For the year of 2022, there were 31,974 scrobbles from 4072 artists. Interestingly, that was a 3% drop in plays with a 6% jump in total artists, presumptively meaning that I ventured out to find more artists... or perhaps that I just found more that didn't require extra plays, haha. All in all, that equals 7.852 streams per individual artist.
Top genres were Rock, Alternative, Alternative Rock, Synthpop and Classic Rock, which I still believe is more of an indication of how things are tagged on streaming sites. The two most active hours were 9-10p and 10-11p, and interestingly enough they were only separated by 12 plays. Monday was easily the busiest day of the year, with 5165 total plays, an average of 99.33 plays per Monday.
Here's the key for the artist list:
TY. Artist (LY)
Top Track: Track (TY)
25. Rome (NR)
Top Track: Swords to Rust - Hearts to Dust (T65)
There are two potential reasons for the spike of Rome in 2022. One would be the fact that half of his albums were finally returned to streaming (after a legal battle with singer Rome Ramirez, whose use of the name "Rome" came far after the former's career was established) including the extremely popular 2009 album Flowers From Exile, which features the song "Swords to Rust - Hearts to Dust". The other is that Rome has long been a favorite of my wife, and I decided that this was the year I would finally lean harder into his music. While "Swords" was the only song with more than 7 plays, I did listen to 70 individual Rome tracks in 2022, and I expect that number to grow in '23.
24. Sam Cooke (6)
Top Track: (What A) Wonderful World (T51)
Make it 3 consecutive years for The Man Who Invented Soul, with Cooke also landing at #12 in 2020. Even though "Wonderful World" fell out of the Top 30 for the first time in 4 years, Cooke still ran a consistent campaign of plays and is still regarded as one of my all-time favorite singers.
23. The Broken Relics (NR)
Top Track: Rodeo (T104)
In 2019, The Broken Relics made their debut at #14 in spite of only having one six song EP of material available to the world. While the band is currently my favorite local act in Ohio, their numbers took a massive boost with the release of their second EP, Night in the Desert in November. I can all but guarantee that they'll be in all of the Year End Lists for 2023.
22. Switchfoot (NR)
Top Track: Dare You To Move (39)
Not a band that I expected to be on this list at the start of 2022, but also not a band that can ever be counted out. The curiousity of Switchfoot is that their first 4 albums are all massive nostalgia hits for me, and then it tails off from there. Switchfoot did release two new albums in '22, including a Christmas record, so it stands to reason that they'd get a minimal boost from that. At some point in the summer I started leaning more heavily into them, and they finished with 8 different songs registering at least five plays.
21. Mesh (NR)
Top Track: The Last One Standing (29)
Mesh was a regular when I started gathering numbers, landing at 4, 5 and 15 from 2018-20 before dipping out last year. The band is again carried by "The Last One Standing", one of my all-time favorite songs, and as a whole they registered nine different songs with at least 5 plays. These things are unpredictable, of course, but I firmly believe that if they ever release a new record, they'll stick in the most played artist list for good.
20. Colony 5 (NR)
Top Track: Synchronized Hearts (17)
Following the future/synthpop course, Colony 5 returns after landing at #18 back in 2018. They had 5 songs in double digits, including "My World" at 45 this year. Interestingly, I had a chance conversation online with their keyboardist this week and he said that while all of the respective entities within the band were doing other things, that Colony 5 wasn't officially dead at the moment. Whether or not that actually means anything remains to be seen, but it is always cool to get to talk to people who are in your favorite bands.
19. Sevendust (14)
Top Track: Home (T140)
Make it 3 consecutive years for Sevendust here, with 10 different songs registering at least 5 plays throughout the year. There really wasn't one month where things jumped or dipped off for them, and surprisingly their most played song last year (Story Of Your Life) finished with only 1 play in '22. As much as they seem to release a new record every other year, it is still their earlier material that resonates the hardest with me.
18. De/Vision (NR)
Top Track: The End (T127)
I suppose we're seeing a cylic return of electronic music - Mesh, Colony 5, and now De/Vision, who was also featured in 2018 at #24 before a 3 year hiatus. Despite only having one song in the top 200 most played, the German electronic pioneers actually has 62 different songs with streams, including 11 with at least 5.
17. Brave Saint Saturn (NR)
Top Track: Under Bridges (T159)
Something at the beginning of this year told me I had to listen to Brave Saint Saturn, and by February they had already achieved half of their total plays from 2022. Not that I ever need to be told to listen to one of my all-time favorite bands from my teenage years, but this is the first time in the 5 years that I've been keep track of these stats that they've landed on the most played artist list. Trends are curious like that.
