A year of comebacks, triumphs and defining moments, here are some of the best songs that 2022 has conjured.

A year is defined by the moments that take place within it, and 2022 was brimming with big ones for rock music. From heroic comebacks to huge milestones, it has had a bit of everything. And here, we have ten that have stood out from the rest that have made a hell of a statement in the last 12 months.

Here we go…

BLINK-182 – ‘EDGING’
Not only delivering one of the comebacks of the year, but blink-182 also reminded people why the Mark, Tom and Travis Show was such a phenomenon in the first place with their first music together in a decade. Cheeky, catchy and a powerful piece of catharsis for the trio as they wash their hands of the past and look to the future, you can’t help but smile at what ‘EDGING’ represents, simply because it felt like it might never happen.

WATERPARKS – ‘FUNERAL GREY’
Still cooling down after their phenomenal ‘Greatest Hits’ era, Waterparks got right back to it with ‘FUNERAL GREY’, the first taste of next year’s ‘INTELECTUAL PROPERTY’. Brimming with cutesy, flirtatious and steamy energy over a bright and breezy instrumental and with a Kim Possible reference for good measure, it’s a track that perfectly sums up the understated genius of the band and their knack for penning a perfect pop song.

PALAYE ROYALE – ‘FEVER DREAM’
In an era built on the fantastical, the title track of Palaye Royale’s new album’ Fever Dream’ stood out from the crowd. Dramatic, grand, romantic and dripping in old-school flamboyance and flair, it shows off Remington, Sebastian and Emerson at their most audacious and confident. A song that not only defines the band at this time, but one that may go on to define their whole career.

PVRIS – ‘ANIMAL’
Returning to the limelight after taking time to work on their new record, Lyndsy Gunnulfsen shared two new tracks to see out 2022. One was ‘ANIMAL’, which found her focusing more on the chaotic, experimental and unrestrained side of the PVRIS sound. Challenging the expectations and identities that are placed upon you and showing the world what you are truly made of, this is the sound of leaving nothing to chance anymore, and it couldn’t be more fulfilling.

STATE CHAMPS – ‘EVERYBODY BUT YOU’ FT BEN BARLOW
Delivering one of the year’s finest pop-punk releases in ‘Kings Of The New Age’, State Champs were also responsible for one of the genre’s finest moments too. A break-up song of the most enigmatic and electric quality, it also features one of the most infectious choruses that’s ever been stuck in your head, and Ben Barlow referencing ‘A Part Of Me’ is the cherry on top. A measure of just how fun pop-punk should be in three minutes and a fourty-seven perfect seconds.

NOVA TWINS – ‘CHOOSE YOUR FIGHTER’
Having one of the finest years of their career so far, every success in 2022 for Nova Twins was thoroughly deserved. And it’s because of songs like this. Spiky, savage and showered in undeniable attitude and intensity, the duo continue to go from strength to strength with smiles across their faces. British rock is in the safest of hands.

PIERCE THE VEIL ‘PASS THE NIRVANA’
Another huge comeback and a statement of intent for what is to come, Pierce The Veil’s first song in six years was near perfect. Part post-hardcore crusher, part 90’s grunge throwback, it all accumulates into a band showing off their passions and making up for time away in the most earth-shattering way possible. 2023 is theirs for the taking.

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE – ‘MASTERPIECE’

The shiniest diamond in the crown that was ‘Scoring The End Of The World’, ‘Masterpiece’ was more than just a hit for MIW. Awarding them their first Alternative Radio No.01 with good reason, it is a song filled with regret and sadness that still manage to make your soul feel like it’s been stuck by lightning. Showing off the band at their most emotionally crushing, it is a triumph in every sense and a song that will linger with you for years to come.

PARAMORE – ‘THIS IS WHY’

When it comes to a new chapter of Paramore, anything is possible and ‘This Is Why’ embodies that energy perfectly. Off-kilter, outrageously slick and overflowing with as much danceable joy as crippling anxiety, the title track of the band’s new album is about as instant a classic as you can get. And there’s nothing better than seeing them having the time of their lives playing it.

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE – ‘FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY’

Arriving out of absolutely nowhere on May 12, ‘The Foundations Of Decay’ feels like a defining moment in My Chemical Romance’s comeback. Six minutes of dark, destitute and dramatic story-telling and world-building, it is a crescendo unlike anything else they have produced up until now. Still draped in mysteries they will hopefully solve in 2023, we will all remember where we were when MCR showed that they mean serious business.