The 50 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2022

Wow! What a year it's been for new music, and we're here to reflect upon the 50 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2022!

It's amazing to look at the amount of major acts putting out new records this year. There was so much that happened to Megadeth since their last album won a Grammy, leading to plenty of buzz and speculation about the music. Slipknot had us on high alert after dropping a new song in 2021. And Ozzy Osbourne gave us one of the more star-studded albums in metal history featuring a wealth of can't-miss collaborations.

You also had Red Hot Chili Peppers, now with John Frusciante back in the fold, doubling down and giving us two albums in 2022. That feat was also matched by Jack White who was long overdue for new music, so he dropped two new platters in 2022.

Meanwhile, acts such as Lorna Shore, Arch Enemy, Motionless in White and Polyphia really took that next step releasing some of the best music of their respective careers. But let's get down to it. Head below to check out all of Loudwire's picks for the 50 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2022.

Contributions by Rabab Al-Sharif, Chad Childers, Joe DiVita, Graham Hartmann, Jake Richardson, Lauryn Schaffner and Philip Trapp.

BEST OF 2022 PLAYLISTS: Click here for 2022's Best Metal Songs and click here for 2022's Best Rock Songs — over 150 songs in each!