The 2022 Year-End Alternative Chart Rankdown (REVEALING)

[Red]

Jan 17, 2020 21:58:38 GMT -5 Red said:

I think this is the right time to make this announcement. I've been thinking, and, honestly, while it has been really fun to host the 2017, 2018, AND 2019 Alt rankdowns, I think that it's about time for new hosts to step in and host one of these. So I guess this is where I announce that I will not be hosting Alt 2020...and, unless someone is really convincing, any more rock chart rankdowns, really. This is, almost assuredly, going to be the last one I host.

THE 2022 YEAR-END ALTERNATIVE CHART RANKDOWN

It's been three years since I said that 2019 Alt was going to be the last rock chart rankdown I would host. I really thought that was it, too. At the end of last year's Alt RD, though, I started thinking about how much fun it would be to host one of these with two co-hosts instead of just one, especially after having hosted the 2011 Hot 100 re-do RD with wrip and fearless. That's how I was roped into hosting Alt 2022...though, really, the allure of hosting one more time was just too strong for me to overcome. Those of you who have been around since those days all knew this was going to happen eventually. It was only a matter of time.

(I swear, it's not because the last time I hosted an Alt RD was also the last time Muse showed up in one. That's a false rumor.)

Of course, there was also no way that I was going to handle this task alone. We've come a long way from the days where I hosted 2017 Alt on my own, putting everything into a Wordpad document. Asking me to host this rankdown without help would have been a disaster. Who is joining me on this path to Alt supremacy? Well, I've co-hosted multiple rankdowns with one of them in the past, including, to this day, my favorite ever rankdown that I hosted. I've been looking forward to the next time I got the opportunity to host a rankdown with lyhom for a long time. I doubt it's going to be as chaotic as the 2001 Hot 100 RD was, but I'm sure it'll provide entertainment all the same. The other co-host? He's just starting to get his feet wet in hosting big rankdowns, and I figured that it would be fun to add a new voice to the proceedings, instead of just revisiting the past. I can't wait to see what razorshark brings to the table.

What does 2022 as a whole bring to the table? In a way, it feels like a continuation of the changes that swept the format in 2021: Many first time appearances, pop punk continuing to make noise, the old guard continuing to provide some of the biggest hits (including a big return from Red Hot Chili Peppers), some old faces making waves years after their first charters, rock's continued presence on the format, etc. There's a lot of familiarity to be had with this year's list, though it also has its share of twists and turns.

Now, you may be asking, "Hey, Red, how is this rankdown going to work, exactly?" Or you may be asking, "Where's the songs, you long-winded old man?" To the second question, I say, "I have mod powers now, so be careful." To the first question, well, I'm glad you didn't ask, first time rankdown participants!

- This is a rankdown where we will be ranking the top 100 Billboard Alternative hit songs of 2022, though it has been edited to take out both repeats and songs that will be featured in 2023. As always, Daryl the Beryl deserves all of the credit in the world for putting together these year-end lists every year.
- Points will be calculated using an inverse point system: your #1 song will receive 100 points, and your #100 song will receive 1 point.
- Once the deadline has passed, all submissions will be counted and the points for every song will be tallied up. From there, each song will be revealed from 100 to 1, with every participant's rankings being revealed in each subsequent reveal.

Some more rules to cover:
1) Do not listen to 30 seconds of a song and then skip past it, especially if you have never heard the song before. Every song must be listened to in their entireties. It's okay if you've listened to a song in the past and rank based on memory, though it doesn't hurt to listen to a song you've already listened to as a refresher course.
2) Rank all of the songs from #1 (your favorite) to #100 (your least favorite).
3) Rank the songs based on your personal preference, not strategically. If you don't like a popular song that you know will do well, then you don't like a popular song, but don't rank said popular song low if you like it just because you don't want it to do as well as another song or songs.
4) PM your lists to the three co-hosts (Red , lyhom , and razorshark ), ideally in the same PM and not separately. If you do not send your list to all three of the co-hosts, your list will not be counted.
5) You can send your lists to us with or without numbers, but please format your lists the same way as the list provided below. It will make it so much easier for us to put your lists into the calculations if you change nothing.
6) Even if you have already sent your list, you can PM us any changes you'd like to make until submissions are closed. Once the deadline passes, all lists become finalized, and you cannot make any changes to your lists.
7) And here's the big one: The deadline for this Alt rankdown is January 22nd at 11:59pm US Eastern, which gives everyone four weeks to submit. If you think that you might be late, you need to let us know at least an hour or two before the deadline to ensure that your list will be counted before the deadline passes.

