
Listen to Berklee Artists Who Made 2022s Year-End Lists Electronic, hip-hop, country, jazz, and every style in between: Berklee artists worked on some of the years best releases-and critics took note.
By
John Mirisola
December 19, 2022
Theres no question about it: 2022 was a banner year for music. Whether youre looking at the biggest releases in pop, hip-hop, R&B, and country; the critical darlings of indie rock and jazz; or the ever-expanding space artists are forging between these genres and others, the year saw landmark releases from every corner of the music world. And as ever, the list of Berklee community members who contributed their talents to the years biggest stories in music is staggering-far too long to summarize in one article or playlist. There were TikTok breakouts, dozens of Grammy nominations (including for the colleges own Berklee Indian Ensemble), and now: year-end lists.
This playlist represents just a sampling of the albums and songs that critics at major outlets listed among the best music of the year. Below, listen to a selection of these tracks, and read on below the playlist to learn about the Berklee artists who contributed to each project.
P jaros en Verano, Ela Minus / DJ Python Pitchfork: Best Songs, No. 96, Pitchfork, Best Electronic Music
Gabriela Jimeno B.M. '13 (Ela Minus)
Track: P jaros en Verano
Crash, Charli XCX Pitchfork: Best Albums, No. 19
Amy Allen '15, songwriter, Move Me
Track: Move Me
Black Radio III, Robert Glasper NPR: Best Albums, No. 43; Best R&B Albums
esperanza spalding B.M. '05, composer, featured artist
Lalah Hathaway '90 '22H, featured artist
Track: Why We Speak
Pink Dolphins, Anteloper New York Times: Best Jazz Albums, No. 4
Jeff Parker '90, producer and guitar
Track: Delfin Rosado
In These Times, Makaya McCraven NPR: Best Albums, No. 7; New York Times: Best Jazz Albums, No. 9; Pitchfork: Best Albums, No. 18; Mojo: Best Albums, No. 19; Stereogum, Best Albums, No. 37; Stereogum: Best Jazz Albums; Bandcamp Daily: Best Albums; Boston Globe: Best Albums
Jeff Parker '90, guitarist
Track: Seventh String
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers and The Heart Part 5, Kendrick Lamar Complex: Best Albums, No. 1; Rolling Stone: Best Albums, No. 11; Pitchfork: Best Albums, No. 13; NPR: Best Albums, No. 20; Stereogum: Best Albums, No. 20; Paste: Best Albums, No. 32; Mojo: Best Albums, No. 34; Pitchfork: Best Songs (The Heart Part 5), No. 16; Boston Globe: Best Albums
Matt Schaeffer '12, engineer/mixer, songwriter
Emerson Mancini B.M. '08, mastering engineer
Tyler Mehlenbacher '14, songwriter
Troy Bourgeois B.M. '17, engineer
Andrew Boyd B.M. '16, engineer
Track: The Heart Part 5
COMETA, Nick Hakim Bandcamp Daily: Best Albums; NPR: Best R&B Albums
Nick Hakim B.M. '13
Andrew Sarlo '11, producer
Track: M1
Forfolks, Jeff Parker Mojo: Best Albums, No. 33; Pitchfork: Best Albums, No. 48
Jeff Parker '90
Track: Ugly Beauty
Special, Lizzo Rolling Stone: Best Albums, No. 91
Emerson Mancini B.M. '08, mastering engineer
Amy Allen '15, songwriter, If You Love Me
Track: If You Love Me
Good Person, Ingrid Andress Rolling Stone: Best Albums, No. 92
Ingrid Andress '13
Track: Good Person
Ashley McBryde Presents Lindeville, Ashley McBryde NPR: Best Albums, No. 50
Fred Eltringham '94, drums, percussion
Track: The Girl in the Picture
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You, Big Thief Paste: Best Albums, No. 1; NPR: Best Albums, No. 4; Pitchfork: Best Albums, No. 7; Stereogum: Best Albums, No. 8; Pitchfork: Best Songs (Spud Infinity), No. 33; Rolling Stone: Best Albums, No. 35; Boston Globe: Best Albums
Adrianne Lenker B.M. '12, guitar, vocals
Buck Meek B.M. '10, guitar, vocals
James Krivchenia B.M. '14, drums, vocals, percussion, producer
Track: Spud Infinity
Cyclic Journey, Marshall Gilkes DownBeat: Best Albums
Linda May Han Oh (faculty), bass
Track: Part IV: Beat the Clock
Ghost Song, C cile McLorin Salvant New York Times: Best Jazz Albums, No. 1; Slate: Best Jazz Albums, No. 1; NPR: Best Albums, No. 45; Boston Globe: Best Albums
