ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2022: 17th Anniversary Edition

#77: TOPS - Perfected Steps - 120 points - 5 votes
#76: DJ Sofa - So Soft - 121 points - 5 votes
#75: Wet Leg - Ur Mum - 123 points - 4 votes
#74: Perfume - Spinning World - 124 points - 4 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#73: Asake - Peace Be Unto You (PBUY) - 126 points - 5 votes
TIE - #71: Yeah Yeah Yeahs with Perfume Genius - Spitting Off the Edge of the World - 127 points - 4 votes
TIE - #71: Bad Bunny - Tití Me Preguntó - 127 points - 4 votes
#70: Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul - It Hit Me - 128 points - 4 votes
#69: Carly Rae Jepsen - Talking to Yourself - 131 points - 4 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#68: Beyoncé - Virgo's Groove - 132 points - 4 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#67: Alvvays - Pomeranian Spinster - 135 points - 4 votes
TIE - #65: Panda Bear and Sonic Boom - Edge of the Edge - 135 points - 6 votes
TIE - #65: Horsegirl - Anti-glory - 135 points - 6 votes
#64: Vigro Deep ft. Murumba Pitch & Lady Du - Asijabule - 136 points - 3 votes
#63: Alex G - Runner - 137 points - 6 votes
#62: Carla Morrison - Diamantes - 138 points - 4 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#61: beabadoobee - Talk - 139 points - 5 votes
#60: Koffee - Pull Up - 139 points - 6 votes
#59: The Soft Pink Truth - Sunwash - 140 points - 5 votes
#58: Two Shell - Home - 140 points - 6 votes
#57: The Center for Understanding New Trigonometries - Common Shapes and Uncommon Shapes - 141 points - 5 votes
#56: Sky Ferreira - Don't Forget - 143 points - 5 votes
#55: The Beths - Silence is Golden - 144 points - 6 votes
#54: Oliver Sim - Hideous - 146 points - 5 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#53: Chat Pile - Why - 148 points - 5 votes
#52: Confidence Man - Holiday - 152 points - 4 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#51: Objekt - Bad Apples - 154 points - 4 votes
#50: NIKI - High School in Jakarta - 154 points - X5 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#49: Shabason & Krgovich - In The Middle of The Day - 157 points - 6 votes
#48: Carly Rae Jepsen - Western Wind - 159 points - 6 votes
#47: Momma - Speeding 72 - 160 points - 5 votes
#46: Ice Spice - Munch (Feelin U) - 160 points - 6 votes
#45: Omah Lay - Never Forget - 161 points - 6 votes
TIE - #43: Skeng - London - 162 points - 6 votes
TIE - #43: Lil Yachty - Poland - 62 points - 6 votes
#42: Carly Rae Jepsen ft. Rufus Wainwright - The Loneliest Time - 162 points - X6 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#41: Lady Aicha & Pisko Crane's Original Fulu Miziki of Kinshasa - Kraut- 167 points - 6 votes
#40: Arctic Monkeys - There'd Better Be A Mirrorball - 167 points - 8 votes
#39: Ibibio Sound Machine - Protection From Evil - 168 points - 5 votes
#38: death’s dynamic shroud - Messe de E-102 - 169 points - 5 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#37: The 1975 - Part of the Band - 170 points - 5 votes
TIE - #35: The Garden - Freight Yard - 174 points - 6 votes
TIE - #35: Mondo Grosso ft. Hikari Mitsushima - In This World (Extended) - 174 points - 6 votes
#34: Karol G - Provenza - 174 points - 6 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#33: Sudan Archives - Home Maker - 181 points - 7 votes
#32: Nilüfer Yanya - stabilise - 184 points - 6 votes
#31: Paramore - This Is Why - 186 points - 7 votes
#30: KH - Looking at Your Pager - 189 points - 7 votes
#29: Men I Trust - Billy Toppy - 192 points - 7 votes
#28: Beth Orton - Friday Night - 195 points - 7 votes
#27: Vitesse X - Us Ephemeral (George Clanton Remix) - 200 points - 7 votes
#26: Big Thief - Simulation Swarm - 204 points - 6 votes
#25: Jessie Ware - Free Yourself - 204 points - 9 votes
#24: Real Lies - Dream On - 206 points - 7 votes
#23: Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero - 208 points - 7 votes
#22: Rosalía - Saoko - 216 points - 8 votes
#21: Caroline Polachek - Billions - 219 points - 7 votes
#20: Braxe and Falcon with Panda Bear - Step by Step - 224 points - 6 votes - 2 #1 Track Votes
#19: Ethel Cain - American Teenager - 225 points - 6 votes - 3 #1 Track Votes
#18: The Beths - Expert In A Dying Field - 226 points - 7 votes
#17: SZA - Kill Bill - 231 points - 8 votes
#16: Real Lies - An Oral History Of My First Kiss - 232 points - 6 votes
#15: Destroyer - June - 234 points - 7 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#14: Shygirl - Firefly - 238 points - 8 votes
#13: Burna Boy - Last Last - 244 points - 8 votes
#12: Duke Deuce with Glorilla - JUST SAY THAT - 257 points - 8 votes
#11: Sevyn Streeter - 23 - 258 points - 11 votes
#10: Sudan Archives - Selfish Soul - 276 points - 9 votes
#9: NewJeans - Ditto - 277 points - 9 votes - 2 #1 Track Votes
#8: Tove Lo - No One Dies From Love - 305 points - 8 votes
#7: Harry Styles - As It Was - 316 points - 9 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#6: Sudan Archives - Freakalizer - 317 points - 9 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#5: DJ Python - Angel - 350 points - 11 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#4: Big Thief - Spud Infinity - 376 points - 9 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#3: Hikaru Utada - Somewhere Near Marseilles - 376 points - 15 votes
#2: Rema - Calm Down - 389 points - 14 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#1: Ruger - Girlfriend - 451 points - 14 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote

