album Alternative (Triple-A) Rock Airplay peak: #17 (in 2021)
Dance Airplay peak: #5
British Singles Chart peak: #5 (in 2021)
Songwriter: Dave Bayley
Man, this song was inescapable for over two years - it was originally released in June of 2020 and had been a pandemic steadfast hit since. First finally conquering rock radio in the spring of 2021, the song had a decent run into my own top ten and placed at #28 on last year's countdown. But slowly and surely, as the song got picked up by pop stations and was a much-used track on the TikTok app, after the 2022 year dawned the song filled in the holiday music void and got a whole new life. It ended up spending a record 91 weeks on the Hot 100, and 107 weeks on the British chart. Maybe the single-chord forlorn monotony of the music was a symbol of people's lives on pause during the pandemic, maybe it was the lyrics which sardonically spoke of loss but was vague enough to be universally applied. If the points of the two years were combined this would've been #1 for sure (but oddly, beaten by another two-year straddler). The only disconcerting thing about it is the massive success of this single may have killed their career, since all follow-ups withered under its shadow, and the chance of being a Hot 100 one-hit wonder (which they are so far) is a very possible thing. A shame, Bayley deserves better.
#7 - "Black Summer" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
from the album Unlimited Love (2022)
Highest rank: #3 (two weeks)
Weeks on the chart (in 2022): 43 (still charting)
Hot 100 peak: #78
Rock & Alternative Airplay peak: #1 (fourteen weeks)
Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay peak: #2
Alternative Rock Airplay peak: #1 (four weeks)
Triple-A Rock Airplay peak: #3
British Singles Chart peak: #43
Songwriters: Red Hot Chili Peppers (Anthony Kiedis, Michael "Flea" Balzary, John Frusciante, Chad Smith)
The top rock airplay song of the year, "Black Summer" reunited the band with guitarist John Frusciante, who had last been with them on 2006's Stadium Arcadium. The tonal mood of the song harkens back to their breakthrough set Blood Sugar Sex Magik (and in particular "Under The Bridge") and that familiarity is what got fans right back on board. They released a second album later this year (as covered in the "bubbling under" post) but that didn't hold a candle to this song. I still don't get Kiedis' pornstar mustache though. The band was on the year-end list last back in 2016 with the big song from their last album, "Dark Necessities" at #27.
#6 - "Enemy" - Imagine Dragons featuring J.I.D
from the album Mercury - Act 1 (2021)
Highest rank: #1 (one week)
Weeks on the chart: 38
Hot 100 peak: #5
Pop Airplay peak: #1 (one week)
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #14
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #1 (three weeks)
Rock & Alternative Airplay peak: #2
Alternative Rock Airplay peak: #1 (nine weeks)
Dance Airplay peak: #10
British Singles Chart peak: #17
Songwriters: Imagine Dragons (Dan Reynolds, Ben McKee, Daniel Platzman, Wayne Sermon), J.I.D (Destin Route), Justin Tranter, Mattman & Robin (Matthias Larsson & Robin Fredriksson)
Imagine Dragons are the new Nickelback - the rock band critics love to make fun of, yet have (at least for a while) insane amount of success (jealous, much?). But as Nickelback were pushed from the mainstream consciousness from this barrage (they're currently on a "comeback"), Dan Reynolds and the crew so far haven't suffered as yet, infuriating the snoots (like a particular YouTube bald guy in glasses). They were on last year's top ten at #4 with "Follow You", and on 2018's top ten at #7 with "Whatever It Takes", and on the 2017's top ten at #2 with "Believer", and in 2013 they topped the list with "Radioactive" and were also at #4 with "Demons". So they have a decent history with me. This new one is a tie-in with a video game, namely League Of Legends, and its shouty stomp of a chorus stuck to my brain like glue. Rap newcomer J.I.D. puts in a very respectable cameo with his machine-gun fire speed verses.
