The Best Music You Didn’t Hear in 2022

From DJ-turned-producer Uncle Waffles’ club-filling take on Amapiano to singer/songwriter Hailey Whitters’ middle-American storytelling, some of the best music of 2022 may have slipped under the radar for some listeners. Even some great albums by veterans, including Willie Nelson’s poignant A Beautiful Time and Ozzy Osbourne’s unexpectedly strong Patient Number 9, may not have connected with as many listeners as they deserved.

The new episode of Rolling Stone Music Now is an exhaustive look at some relatively under-the-radar music from last year, drawing from Rolling Stone‘s lists of the best country and Americana and metal albums, as well as our first-ever list of the year’s greatest Afropop songs. (To hear the whole episode, listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or press play above.) Mankaprr Conteh, Kory Grow, and Joseph Hudak join host Brian Hiatt for the discussion.

Download and subscribe to our weekly podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, hosted by Brian Hiatt, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts). Check out six years’ worth of episodes in the archive, including in-depth, career-spanning interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey, Halsey, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, Brandi Carlile, Phoebe Bridgers, Rick Ross, Alicia Keys, the National, Ice Cube, Taylor Hawkins, Willow, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Dua Lipa, Questlove, Killer Mike, Julian Casablancas, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Marr, Scott Weiland, Liam Gallagher, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Donald Fagen, Charlie Puth, Phil Collins, Justin Townes Earle, Stephen Malkmus, Sebastian Bach, Tom Petty, Eddie Van Halen, Kelly Clarkson, Pete Townshend, Bob Seger, the Zombies, Gary Clark Jr., and many others. Plus, there are dozens of episodes featuring genre-spanning discussions, debates, and explainers with Rolling Stone’s critics and reporters.