Keita Ogawa '07, percussion
Todd Whitelock B.M. '89, associate producer, engineer, mixer
Alex Conroy B.M. '14, assistant engineer
Track: Ghost Song
Grief, Samora Pinderhughes New York Times: Best Jazz Albums, No. 10
Jack DeBoe B.M. '08, producer and engineer
Track: Rise Up
Trios: Chapel, Charles Lloyd '15H Slate: Best Jazz Albums, No. 5
Bill Frisell '77, guitar
Track: Ay Amor
Crooked Tree, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway Bandcamp Daily: Best Country Albums
Molly Tuttle '14
Playlist track: Crooked Tree
Harrys House, Harry Styles Rolling Stone: Best Albums, No. 5
Amy Allen '15, songwriter, Matilda
Track: Matilda
Bordeaux Concert, Keith Jarrett Slate: Best Jazz Albums, No. 4
Keith Jarrett '67, piano
Track: Part IX
Odesa, Vadim Neselovskyi Boston Globe: Best Albums
Vadim Neselovskyi (faculty), piano
Track: Potemkin Stairs
New Standards Vol. 1, Terri Lyne Carrington NPR: Best Albums, No. 19
Terri Lyne Carrington (faculty), drums
Kris Davis (faculty), piano
Linda May Han Oh (faculty), bass
Matthew Stevens B.M. '04, guitar
Julian Lage '08, guitar
Track: Circling
Related Categories
News
Playlists
Most Popular
Listen to Berklee Artists Who Made 2022s Year-End Lists Electronic, hip-hop, country, jazz, and every style in between: Berklee artists worked on some of the years best releases-and critics took note.
Latest
Berklee Professor Andrew List
Image courtesy of the artist
Rivers School Conservatory Commissions Berklee Composer Andrew List for Annual Seminar List joins the ranks of composers including John Cage and Joan Tower who have collaborated with RSC for their Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young.
New Music + Web
More from Berklee
19/03/2026
Berklee Popular Music Institute's 24th Showcase Channels '80s Prom Nosta...
19/03/2026
How Chris Bolte Builds the Sound of PlayStation Games Chris Bolte '16 is a technical sound designer at Sucker Punch Productions, where he helps create the...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched on Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
17/03/2026
Berklee City Music Stewards META Fellowship Supporting Massachusetts Music Educa...
13/03/2026
New Music USA and Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Announce 2026 Nex...
12/03/2026
Boston Conservatory to Timoth e Chalamet: We Care About Ballet and Opera Boston Conservatory at Berklee students and faculty respond to the actors recent comm...
11/03/2026
Richard Bona Joins Berklee for Signature Series Concert The Grammy-winning Cameroonian bassist and vocalist collaborates with students and faculty in a progra...
28/02/2026
Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band...
28/02/2026
Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles The Berklee Music Business Program and Electronic Music Production and Sound Design Workshop bring imme...
25/02/2026
Afrobeats Icon Tiwa Savage Joins Forces with Berklee to Empower African Talent In collaboration with Berklee Global, the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation will hos...
19/02/2026
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grants to Six Organizations A total of $25,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
February...
19/02/2026
Paramores Hayley Williams Praises Berklee Ensemble: Make Noise Williams acknowledged the Paramore Ensemble after their show at the Berklee Performance Center ...
14/02/2026
Boston Conservatory Orchestra Helps Peter and Leonardo Dugan Complete Their Dre...
11/02/2026
Graduate Spotlight: Gabrielle Rodriguez The educator, who grew up in the Philippines, shares how shes bringing what she learned at Berklee back home.
Februar...
09/02/2026
Berklee Presents Great American Songbook: What About Us-A P!NK Celebration Featuring a global cast of over 100 Berklee students, the two-night production will...
08/02/2026
The Alum Behind the Sound of the Super Bowl Joshua Sutherland BM '19 was recently interviewed by the Boston Globe about his role as music supervisor for t...