#5 - "As It Was" - Harry Styles
from the album Harry's House (2022)
Highest rank: #2 (five weeks)
Weeks on the chart (in 2022): 35 (still charting)
Hot 100 peak: #1 (fifteen weeks)
Pop Airplay peak: #1 (seven weeks)
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #1 (eleven weeks)
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #1 (eight weeks)
Rock & Alternative Airplay peak: #28
Alternative Rock Airplay peak: #34
Triple-A Rock Airplay peak: #14
Billboard Rhythmic Airplay peak: #35
Dance Airplay peak: #1 (two weeks)
British Chart Singles peak: #1 (ten weeks)
Songwriters: Harry Styles, Thomas Hull (Kid Harpoon), Tyler Johnson
"You know it's not the same as it was in this world" could be the motto for the last three years, and this synthpop confessional from the former One Directioner conquered the world this year, spending a non-consecutive 15 weeks at the top of the American pop chart. Harry is the artist this year that placed two songs in the top ten, something he did in 2020 (the start of the pandemmy) with "Adore You" at #2 and "Watermelon Sugar" at #6. For this song to get rock radio airplay tells you how ubiquitous this single was, but at least it deserved it, with it's cribbed "Take On Me" vibe and all.
#4 - "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" - Elton John & Dua Lipa
from the album The Lockdown Sessions (2021)
Highest rank (in 2022): #3 (two weeks) (went to #1 for six weeks in 2021)
Weeks on the chart (in 2022): 40 (was on for 15 weeks in 2021)
Hot 100 peak: #7
Pop Airplay peak: #8
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #1 (14 weeks)
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #1 (one week)
Dance Airplay peak: #1 (14 weeks)
Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs peak: #1 (36 weeks)
British Singles Chart peak: #1 (one week)
Songwriters: Elton John, Bernie Taupin, PNAU (Nick Littlemore, Sam Littlemore, Peter Mayes), Chicken Lips (Dean Meredith, Andrew Meecham)
When I mentioned that "Glass Animals" would've been #1 for this year is all its 2021 and 2022 points were added, but it wouldn't be the biggest, it would've been bested by this track that peaked on my list last year and spent six weeks at the top and ended up #34 for the year. But this just wouldn't go away (in fact, it still is in the Dance/Electronic Songs top five to this day, I aged it off after a year), spending 40 more weeks slowly descending on the list. Sure, it's product, but it's ingenious product, pairing the veteran who hadn't seen the pop top ten in America since 1997's "Candle In The Wind" Diana mortem spectacular, with pop singer of that moment, Dua Lipa, who had last year's #1 song with "Levitating" as well as "Love Again" at #41 and "We're Good" at #65. Frankenstein-ing his classic "Rocket Man" to his mid-level 90s hit (and British #1) "Sacrifice", throwing in a dash of deep album cut "Where's The Shoorah?", having Australian duo PNAU putting is over a throbbing bassline cribbed from Defected club track "He Not In" by Chicken Lips, and a universal smash was concocted. Is it essential? Hell No. Is it booty-shaking enducing? Fuck yes.
#3 - "Easy On Me" - Adele
from the album 30 (2021)
Highest rank (in 2022): #1 (eight weeks) (was #1 for three weeks in 2021)
Weeks on the chart (in 2022): 25 (was on for seven weeks in 2021)
Hot 100 peak: #1 (ten weeks)
Pop Airplay peak: #1 (seven weeks)
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #1 (24 weeks)
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #1 (ten weeks)
Rock & Alternative Airplay peak: #33
Triple-A Rock Airplay peak: #2
Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay peak: #18
Billboard Adult R&B Airplay peak: #6
Rhythmic Airplay peak: #38
Country Airplay peak: #25 (in duet version with Chris Stapleton)
Dance Airplay peak: #6
British Singles Chart peak: #1 (eight weeks)
Songwriters: Adele (Adele Adkins), Greg Kurstin
It was like an old friend returning home. Adele, who had claimed two songs in the top ten on the 2016 countdown with "Hello" at #5 and "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" at #9, returned and returned big at the close of 2021 with her 30 album, and this song was the last to top my personal chart in the "chart year", but since it only had seven weeks behind it, it even missed the 25 also-rans (for the record it was #133). She made up for it this year, however, even though 2022 seems so long that "Easy On Me" seems from another era (like it's nominated for Grammys but people had moved on to Beyonce's). Here she does what she does best, pour her heart over a breakup song, this time pleading to have her past (presumably her exhusband and son) give her emotional time to process all of it. Its a very adult song, and thought out in the most cathartic way, and we as a world needed that this year (I know, I say that a lot).