Finally, thanks to Daryl the Beryl , as always, here are the top 100 Alternative hit songs of 2022!


1. Imagine Dragons & JID - Enemy
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Black Summer
3. Måneskin - Beggin'
4. BoyWithUke - Toxic
5. Bob Moses - Love Brand New
6. Imagine Dragons - Bones
7. The Black Keys - Wild Child
8. Weezer - A Little Bit of Love
9. twenty one pilots - The Outside
10. Måneskin - Supermodel
11. Jack White - Taking Me Back
12. Giovannie and the Hired Guns - Ramon Ayala
13. Muse - Won't Stand Down
14. The Lumineers - Where We Are
15. The Lumineers - Brightside
16. Portugal. The Man - What, Me Worry?
17. Vance Joy - Clarity
18. Turnstile - Mystery
19. Cafuné - Tek It
20. Milky Chance - Colorado
21. The Killers - Boy
22. Death Cab for Cutie - Here to Forever
23. YUNGBLUD - Fleabag
24. Wilderado - Head Right
25. Jack White - What's the Trick?
26. The Maine, Taking Back Sunday & Charlotte Sands - Loved You a Little
27. Florence + the Machine - My Love
28. Panic! At the Disco - Viva Las Vengeance
29. Foo Fighters - Love Dies Young
30. Daisy the Great & AJR - Record Player
31. girl in red - I'll Call You Mine
32. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats - Survivor
33. Dirty Heads - Life's Been Good
34. Glass Animals - I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)
35. YUNGBLUD - The Funeral
36. Gorillaz f/ Thundercat - Cracker Island
37. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Tippa My Tongue
38. AJR - I Won't
39. Foals - Wake Me Up
40. Bring Me the Horizon - Die4U
41. Maggie Rogers - Want Want
42. RÜFÜS DU SOL - On My Knees
43. My Chemical Romance - The Foundations of Decay
44. Rex Orange County - Keep It Up
45. Sam Fender - Seventeen Going Under
46. Wolf Alice - Smile
47. Muse - Compliance
48. COIN - Chapstick
49. Milky Chance - Synchronize
50. Phoenix - Alpha Zulu
51. Highly Suspect - Natural Born Killer
52. Coldplay & BTS - My Universe
53. Wet Leg - Chaise Longue
54. The Offspring - Behind Your Walls
55. GAYLE - Abcdefu
56. WALK THE MOON - Giants
57. The Head and the Heart - Virginia (Wind in the Night)
58. The Regrettes - Monday
59. Kings of Leon - Time in Disguise
60. Jimmy Eat World - Something Loud
61. The Interrupters - In the Mirror
62. Silversun Pickups - Scared Together
63. almost monday - Sun Keeps on Shining
64. The War on Drugs f/ Lucius - I Don't Live Here Anymore
65. Marcus Mumford - Grace
66. A Day to Remember f/ Mark Hoppus - Re-Entry
67. Arcade Fire - Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)
68. Rise Against - Talking to Ourselves
69. Modest Mouse - The Sun Hasn't Left
70. Ripe - Settling
71. The 1975 - Part of the Band
72. Matt Maeson - Blood Runs Red
73. Bastille - Shut Off the Lights
74. Avril Lavigne - Bite Me
75. Machine Gun Kelly & WILLOW - Emo Girl
76. Shinedown - Daylight
77. girlfriends - High Again
78. Jelly Roll - Dead Man Walking
79. The Wombats - If You Ever Leave, I'm Coming with You
80. alt-J - U&Me
81. Wet Leg - Wet Dream
82. Oliver Tree - Life Goes On
83. The Black Keys - It Ain't Over
84. Coldplay - People of the Pride
85. Mother Mother - Hayloft II
86. Bleachers - How Dare You Want More
87. Jagwar Twin - Happy Face
88. Palaye Royale - Broken
89. The Interrupters - Raised by Wolves
90. Spoon - The Hardest Cut
91. AWOLNATION f/ Tim McIlrath - Beds Are Burning
92. Culture Wars - Faith
93. Surfaces - I Can't Help But Feel
94. Young the Giant - Wake Up
95. Wallows - Especially You
96. half·alive - Move Me
97. Red Hot Chili Peppers - These Are the Ways
98. Inhaler - Cheer Up Baby
99. Foals - 2am
100. Giant Rooks - Morning Blue

