The top 22 music samples of 2022 (free sounds included)

top-22-sounds-of-2022-splice-sounds-featured-image

2022 was a momentous year for music, wasn’t it?

We developed some bad habits. We didn’t let anything break our soul. And we knew it wasn’t the same as it was. As we wrap this year, let’s look back on the top sounds of 2022—because it’s about damn time we did.

Get the sounds that are highlighted below and more via our 22 Sounds of 2022 Collection, which features the year’s hottest samples spanning drums, fx, vocals, guitars, and more. The Collection is completely free to download for trialists and subscribers between December 22nd, 2022 – December 31st, 2022.

Explore the Collection

There’s no place like house

Four-on-the floor will continue to floor us all. House music hasn’t gone anywhere (look no further than any club, EDM festival, or underground community), playing a major role in pop records in 2022. Beyoncé’s triumphant return to pop queendom with Renaissance fully embraced dance, house, and disco music—sounds fellow pop stalwarts Dua Lipa and Lizzo have also dived into. Drake’s surprise record Honestly, Nevermind further cemented house music’s intersections with hip hop as well.

Set your CDJs to 120 with some of the top house loops from this year:

No strings attached

Whether you’re a pop punk revivalist, performing sanguine neo-soul, or throwing it back ’90s Liz Phair-style, guitars will always be cool. While embracing the axe is nothing new, the mighty six-string is reaching new legions of fans thanks to the likes of Steve Lacy, Harry Styles, and most recently, SZA.

Tune your attention towards some guitar sounds from this year:

This is not a drill

Drill continues to be one of the most exciting developments in hip hop music. We’ve watched acts like Fivio Foreign and Ice Spice break through into the mainstream, and witnessed giants like Drake and Cardi B flirt with the sound as well. The same goes for our community on Splice—from our Beyond: UK Drill series to the top samples of 2022, drill is here to stay.