#2 - "That's What I Want" - Lil Nas X
from the album Montero (2021)
Highest rank: #1 (ten weeks)
Weeks on the chart (in 2022): 33 (was on for nine weeks in 2021)
Hot 100 peak: #8
Pop Airplay peak: #1 (four weeks)
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #19
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #1 (two weeks)
Rhythmic Airplay peak: #19
Dance Airplay peak: #8
British Singles Chart peak: #10
Songwriters: Lil Nas X (Montero Hill), Omer Fedi, Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic), KBeaZy (Keegan Bach), Blake Slatkin
For all the shenanigans going on towards the LGBTQ+ community in America this year, it's very telling (and a sign that the phobes are a minority) that 2022 was buttressed by "Unholy", a #1 radio hit from two queer artists (one gay one trans) and this one from Lil Nas X, who completed his transformation from novelty rapper on "Old Town Road" in 2019 (where everyone thought he'd be a one-hit wonder) to his triumphant Montero album, which had already spun off two hits with "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" which was at #23 for 2021, and "Industry Baby", which placed at #64 (it's maddening that producer Kanye West had cocooned in a homophobic Nazi since then). "That's What I Want" is not a rap song, but rather an pop song influenced by R&B and alt-rock that clearly and in no uncertain terms is about gay love. The music video, a high school version of Brokeback Mountain, is groundbreaking for a major artist, and I certainly hope his momentum continues.
And here we are at the #1 song. Really, it couldn't have been anything else.
#1 - "About Damn Time" - Lizzo
from the album Special (2022)
Highest rank: #1 (eleven weeks)
Weeks on the chart: 32
Hot 100 peak: #1 (two weeks)
Pop Airplay peak: #1 (seven weeks)
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #13
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #1 (two weeks)
Triple-A Rock Airplay peak: #40
R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay peak: #10
Adult R&B Airplay peak: #2
Rhythmic Airplay peak: #1 (one week)
Dance Airplay peak: #1 (five weeks)
British Singles Chart peak: #3
Songwriters: Lizzo (Melissa Jefferson), Eric Frederic (Ricky Reed), Blake Slatkin, The World's Most Famous Supreme Team (Larry Price, Ronald Larkins Jr, Malcolm McLaren, Stephen Hague - for the sample of "Hey DJ")
The walking embodiment of positivity, Lizzo returned gloriously to the scene with this record that not only was a throwback to the disco era, it was the new disco era. After her breakthrough with "Truth Hurts" which was my #10 song of 2019, and "Good As Hell", which was #21 on my 2020 countdown, her fate was unsure (an interim single "Rumors" kind of stiffed). But bringing back Ricky Reed and embracing the message she's been attached to did the trick, and this song's lyrics are full of so many quotable lines that speak to the world trying to come out of this haze is an invitation few would pass up. She was my therapist. She was my encourager. "Tell me how you're healing" indeed.
And that's all for now. Here's my entire top 100 for 2022...