16. Wolfsheim (21)
Top Track: Blind (T65)
There have been 7 artists who have made it each of the past 5 years, and Wolfsheim have been wonderfully consistent, tacking in at 8, 9, 14, 21, and now back to #16. The group locked in eight different songs with double digit plays, and averaged just over 14 plays per month. It's a shame their career was so brief compared to many other titans in the EBM world.
15. Apoptygma Berzerk
Top Track: Kathy's Song - Victoria Mix by VNV Nation (35)
Another remarkably consistent act, Apop has reached the top 15 in four of the five years that I've compiled these numbers, with "Kathy's Song" being the plateau each season. The band has continued releasing more albums of "B-Sides and Rarities" in the last two years, but also had 15 different songs notch at least 5 plays. As much as I would love actual new material from them, they continue to be one of the better remixers in the electronic genre.
14. Trans-Siberian Orchestra (5)
Top Track(s): Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24 - Instrumental and What Child Is This (T272)
TSO reaches the Top 25 for the third consecutive year, and just as BSS had the majority of their streams in the first quarter of the year, TSO lands theirs in the last. It is both an exercise of quality and quantity; 87 different songs with 9 of them getting at least 5 plays. They changed up their live show this year and it was as good as ever.
13. Circle of Dust (19)
Top Track: Chasm - Version 2.1.0 (T92)
Circle of Dust marks a 30 play jump from TSO, averaging just short of 18 plays per month. CoD have made it 4 of the 5 years as well, with #13 tying their highest showing from back in 2018. Klayton is a man of many projects, but he managed to put together an entire remix album from their self-titled record this year, and rode the strength of 13 different songs notching at least 5 plays in '22. As usual, their album Disengage finished in the top 10 (#6) of the most played albums of the year as well.
12. Five Iron Frenzy (NR)
Top Track: Dandelions (T79)
Last year marked the first time that Five Iron had slid out, landing at #28 on the year. I knew they were going to climb back in after they were announced for the Furnace Festival in Birmingham, AL over the summer, which I attended. I loaded up a playlist full of artists that I loved from the festival and played it all the way down there. That left me with 51 songs that had at least 2 plays, nine of which had at least 5. Five Iron is an artist that doesn't need to release new material - I enjoy tracks from all of their previous releases.
11. Forever Unknown (NR)
Top Track: sad people, blue eyes (1)
Forever Unknown make their first appearance on the strength of not only the #1 song of 2022, but 3 others that landed amongst the top 100 most played tracks. Their album Say It Back was also easily the most played record - an impressive achievement for only having 6 songs on it. I feel like I've sprinkled so many accolades on this band and album in the last month, and all of them are absolutely deserved.
10. Aurelio Voltaire (18)
Top Track: Land of the Dead (T178)
Make it 3 straight years for Voltaire after reaching #9 in 2020 as well. Considering the man has an entire playlist dedicated to himself and similar artists in my Spotify, I'd say it is no surprise to find him there. He released a new album at the very end of 2022 and I'm wondering how that will influence things for this year. Voltaire did end up with 12 different songs with at least 5 plays and averaged 20.33 plays per month, the first artist to have at least 20.
9. Matchbox Twenty (NR)
Top Track: Unwell (14)
I was surprised to find that M20 had never been among the most streamed artists in a single year, especially since they've had over 100 plays each of the last year 3 years. This year they burst through on the strength of #s 27 (The Burn) 26 (Last Beautiful Girl) and 14 (Unwell). Something about the Mad Season album really struck me early in the year, and the band as a whole had 15 different songs with at least 5 plays, including 6 with double digits. Mad Season ended up being the 2nd most played album as well.
8. Truslow (NR)
Top Track: Abbey Dear (6)
In 2019, Truslow was the 11th most played artist, and they returned in '22 on the strength of the 3rd most played album, Natural Killer. The group also had "Hurricane" at #30 and "Liar" at 49, highlighting nine different songs with double digit plays. For a band with only 21 different recorded tracks (two of which are interlude/intros), this is quite an achievement - 16 of those songs had at least 5 plays this year. Truslow also finishes as the most played local artist of '22.
