We’re now well into our countdown of our list of the best albums of 2022. You can start here, but we’d love it if you went back to  parts one and two first.

Part 3 includes some of rock and roll’s icons with Ozzy Osbourne, Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder, as well as budding country star Orville Peck, icy pop princess Aurora, indie rock mainstays Death Cab for Cutie and Phoenix, modern rockers Halestorm and Skillet, and proggy alt-metal band … And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead.

40. Orville Peck

Bronco – Columbia Records

Despite the signature mask and enigmatic secret identity, Orville Peck hides nothing on Bronco. These 15 songs are equal parts rollicking and revealing. Entertainment? Absolutely. But it’s no act. “C’mon Baby Cry” gallops like the Righteous Brothers riding neon horses into Phil Spector’s pool party. The sweeping falsetto in the chorus is majestic and irresistible. It addresses toxic masculinity, not with a challenge, but with an embrace. On “Curse of the Blackened Eye,” Peck’s voice glides from lower register baritone in the verse to a coyote-like falsetto howl in the chorus about how his pain is a safer companion than the man from whom he had to escape. The concept of an openly queer country star bucks against outdated archetypes, but that subtext is only a tiny fraction of what gives Bronco songs so much depth and authenticity.

39. Halestorm

Back From the Dead – Atlantic Records

Halestorm trades in its upbeat, head-banging anthems for a more defined aggressiveness. Rather than playing at top speed, tracks flow through the rhythm section with a sustained attack. Lyrically, the record is more closely aligned with Lzzy Hale’s personal experiences than on past records. The songs are filled with messages of defiance, self-confidence and occasional anger at the state of affairs in the world today. Hale takes on her own detractors on “Strange Girl,” a self-assured track that dares those who might wish to take her on. The musical intensity matches the lyrics with guitarist Joe Hottinger delivering precision riffs.

38. Bruce Springsteen

Only the Strong Survive – Columbia Records

The new record of soulful covers by Bruce Springsteen makes no statement other than reminding fans of some wonderful music that still stands as the base of the soul music reaching into today’s R&B, pop and soul. But it’s not just music to which people can dance. Springsteen’s version comes from someone who’s felt it, knows it and wants to celebrate it. It’s a simple and kind of wonderful concept. This is Springsteen’s voice at its best; thick and dripping with emotion: vulnerability, love and desperation. He’s always been one of the great soul singers. He was just too busy looking like a white, blue-collar rock and roll icon.

37. Death Cab for Cutie

Asphalt Meadows – Atlantic Records

Asphalt Meadows is chock-full of the existential dread we’ve come to know and love. “I Don’t Know How I Survive” sets the tone with lyrics about a late-night panic attack. “Roman Candles” is about the struggle to keep the flame of passion lit. “Foxglove Through the Clearcut” sounds both hopeless and beautiful, which sums up most of Death Cab’s ouvre. After all this time, it’s good to know that Ben Gibbard hasn’t given up on Death Cab for Cutie, and he has a great album to show for it.

36. …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

XI: Bleed Here Now – Dine Alone Records

Not everyone sat home depressed and doing nothing during the pandemic. … And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead sat home, possibly depressed, but still making another epic record. The predictably unpredictable prog/metal/pop/whatever outfit made a large, inspiring record spanning the grandiose to simple pop, as usual, always putting the music first with some spectacular results. You’ll want to listen repeatedly to find something new every time through. It’s a powerful reminder that when all else fails, in any given time period of whatever trends are happening, big and emotional music always has more than one place at the rock table. It’s an approach that respects its fans while not going too far overboard with its own expectations.

35. Eddie Vedder

Earthling – Seattle Surf/Republic Records

Eddie Vedder still has a lot to say musically, and he’s immune to the idea that growing older means losing your power. That’s why Earthling is so good. With producer Andrew Watt and guest shots by Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Ringo Starr—as well as current and former Red Hot Chili Peppers members Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer featured throughout—Earthling shows a rock star free of constraint. It’s big and personal and occasionally celebratory.

Vedder’s voice is as full and emotive as it’s ever been. We tend to assume great singers remain that way through the decades and take that for granted as they age. But the fact is there’s no getting away from the wear and tear of time. Vedder’s voice endures as strong as ever, possibly because what he sings still seems to really matter to him.

34. Ozzy Osbourne

Patient Number 9 – Epic Records

Patient Number 9 by Ozzy Osbourne doubles down on the collaborative spirit of 2020’s Ordinary Man. While the former paired him with luminaries from the pop world, this album brings Ozzy Osbourne together with some of the greatest rock guitarists. They include Zakk Wylde, Tony Iommi, Mike McCready, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. Their addition works incredibly well because they don’t change the personality of the record. Instead, they bend their talents to fit Ozzy’s strengths. And this album is so much better for it. Physical ailments may slow Ozzy Osbourne down, but what might be the most impressive is how his signature vocal timbre remains incredibly strong. The tracks are well-written, well-arranged and well-performed.

Wylde’s contributions lead to some of the most authentic Ozzy Osbourne moments on the album. He simply gets it and contributes to tracks that effectively present the heavier material in a way that’s both modern and retro.

33. Skillet

Dominion – Atlantic Records

Opening track “Surviving the Game” is a soaring, uplifting anthemic rocker like the ones for which Skillet is known. But there’s an extra garnish of electronics, distorted screams and a fiery opening riff. “Surviving the Game” mixes in dark pop melodies and atmospheric electronica. Skillet follows one of its heaviest songs with one of its softest in “Valley of Death.” Drummer Jen Ledger has a prominent backing vocal presence throughout the record, including trading lines with Cooper on the excellent “Destiny.” All that’s to say that Skillet can still surprise fans and keep things interesting.

32. Phoenix

Alpha Zulu – Glassnote Records

The songs are tightly crafted, the instrumentals understated and the hooks memorable throughout on Alpha Zulu. But as a big artistic statement, the imagery shifts from Italian-inspired 2017’s Ti Amo to something that shifts the focus back to the (equally artistic-inspired) Phoenix origin. Fans of the band’s early hits “1901“ or “Lisztomania” should find quite a bit to latch onto with this latest work. “After Midnight” has the personality of a soaring anthemic rocker, but fits within the synthy alt-pop vein the band has mined for the last decade.

Punchy mid-tempo alt pop anthem “Season 2” is infectious with layered vocals in the chorus, delivering tight harmonies that jump from the speakers. It helps that this song includes both live drumming and programmed beats. Phoenix then doubles down on museum imagery (the band recorded this album at the Louvre) with upbeat love song “Artefact.”

31. Aurora

The Gods We Can Touch – Decca Records/Glassnote Records

On this album, Aurora uses Greek mythology to say that not even gods are perfect, and that our imperfections, which make us human, are nothing to be ashamed about. Using this thematic concept, Aurora meets a different Greek god on most of the 15 tracks, even if she doesn’t address them by name. The Gods We Can Touch is full of unique atmospheres for fans new and old alike to float on. Her love of nature and the mystical makes this collection of breezy pop fun for the ears, the dance floor and the mind, boosting your mood like an ice bath.

40: Orville Peck. 39: Halestorm. 38: Bruce Springsteen. 37: Death Cab for Cutie. 36: …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. 35: Eddie Vedder. 34: Ozzy Osbourne. 33: Skillet. 32: Phoenix. 31: Aurora.

The 67 best albums of 2022: 30-21