And here's the list without numbers:

SPOILER: Click to show

{LIST WITHOUT NUMBERS}Imagine Dragons & JID - Enemy
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Black Summer
Måneskin - Beggin'
BoyWithUke - Toxic
Bob Moses - Love Brand New
Imagine Dragons - Bones
The Black Keys - Wild Child
Weezer - A Little Bit of Love
twenty one pilots - The Outside
Måneskin - Supermodel
Jack White - Taking Me Back
Giovannie and the Hired Guns - Ramon Ayala
Muse - Won't Stand Down
The Lumineers - Where We Are
The Lumineers - Brightside
Portugal. The Man - What, Me Worry?
Vance Joy - Clarity
Turnstile - Mystery
Cafuné - Tek It
Milky Chance - Colorado
The Killers - Boy
Death Cab for Cutie - Here to Forever
YUNGBLUD - Fleabag
Wilderado - Head Right
Jack White - What's the Trick?
The Maine, Taking Back Sunday & Charlotte Sands - Loved You a Little
Florence + the Machine - My Love
Panic! At the Disco - Viva Las Vengeance
Foo Fighters - Love Dies Young
Daisy the Great & AJR - Record Player
girl in red - I'll Call You Mine
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats - Survivor
Dirty Heads - Life's Been Good
Glass Animals - I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)
YUNGBLUD - The Funeral
Gorillaz f/ Thundercat - Cracker Island
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Tippa My Tongue
AJR - I Won't
Foals - Wake Me Up
Bring Me the Horizon - Die4U
Maggie Rogers - Want Want
RÜFÜS DU SOL - On My Knees
My Chemical Romance - The Foundations of Decay
Rex Orange County - Keep It Up
Sam Fender - Seventeen Going Under
Wolf Alice - Smile
Muse - Compliance
COIN - Chapstick
Milky Chance - Synchronize
Phoenix - Alpha Zulu
Highly Suspect - Natural Born Killer
Coldplay & BTS - My Universe
Wet Leg - Chaise Longue
The Offspring - Behind Your Walls
GAYLE - Abcdefu
WALK THE MOON - Giants
The Head and the Heart - Virginia (Wind in the Night)
The Regrettes - Monday
Kings of Leon - Time in Disguise
Jimmy Eat World - Something Loud
The Interrupters - In the Mirror
Silversun Pickups - Scared Together
almost monday - Sun Keeps on Shining
The War on Drugs f/ Lucius - I Don't Live Here Anymore
Marcus Mumford - Grace
A Day to Remember f/ Mark Hoppus - Re-Entry
Arcade Fire - Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)
Rise Against - Talking to Ourselves
Modest Mouse - The Sun Hasn't Left
Ripe - Settling
The 1975 - Part of the Band
Matt Maeson - Blood Runs Red
Bastille - Shut Off the Lights
Avril Lavigne - Bite Me
Machine Gun Kelly & WILLOW - Emo Girl
Shinedown - Daylight
girlfriends - High Again
Jelly Roll - Dead Man Walking
The Wombats - If You Ever Leave, I'm Coming with You
alt-J - U&Me
Wet Leg - Wet Dream
Oliver Tree - Life Goes On
The Black Keys - It Ain't Over
Coldplay - People of the Pride
Mother Mother - Hayloft II
Bleachers - How Dare You Want More
Jagwar Twin - Happy Face
Palaye Royale - Broken
The Interrupters - Raised by Wolves
Spoon - The Hardest Cut
AWOLNATION f/ Tim McIlrath - Beds Are Burning
Culture Wars - Faith
Surfaces - I Can't Help But Feel
Young the Giant - Wake Up
Wallows - Especially You
half·alive - Move Me
Red Hot Chili Peppers - These Are the Ways
Inhaler - Cheer Up Baby
Foals - 2am
Giant Rooks - Morning Blue