7. Blindside (NR)
Top Track: All Of Us (T116)
Once Blindside was announced as a headliner for Furnace Fest, the race was on. I dug into all six of their albums and fell in love with their catalogue all over again. 15 different songs had at least 5 plays, and the band rocketed back onto this list after previously making it up to #25 in 2019. That show was arguably as memorable as any show I've ever seen, and I think those good vibes should carry them back next year.
6. Demon Hunter (11)
Top Track(s): The Negative and One Thousand Apologies (T79)
Make it 5 years in a row for Demon Hunter as well, with 2022 matching their highest showing (2019). They also played at Furnace Fest and released a new record at the very end of 2023. If history has showed me anything, it's that new DH records always climb the charts, but for 2022 the group had a whopping 18 songs with at least 5 plays, including 7 in double digits.
5. Cold (1)
Top Track: Cure My Tragedy (44)
Well, here's the surprise of the year for sure. Cold has finished at the top three of the four years I've done this, while finishing runner up in 2020. That's not to say that they didn't have another big year; their total in 2022 was also enough to be #1 last year, and was also 89 more than Demon Hunter had. I did get to see them live again in May, and they still notched 27 different songs with at least 5 plays each. They're coming to Columbus again in a few months and I'm sure their numbers will be as high as ever for '23.
4. Anberlin (4)
Top Track: Time and Confusion (T140)
Anberlin just eked by Cold (by 2 plays) to reclaim the #4 spot again. They've also been featured in all 5 lists and like Cold have been in the top 10 for each. Also, Cold and Anberlin had the same song as their most played the last two years, and they had 28 different songs with at least 5 streams. It's always big boy numbers at the top for the usual kings.
3. VNV Nation (2)
Top Track: The Farthest Star (3)
VNV fell back one spot while still notching 48 more plays than Anberlin and a healthy average of 35.58 per month. They had multiple songs in the Top 30 Most Played, including "Arena" at 13 and "Radio" at 23. All total they had 12 double digit songs, eight of which were in the 100 most played. There's always a lot of beef at the top for Ronan, and he has another new record coming next month!
2. Assemblage 23 (3)
Top Track: Dissonance (20)
A23 didn't just flip-flop with VNV, they beat them by 60 total scrobbles. Other high ranking tracks include "Disappoint" at 24 and their most played song of '21, "Endure" at 38. 15 in double digits, 29 with at least 5, and all of that being a year removed from a heavily streamed new record. I love Tom and his work and always tend to fall back on him in both times of sadness and joy. For the first several months of 2022 they sat at the top of the chart and threatened to take the #1 spot...
1. Rammstein (7)
Top Track: Lügen (4)
...but there was always someone lurking. Rammstein's new album Zeit was enough to keep them in the top 10 for the third time in 4 years, but it was seeing them live in August that really cemented their stop atop the most played artists. Zeit finished 8th among the most streamed records, but "Lügen" was the only song higher than T127 (Mein Teil). The band did manage to have an astounding 42 songs with at least 5 plays - that number alone would have landed them within the top 15. Simply put, it was a magnificent year for the tanz-metal overlords, as they become only the third artist to land at #1, along with Cold (3) and VNV (1).
All that being tabulated, we only 5 artists make their debut in 2021, and also had 12 drop back out - let's see where they fell.
Key: LY. Artist (TY)
8. Slipknot (86)
9. Korn (30)
10. Neuroticfish (T52)
13. OOMPH! (43)
15. Elvis Presley (T52)
16. Teenage Wrist (36)
17. Megaherz (48)
20. Johnny Cash (42)
22. Soundgarden (39)
23. The Beatles (T73)
24. CCR (40)
25. Eagles (35)
There's usually an artist or two from the year before that is completely burnt out and falls dramatically, but that was not the case for 2022. Even though Slipknot would've needed 65 more plays to crack the top 25, they didn't fall past the 2nd page. There are usually familiar names in the top 50 and this year was no exception. I'm not sure if many of those oldies will resurface, simply because I no longer play them at work anymore, but we will have to see how 2023 goes.
It is always worth nothing that these lists could not be possible without Last.FM and The Universal Scrobbler. Just as years previous, I'd say the vast majority of my plays came from Spotify, with bits and pieces coming from TuneIn, Pandora and YouTube. I actually listened to online stations (via TuneIn) more this year, which is where The Universal Scrobbler came in handy the most.
If I don't see you again, have a great musical year! I'll do a Local List soon and then we'll be back to the Monthly Recaps in February. This is also the 15 anniversary of the Top 20 Countdown, so I'm working on possible ideas to celebrate that.
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