If 2 021’s silver lining was the barrage of new albums from artists with nothing to do except record, 2022 was the year all those acts hit the stage. We all knew it would be a gig bonanza, but ticket demand exceeded expectations. It’s also been a year of unexpected successes. Snarky Puppy, a 25-piece funk/jazz/rock combo, headlined Wembley Arena. The industry didn’t know what to do with Nova Twins, but they’ve been breaking out on the independent Marshall Records anyway. Tash Sultana’s ‘unplugged’ MTV gig, featuring Strats, shouldn’t have worked but somehow became a streaming phenomenon. And two octogenarians, Paul McCartney and Buddy Guy, turned in standout performances when some assumed they were past it.
We also saw the results of our massive Greatest Guitar Album poll, with readers choosing their favourite from each decade since the 1960s. We would never call you a predictable bunch, but it’s unlikely anyone spat out their coffee on learning you’d voted for Hendrix, Zeppelin, Van Halen, and Metallica. The 2000s and 2010s polls were harder to call, but Alter Bridge and Greta Van Fleet took the tape respectively.
The Newbies
Late last year we tipped Wet Leg for big things, and in 2022 they duly landed a number one album and a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Having