Helpful Links
Preference revealer
Add numbers to your list

Spotify Playlist


Note that the version of "abcdefu" on the Spotify playlist is the original. You are free to either rank it or the "angrier" version that received play on Alt radio, which you can listen to here:








PARTICIPANTS
Red
lyhom
singingrulebritannia
trilogy
narp
BlurryKyle
razorshark
wheatsquares33
macattack
zaclord 🌈
OCDave
khan
Steel Sponge
Leo ✔
wrip
Fire
gooberdude
bbfan97
American Idiot
🌺CountryLineDancer
janinho
Doc Indie Party Rock
maine
rowellfarm490
MoD
Beno
Gonza'90
Lordef†ones
Walking Contradiction
DadJokes
SHOOTER
emerald
Leaf
aerodynamite
CarnoTorrential
Butterflies & Hurricanes
HamedM1 💔
Geometrical
.indulgecountry
Daryl the Beryl
BB🌕
fearlessarrow
Mayman
Az Paynter
samo🦕
alexcuse
willapted33

[Red]

SPOILER: Click to show

{TAGS (please make sure to let me know if you want to be tagged or removed from the tag list)}
312999 Adrian C. 🍓 alexcuse Alex1901 American Idiot Daryl the Beryl Beno House Lannister taylor is terrified castleoblivion26 cedric CF15 Cody g8erboi @crapkuki23 dremolus - solarpunk eidde singingrulebritannia Gonza'90 GP newpower Sambalada CagedJuggalo The Third Tanker HamedM1 💔 @imhappy259 jamesflame janinho Leo ✔ born Juanca wrip shootingstar16 Mylo13 💜 Taiga Leaf RobbyFlorida rowellfarm490 sergejdordij SwiftlySheeran tanooki Au$tin toomuchboy trilogy twigs walt91 DadJokes wheatsquares33 willapted33 YotamTS Zach  narp MoD macattack Fire  Butterflies & Hurricanes Web ramona wants sleep CarnoTorrential maine anthony11554  campbellssoup bbfan97  fearlessarrow samo🦕 Doc Indie Party Rock  aerodynamite BlurryKyle c0smicvillain Walking Contradiction peacebone  SHOOTER .indulgecountry BB🌕 Geometrical Lordef†ones Az Paynter

[wrip]

I think we can all agree on Life Goes On being the correct choice for #1!

[Deleted]

Dec 25, 2022 12:25:16 GMT -5 wrip said:

I think we can all agree on Life Goes On being the correct choice for #1!

there's a hot 100-sized joke here somewhere and i'm not feeling silly enough to say it

[Fire]

in!

[Leo ✔]

Dec 25, 2022 12:25:16 GMT -5 wrip said:

I think we can all agree on Life Goes On being the correct choice for #100!

Fixed for you, bestie!

[lyhom]

what the fuck is up denny's

[razorshark]

Dec 25, 2022 12:45:07 GMT -5 Leo ✔ said:

Dec 25, 2022 12:25:16 GMT -5 wrip said:

I think we can all agree on Life Goes On being the correct choice for #1!

Fixed for you, bestie!

Made sure to fix that for you bestie.

Also hi, I'm helping

[macattack]

I fell in love with an emo girl
I’m in love with an emo girl
I fell in love with an emo girl
All I want is an emo girl

[gooberdude]

sure I'll probably submit for this

[HamedM1 💔]

Idk who tf Jelly Roll is but that name gots me concerned already.

[macattack]

Dec 25, 2022 14:08:59 GMT -5 HamedM1 💔 said:

Idk who tf Jelly Roll is but that name gots me concerned already.

He crossed over from the Active Rock format. Interpret that as you will.

[Triple 9]

It's that time again! I'm in.

[DadJokes]

Dec 25, 2022 14:12:21 GMT -5 macattack said:

Dec 25, 2022 14:08:59 GMT -5 HamedM1 💔 said:

Idk who tf Jelly Roll is but that name gots me concerned already.

He crossed over from the Active Rock format. Interpret that as you will.

And the country format. Additional interpretation as you will.