Results:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kYFwb3ju5ZnK1T8nJkOKmfqtQYoMej0Gf5Wu0c3uHLk/edit?usp=sharing

That’s it. Good night and good luck.

Don't fuck with me man

AI is not only bad at hands, it also doesn’t understand the concept of eye patches.

Sorry Ruger

Rex Ruger!

Have I heard this yet? ID even K

Another spike in Johnny Fever's ear

Did Girlfriend seriously win? It's not another fakeout? Because that was one of two tracks I thought could beat Calm Down and it would be acceptable (the other being Feel My Rhythm, of course).

If this is for real I am super duper delighted!!

...especially your DJ Python move...

lol i don't pay much attention and my memory is for shit but that must be the best top 3 one of these things has ever had

Agreed best top 3 ever

#2: Rema - Calm Down - 389 points - 14 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#1: Ruger - Girlfriend - 451 points - 14 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote

same number of votes and #1 votes, but look at that margin!

didn't vote for it but a worthy #1

really great results overall wow

It seems like only yesterday that afro-pop was condemned to the lower part of the poll.
Sad that this comes at the price of number of voters bleeding out, but I'm doing a little dance here.

the secret is *leans in* fewer ballots

Here’s the album of top 77 uncanny valley hands:

https://imgur.com/a/Y9NNVZ3

Mannnnnn

Fucking tune. Only heard it during the noms but goddamn. My number 5.

Brilliant rollout everyone!

We certainly do give a fuck.

lol i don't pay much attention and my memory is for shit but that must be the best top 3 one of these things has ever had

― satori enabler (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 22 February 2023 22:10 (forty-six seconds ago) bookmarkflaglink

balloon/not/jogging foreverrrrrr

this is cool tho haha

damn what a #1. found it too late to vote for it but yeah it bangs

I mean:

getting ready for tomorrow:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTn9kwIW9C-6w4waZY6OiX26YdHwc-FiQLTFw&usqp=CAU

🖼

ILM's Afropop contigent has taken the crown, well done lads.

Ruger certainly makes being a philandering scoundrel sound like being a charming scamp, I'll give him that.

This really was an extraordinary year for Nigerian music, so well deserved.

Man oh man I am so happy with this whole poll but especially the winner.

Baby, let me take a look.... Oh lord!

Another spike in Johnny Fever's ear

― Nabozo, Wednesday, February 22, 2023 5:09 PM

I'll never be a big fan of the "beats" part of Afrobeats, but at least this doesn't have the words/sounds repeating ad nauseam.

I am lost for words, I mean, what if I, what if I, what if I…

I don't mind the #1, but there was sure not much for me in this final stretch (I already knew & loved "Spud" – I suspect I was its sole voter last year – and was familiar w/"Calm Down," but prefer the version with Selena Gomez). These chilly club tracks, every year, I just don't get the appeal.

Thanks forks!

Thanks forks and Moka, an amazing run down. Great images and words too

great stuff. thanks all

I'm gonna do a proper write up of the tracks sooners. I hardly knew or voted for anything but there are a fair few new discoveries here

Calm Down was my #3 and Girlfriend my #17, but it's kinda funnier this way. But Calm Down, man what a song. First time I heard 'Rave and Roses' that one just stood out immediately. The whole thing is so simple, but I love how the bass and synth only pops in in the chorus. A bit amapiano.

Wahooo Ruger! Peeps should also check out his other stuff like Dion and Wewe

wow great top 3, thanks pollrunners!

