In the first six months of 2022, there has been a steady stream of new music releases: pleasant surprises, anticipated projects and unreleased sounds.

For some, it was a long time coming: Tears for Fears released his first studio LP in 18 years, Eddie Vedder unveiled his first solo album in over a decade and Jethro Tull released his first studio album since 2003. D others work feverishly. : Jack White released the first of two albums this year and the Black Keys released a new record almost exactly a year after their last.

Some artists have explored different soundscapes: Wilco embraced his debut with an album of country songs, while Dave Grohl dabbled in heavy metal, releasing an album just hours before his Foo Fighters bandmate Taylor Hawkins was found dead in his hotel room. Some decided to breathe new life into old songs: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band gave their take on a collection of Bob Dylan numbers, while artists like David Byrne, Yo La Tengo and the Flaming Lips recorded renditions of Yoko Ono songs for a compilation.

A whole new band has also arrived on the scene. The Smile – a trio with Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Jonny Greenwood with Tom Skinner of Sons of Kemet – have released their first studio album.

All of these and more can be found in the below list of the top 20 rock albums of 2022 (so far.)