1. About Damn Time - Lizzo
2. That's What I Want - Lil Nas X
3. Easy On Me - Adele
4. Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) - Elton John & Dua Lipa (was #34 for 2021)
5. As It Was - Harry Styles
6. Enemy - Imagine Dragons featuring J.I.D
7. Black Summer - Red Hot Chili Peppers
8. Heat Waves - Glass Animals (was #28 for 2021)
9. Late Night Talking - Harry Styles
10. Numb Little Bug - Em Beihold
11. Shivers - Ed Sheeran (was #79 for 2021)
12. Sunroof - Nicky Youre & dazy
13. The Motto - Tiesto & Ava Max
14. Unstoppable - Sia
15. 'Til You Can't - Cody Johnson
16. ABCDEFU - Gayle
17. Ghost - Justin Bieber
18. Wild Child - The Black Keys
19. Do It To It - Acraze featuring Cherish
20. Love's Train - Silk Sonic
21. The Kind Of Love We Make - Luke Combs
22. One Right Now - Post Malone & The Weeknd
23. Break My Soul - Beyonce
24. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) - Kate Bush
25. Big Energy - Latto
26. Heart On Fire - Eric Church
27. She Had Me At Heads Carolina - Cole Swindell
28. Bad Habit - Steve Lacy
29. When I'm Gone - Alesso & Katy Perry
30. Don't Come Lookin' - Jackson Dean
31. 23 - Sam Hunt
32. Bad Habits - Ed Sheeran (was #16 for 2021)
33. Love Brand New - Bob Moses
34. Wasted On You - Morgan Wallen
35. Freedom Was A Highway - Jimmie Allen featuring Brad Paisley
36. One Mississippi - Kane Brown
37. Bones - Imagine Dragons
38. 2Step - Ed Sheeran featuring Lil' Baby
39. Damn Strait - Scotty McCreery
40. Where Are You Now - Lost Frequencies featuring Calum Scott
41. I Ain't Worried - OneRepublic
42. Truth About You - Mitchell Tenpenny
43. Numb - Marshmello & Khalid
44. Bam Bam - Camila Cabello featuring Ed Sheeran
45. Never Say Never - Cole Swindell & Lainey Wilson
46. Taking Me Back - Jack White
47. To Be Loved By You - Parker McCollum
48. Oh My God - Adele
49. Smoking Out The Window - Silk Sonic
50. Buy Dirt - Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
51. Here To Forever - Death Cab For Cutie
52. Half Of My Hometown - Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kenny Chesney
53. First Class - Jack Harlow
54. A Little Bit Of Love - Weezer
55. I Think I Like You - The Band CAMINO
56. Won't Stand Down - Muse
57. Ramon Ayala - Giovannie & The Hired Guns
58. Thinking 'Bout You - Dustin Lynch featuring MacKenzie Porter
59. Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home) - Elle King & Miranda Lambert (was #39 for 2021)
60. Hrs & Hrs - Muni Long
61. Boyfriend - Dove Cameron
62. Clarity - Vance Joy
63. Left and Right - Charlie Puth featuring Jungkook of BTS
64. Beggin' - Maneskin (was #62 for 2021)
65. Essence - Wizkid featuring Tems
66. Doin' This - Luke Combs
67. Better Days - NEIKED featuring Mae Muller & Polo G
68. 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) - Lizzo
69. Take My Name - Parmalee
70. So Good - Halsey
71. You Should Probably Leave - Chris Stapleton
72. Pressure - Ari Lennox
73. Circles Around This Town - Maren Morris
74. Never Wanted To Be That Girl - Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde
75. Message In A Bottle (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift
76. Light Switch - Charlie Puth
77. My Love - Florence + The Machine
78. Last Night Lonely - Jon Pardi
79. Wishful Drinking - Ingrid Andress featuring Sam Hunt
80. I Hate U - SZA
81. Moth To A Flame - Swedish House Mafia featuring The Weeknd
82. Where We Are - The Lumineers
83. Fingers Crossed - Lauren Spencer-Smith
84. Pepas - Farruko (was #84 for 2021)
85. Saved My Life - Andy Grammer & R3HAB
86. Green Green Grass - George Ezra
87. Love Dies Young - Foo Fighters
88. Love Me More - Sam Smith
89. Cold As You - Luke Combs (was #94 for 2021)
90. Afraid To Feel - LF System
91. Victoria's Secret - Jax
92. Escape - Kx5 featuring Hayla
93. Supermodel - Maneskin
94. Boy - The Killers
95. Glimpse Of Us - Joji
96. Half Of Me - Thomas Rhett featuring Riley Green
97. Crazy What Love Can Do - David Guetta, Becky Hill, & Ella Henderson
98. Forget Me - Lewis Capaldi
99. At The End Of A Bar - Chris Young featuring Mitchell Tenpenny
100. We Don't Talk About Bruno - Encanto Cast
And here they are all playlisted on Spotify...
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