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
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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.