[macattack]

It should be noted before we get too deep into it that Alt in general did not play the standard version of "ABCDEFU". Alt stations usually played an alternate version with deeper-tuned instruments and a re-recorded vocal meant to sound more "alternative rock". This is called the "(angrier)" mix of ABCDEFU. 





A few Alts did play the standard mix, such as KUCD in Honolulu, Hawaii, but the vast majority chose this version. Just some food for thought for participants and showdown runners alike. 

[Red]

Dec 25, 2022 16:52:13 GMT -5 macattack said:

It should be noted before we get too deep into it that Alt in general did not play the standard version of "ABCDEFU". Alt stations usually played an alternate version with deeper-tuned instruments and a re-recorded vocal meant to sound more "alternative rock". This is called the "(angrier)" mix of ABCDEFU. 





A few Alts did play the standard mix, such as KUCD in Honolulu, Hawaii, but the vast majority chose this version. Just some food for thought for participants and showdown runners alike. 

After 2009 Alt, I've made it a general rule of thumb that it's okay to rank either version of a song, if a remix or different version was played more than the original on a format. I wasn't sure if that was applicable here, but I guess it is, so feel free to rank whichever version of the song you want.

[singingrulebritannia]

#1-8: 4/5
#9-19: 3.5/5
#20-55: 3/5
#56-75: 2.5/5
#76-94: 2/5
#95-97: 1.5/5
#98-100: 1/5

I do still like the direction Alt radio is heading in, but this year was a noticeable step back quality-wise from the last couple. The number of great and good songs diminished and the number and severity of bad songs increased.

[Red]

Okay, quick update: Right now, ProBoards is having issues with sending PMs to multiple recipients. While the rule states that we'd prefer if you sent your lists in one message to all three co-hosts, it's moments like these where we are perfectly fine with you sending your rankings to us individually, as well. It's not our preferred method, but it's better than not sending to everyone.

[alexcuse]

How close did Harry Styles make the top 100? It’s the #3 song of the year in total spins on Alt 98.7 in LA. Other Alt stations didn’t play it?

[Butterflies & Hurricanes]

not a great year on Alt radio...i was able to find 25 really good songs, about 30 that are absolute trash & the remainder that are meh

[macattack]

Dec 26, 2022 12:49:26 GMT -5 alexcuse said:

How close did Harry Styles make the top 100? It’s the #3 song of the year in total spins on Alt 98.7 in LA. Other Alt stations didn’t play it?

A lot of other Alternatives did not play "As It Was", including, surprisingly, the Audacy stations. "As It Was" did chart on BB for 4 weeks, and I think it was on the Mediabase chart for 10 or so. But a lot of Alternatives were in no mood to touch Harry Styles even with arguably his most Alt-friendly song.

You will be able to rank "As It Was", on the AAA rankdown, as the song did a lot better on that format. Fellow Hot 100 smashes by Steve Lacy and Adele will also be there. 

[Butterflies & Hurricanes]

"As It Was" is much better than "My Universe"...Coldplay just gets a free pass? <shrug>

[macattack]

Dec 26, 2022 17:50:25 GMT -5 Butterflies & Hurricanes said:

"As It Was" is much better than "My Universe"...Coldplay just gets a free pass? <shrug>

iHeart and Audacy were who primarily pushed My Universe. IIRC it was mostly smaller conglomerate and independent Alts that decided to block My Universe, which made it stall in the teens. Despite this it had a full enough run to make the rankdown.

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

wish I could cram a few more songs in my bottom 10. Also eaisiest choice for a #1 song I have ever had.

[OCDave]

This top 10 is kinda not good.

[BlurryKyle]

Masterpiece (5/5): #1-4
Excellent (4.5/5): #5-7
Great (4/5): #8-26
Good (3.5/5): #27-56
Decent (3/5): #57-77
Average (2.5/5): #78-89
Mediocre (2/5): #90-98
Bad (1.5/5): #99-100

Idk based on my ratings, this year was better than the past couple. "The Last Man on Earth" would've been another 5-star for me if it had made it. There were only a few songs I overranked meaning my actual rating for them is lower than where I placed them.