04/02/2026
Katie Vitolins Announced as Vice President of Alumni Products and Services An alumna and former trustee, Vitolins will lead the relaunch of Berklee's alum...
03/02/2026
Berklee Alumni Recognized at the 2026 Grammy Awards Winners took home trophies in 11 categories, including Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and Songwriter of ...
30/01/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Hosts the National Opera Association's 2026 C...
30/01/2026
Student Spotlight: Sriram Narayanan The classical pianist shares his experience growing up with a language disability and finding his voice through music.
Ja...
29/01/2026
Boston Conservatory Orchestra Presents East Coast Premiere of Peter and Leonardo...
28/01/2026
Boston Conservatory Orchestra Premieres a New Piano Concerto by Peter and Leonar...
20/01/2026
Berklee's Mark Ethier Named One of SPIN's Most Influential People in Mus...
16/01/2026
Graduate Spotlight: Nadia Castagna The educator, who grew up in Rochester, New York, shares how she went from Berklee to collaborating on meaningful programs ...
13/01/2026
Berklee Launches AIMS, an Artist-Centered Summit on Music and AI Hosted by the Berklee Emerging Artistic Technology Lab (BEATL), the event will focus on the i...
12/01/2026
Berklee International Folk Festival Celebrates 40 Years Featuring Grammy-winning alumna Arooj Aftab, the milestone concert and weeklong festival marks four de...
08/01/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Presents Second Annual Commercial Dance BFA Conce...
06/01/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Kicks Off Spring Center Stage Season in February Boston Conservatory at Berklee's Center Stage season continues this spring...
01/01/2026
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
22/12/2025
Berklee Wrapped 2025: Our Top News and Stories A look back at a year highlighted by faculty milestones, major film and television projects, Bob Dylan's ho...
20/12/2025
Barack Obama Includes Laufey on His 2025 Favorite Music List The former presidents roundup of books, music, and movies includes a song from the Berklee alums ...
19/12/2025
Berklee Announces Spring 2026 Signature Series This season's highlights include the Gospel Extravaganza, the 40th International Folk Festival, special gue...
19/12/2025
Ricardo Coke-Thomas Named Chair of Theater for Boston Conservatory at Berklee The distinguished theater educator, director, and performer will join the Conser...
17/12/2025
KPop Demon Hunters Stars Visit Berklee for Weeklong Celebration Andrew Choi and EJAE, who voiced the film's main characters and contributed to its soundtr...
11/12/2025
Boston Conservatory Earns Several Best of Accolades in 2025 Highlights include a faculty Grammy win, a seventh consecutive year on Playbill's list of coll...
11/12/2025
Happy Holidays from Berklee Enjoy this years holiday student-performance video.
December 10, 2025
By
Office of the President
Dear Berklee community,
As w...
05/12/2025
The Best Coldplay Songs: 21 Tracks That Shoot for the Stars From Yellow to Viva La Vida, Fix You to Paradise, this playlist goes back to the start.
December ...
05/12/2025
Zafris Lecture Series Brings Nabil Ayers to Berklee The 32nd annual James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture series was held on Thursday, November 13, with guest...
02/12/2025
Faculty Notes: Fall/Winter 2025 Recent accomplishments, releases, and events by Berklee faculty.
December 1, 2025
By
Editorial Staff
The cast of Kind of M...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
25/11/2025
Berklees Inaugural Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole Scholarship Awarded to Paris P...
22/11/2025
Seeking Advice for a New Opera, Laura Kaminsky Consulted the Experts: Her Studen...
21/11/2025
The Best Movie Musicals on Every Streaming Platform From Wicked to The Sound of Music, heres where to stream all the classic movie musicals and recent hits on...
20/11/2025
Graduate Spotlight: Krysta Mirsik DePuy The educator from Hackettstown, New Jersey, shares how it took her 11 years to find the right graduate program for her...
20/11/2025
Berklee Presents Holiday Extravaganza: Duke Ellingtons The Nutcracker Suite and ...
19/11/2025
Berklee's Signature Series Reimagines the Musical and Visual Artistry of Col...
18/11/2025
20 Bob Dylan Songs That Reflect a Legacy of A-Changin On the heels of Bob Dylan receiving a Berklee honorary doctorate, we take stock of one of the most singu...
14/11/2025
Boston Conservatory Orchestra to Perform at Carnegie Hall for United Nations Gen...