Thank you to the poll-runners, it's been a delight as usual. I'm not fully on-board with the 'best top three ever' group but I do think it's been a pretty great year overall.

I mean I can’t think of another recent eoy ilm poll where I like a lot the tracks on the top 3.

2020 I loved Sault and Christine & the queens songs, but don’t think The 1975 song was as good.

Jordan S., take your flowers!

been loving ruger - "girlfriend" ... just a sublime song

― J0rdan S., vrijdag 8 juli 2022 22:10

of course, I knew better:

“Girlfriend” spells out his cock bandit persona times two. it’s a great song, but I love “WeWe”, another new track on his upgraded The Second Wave EP even better

(and equally of course, I was wrong, because "Girlfriend" has the hook of the year - but "WeWe" remains an absolute stunner too)

top marks to the pollrunners, ofc! patience under assail and fine images alike

holy shit what a top 3

Maybe Rema is the least interesting song for me in the top 3 but it was one of my favorite mainstream hits of the year or at least one of the few that didn’t make me want to switch stations.

I think forks has taken off but here’s the link to the results on Google: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kYFwb3ju5ZnK1T8nJkOKmfqtQYoMej0Gf5Wu0c3uHLk/edit?usp=sharing

thanks to the poll runners!

Hearing both 'Girlfriend' and 'Calm Down' for I think the first time is among other things making me wish DaVido's 'Aye' could've won in 2014 (that was just as romantic a jam but a fair bit faster with it).

capital V there is some weird thing I can't stop doing ha ha

thank you pollrunners! seandalai, moka and forks, you have done an exceptional job on all fronts.

singling out forks for today, the buildup along this fully unpredictable top ten was masterful, with maximum suspense. I absolutely loved it!

(oh, and on a totally unrelated note: what a great result! is afropop the new scandiwave?)

(oh, and am I still allowed to complain? there has been waaay too little amapiano!)

You certainly can’t complain about the lack of afropop recognition this year ;)