[Red]

It's been a little while since I've done one of these in a rock chart rankdown, but it was really only a matter of time, wasn't it? B-B-B-B-BALLOT UPDATE, ENGAGE! Along with the three co-hosts, singingrulebritannia, trilogy, narp, BlurryKyle, and wheatsquares33 enter the ballot cage to help give everyone the first glimpse into what is happening behind the scenes at Alt Rankdown HQ.

- Six songs have spent every movement in the top ten early on. Only two of these six songs have spent every movement in the top five, with no song having spent every movement in the top four.

- Just two songs have made it to the top of the mountain in these early stages, both having spent similar amounts of time at the top. The current #1 has been there for the last four movements, leading over the song currently at #2 by around 20 points. The gap between #2 and #4 is just ten points, though there's somewhat of a gap between #4 and the chasing pack.

- A whopping eight songs have spent all of their time in the bottom ten (coincidentally, our current bottom eight), with the songs in the bottom three having spent every movement in the bottom five.

- Our current #100 has been at #100 the entire time, and it has a fun little wrinkle that a) will not hold and b) if it, somehow did, would make for one of the funniest reveals in Pulse RD history. It is currently nearly 30 points behind #99, and it's already over 100 points behind #90.

- Just a single point separates #10 from #11, and not much #11 from the next couple of songs in the rankdown, so, of course, it's still anyone's game early. The race for the bottom ten is not nearly as heated, with nearly 20 points separating #90 from #91.

- (thres)HOOOOOOOOLDS! The top eight songs have cracked 700 points, while 21 songs have reached 600. In a little bit of symmetry, eight songs have yet to reach 100 points, though we didn't *quite* reach perfect symmetry, as 20 songs have yet to get over 200 points.

- There are some fun additional stats to be found within the standard deviations currently. Our current highest standard deviation, located somewhere in the top 40, does not have a particularly high SD, but its SD is significantly (and I mean significantly) higher than that of the second highest SD, which is currently in the bottom 30. It's probably too early to take stock of the high SD contenders, because there's a couple of songs that are missing that I know will be there at the end, but it's still an early glimpse into possible trends. On the other end, our current lowest SD is our unlucky #100. All I'll say about this SD is that, if it holds, it would be making history. The other songs in the bottom three round out the three lowest SDs, and our current #1 is right behind them.

- It is time for all of you to see with your very eyes my latest attempt to supply and not deny these high (and low)...



I'm sure you're not surprised to learn that we have quite a few ties early on. In fact, in one instance, we need to POUND THE ALARM RING THE ALARM SOUND THE ALARM! Yes, we have a top ten tie, and said tie is near the bottom of the top ten at #9. You can infer what that means from what I've told you elsewhere, if you wish. Ties can also be located at #28, #39, #54, #61, #63, and #85.

---

You know what else can be located in this post? A deadline post within a ballot update!

THREE WEEKS UNTIL THE DEADLINE.

SPOILER: Click to show

{TAGS (please make sure to let me know if you want to be tagged or removed from the tag list)}
312999 Adrian C. 🍓 alexcuse Alex1901 American Idiot Daryl the Beryl Beno House Lannister taylor is terrified castleoblivion26 cedric CF15 Cody g8erboi @crapkuki23 dremolus - solarpunk eidde Gonza'90 GP newpower Sambalada CagedJuggalo The Third Tanker HamedM1 💔 @imhappy259 jamesflame janinho Leo ✔ born Juanca wrip shootingstar16 Mylo13 💜 Taiga Leaf RobbyFlorida rowellfarm490 sergejdordij SwiftlySheeran tanooki Au$tin toomuchboy twigs walt91 DadJokes willapted33 YotamTS Zach MoD macattack Fire  Butterflies & Hurricanes Web ramona wants sleep CarnoTorrential maine anthony11554  campbellssoup bbfan97  fearlessarrow samo🦕 Doc Indie Party Rock  aerodynamite c0smicvillain Walking Contradiction peacebone  SHOOTER .indulgecountry BB🌕 Geometrical Lordef†ones Az Paynter

[macattack]

Sent!

[Butterflies & Hurricanes]

my list is done...except there are about 8 songs i don't remember what they sound like, so i need to re-listen to confirm they are in the correct spots

[🌺CountryLineDancer]

I may try this. Please tag me in the reminders.