1 | Ruger - Girlfriend | 451 | 14 | 1
2 | Rema - Calm Down | 389 | 14 | 1
3 | Hikaru Utada - Somewhere Near Marseilles | 376 | 15 | 0
4 | Big Thief - Spud Infinity | 376 | 9 | 1
5 | DJ Python - Angel | 350 | 11 | 1
6 | Sudan Archives - Freakalizer | 317 | 9 | 1
7 | Harry Styles - As It Was | 316 | 9 | 1
8 | Tove Lo - No One Dies From Love | 305 | 8 | 0
9 | NewJeans - Ditto | 277 | 9 | 2
10 | Sudan Archives - Selfish Soul | 276 | 9 | 0
11 | Sevyn Streeter - 23 | 258 | 11 | 0
12 | Duke Deuce ft. Glorilla - JUST SAY THAT | 257 | 8 | 0
13 | Burna Boy - Last Last | 244 | 8 | 0
14 | Shygirl - Firefly | 238 | 8 | 0
15 | Destroyer - June | 234 | 7 | 1
16 | Real Lies - An Oral History Of My First Kiss | 232 | 6 | 0
17 | SZA - Kill Bill | 231 | 8 | 0
18 | The Beths - Expert In A Dying Field | 226 | 7 | 0
19 | Ethel Cain - American Teenager | 225 | 6 | 3
20 | Braxe + Falcon ft. Panda Bear - Step by Step | 224 | 7 | 2
21 | Caroline Polachek - Billions | 219 | 7 | 0
22 | Rosalía - Saoko | 216 | 8 | 0
23 | Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero | 208 | 7 | 0
24 | Real Lies - Dream On | 206 | 7 | 0
25 | Jessie Ware - Free Yourself | 204 | 9 | 0
26 | Big Thief - Simulation Swarm | 204 | 6 | 0
27 | Vitesse X - Us Ephemeral (George Clanton Remix) | 200 | 7 | 0
28 | Beth Orton - Friday Night | 195 | 7 | 0
29 | Men I Trust - Billy Toppy | 192 | 7 | 0
30 | KH - Looking at Your Pager | 189 | 7 | 0
31 | Paramore - This Is Why | 186 | 7 | 0
32 | Nilüfer Yanya - stabilise | 184 | 6 | 0
33 | Sudan Archives - Home Maker | 181 | 7 | 0
34 | Karol G - Provenza | 174 | 6 | 1
35 | Mondo Grosso ft. Hikari Mitsushima - In This World (Extended) | 174 | 6 | 0
35 | The Garden - Freight Yard | 174 | 6 | 0
37 | The 1975 - Part of the Band | 170 | 5 | 0
38 | death’s dynamic shroud - Messe de E-102 | 169 | 5 | 1
39 | Ibibio Sound Machine - Protection From Evil | 168 | 5 | 0
40 | Arctic Monkeys - There'd Better Be A Mirrorball | 167 | 8 | 0
41 | Lady Aicha & Pisko Crane's Original Fulu Miziki of Kinshasa - Kraut | 167 | 6 | 0
42 | Carly Rae Jepsen ft. Rufus Wainwright - The Loneliest Time | 162 | 6 | 1
43 | Lil Yachty - Poland | 162 | 6 | 0
43 | Skeng - London | 162 | 6 | 0
45 | Omah Lay - Never Forget | 161 | 6 | 0
46 | ice spice - munch (feelin u) | 160 | 6 | 0
47 | Momma - Speeding 72 | 160 | 5 | 0
48 | Carly Rae Jepsen - Western Wind | 159 | 6 | 0
49 | Shabason & Krgovich - In The Middle of The Day | 157 | 6 | 0
50 | NIKI - High School in Jakarta | 154 | 5 | 1
51 | Objekt - Bad Apples | 154 | 5 | 0
52 | Confidence Man - Holiday | 152 | 4 | 1
53 | chat pile - why? | 148 | 5 | 0
54 | Oliver Sim - Hideous | 146 | 5 | 1
55 | The Beths - Silence is Golden | 144 | 6 | 0
56 | Sky Ferreira - Don't Forget | 143 | 5 | 0
57 | The Center for Understanding New Trigonometries - Common Shapes and Uncommon Shapes | 141 | 5 | 0
58 | Two Shell - Home | 140 | 6 | 0
59 | The Soft Pink Truth - Sunwash | 140 | 5 | 0
60 | koffee - pull up | 139 | 6 | 0
61 | beabadoobee - talk | 139 | 5 | 0
62 | Carla Morrison - Diamantes | 138 | 4 | 1
63 | Alex G - Runner | 137 | 6 | 0
64 | Vigro Deep ft. Murumba Pitch & Lady Du - Asijabule | 136 | 3 | 0
65 | Horsegirl - Anti-glory | 135 | 6 | 0
65 | Panda Bear/Sonic Boom - Edge of the Edge | 135 | 6 | 0
67 | Alvvays - Pomeranian Spinster | 135 | 4 | 0
68 | Beyoncé - Virgo's Groove | 132 | 4 | 1
69 | Carly Rae Jepsen - Talking to Yourself | 131 | 4 | 1
70 | Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul - It Hit Me | 128 | 4 | 0
71 | Bad Bunny - Tití Me Preguntó | 127 | 4 | 0
71 | Yeah Yeah Yeahs ft. Perfume Genius - Spitting Off the Edge of the World | 127 | 4 | 0
73 | Asake - Peace Be Unto You (PBUY) | 126 | 5 | 0
74 | Perfume - Spinning World | 124 | 4 | 1
75 | Wet Leg - Ur Mum | 123 | 4 | 0
76 | DJ Sofa - So Soft | 121 | 5 | 0
77 | tops - perfected steps | 120 | 5 | 0
78 | Beth Orton - Weather Alive | 120 | 4 | 0
79 | Asake ft. Burna Boy - Sungba (Remix) | 118 | 4 | 1
80 | Caroline Polachek - Sunset | 118 | 4 | 0
81 | Hatchie - Lights Out | 118 | 3 | 0
82 | Sudan Archives - NBPQ (Topless) | 116 | 4 | 1
83 | Jamie XX - Let's Do It Again | 116 | 3 | 0
84 | Raye ft. 070 Shake - Escapism. | 114 | 5 | 0
85 | Red Velvet - Feel My Rhythm | 114 | 3 | 0
86 | Fever Ray - What They Call Us | 113 | 3 | 1
87 | Tyla - To Last | 112 | 5 | 0
88 | Little Simz - Gorilla | 112 | 4 | 0
88 | Megan Thee Stallion - Her | 112 | 4 | 0
90 | Veeze - let it fly | 112 | 3 | 1
91 | Kendrick Lamar - Rich Spirit | 111 | 6 | 0
92 | Rhyw - Honey Badger | 111 | 4 | 1
93 | Sza - Shirt | 110 | 3 | 1
94 | Charli XCX - Yuck | 110 | 3 | 0
94 | Hyolyn - Over You | 110 | 3 | 0
96 | Dry Cleaning - Gary Ashby | 107 | 4 | 0
97 | Angel Olsen - Big Time | 106 | 5 | 0
98 | Phoenix ft. Ezra Koenig - Tonight | 106 | 4 | 1
99 | Beyoncé - Break My Soul | 106 | 4 | 0
99 | Jim Legxacy - dj | 106 | 4 | 0

get acquainted with Ruger’s entry in the 2023 EOY:

”Asiwaju”