As more venues re-opened and tours were able to hit the road again, many of your favorite artists finally returned to stages. Fans were treated to long-awaited live versions of tunes that kept them company during lockdown and now they were ready to rock out to them. Here's Setlist’s Top 10 most popular set lists of 2022, according to your relentless clicking.
10. Ghost, Reno Events Center, Reno, NV, 1/25/22
The mysteriously melodic and costumed Ghost came in at #10 with their Reno show, the first of their 2022 tour. There the Swedish live debuted a couple of tunes from their delightful new album Impera. Part of their encore included a slightly less aggro version of Metallica's "Enter Sandman."
But who, exactly is in the band? Wouldn't you like to know. The caped musicians and background singers don matching cyber punk outfits and are known collectively as Nameless Ghouls and Ghoulettes. The masked singer, Tobias Forge, currently answers to Cardinal Copia or Papa Emeritus if you're nasty.
Ghost setlist 2022, Reno
9. Metallica, Chase Center, San Francisco, CA, 12/19/21
At #9 is a concert that wasn't even held in 2022. At the end of 2021, Metallica returned to their home in the Bay Area and performed two shows at the newly erected Chase Center in San Francisco. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the metal gods rocked out at least one tune from each of their 11 studio albums in reverse chronological order and streamed this in-the-round show on Amazon Prime.
The night began with "Hardwired" from their 2016 banger Hardwired...To Self Destruct and concluded with the shredder "Seek and Destroy" from their debut Kill 'Em All which blew minds in 1983 and hasn't let up since.
Also unique to the show was "Am I Evil?" the Diamond Head tune that Metallica used to play so often in their early days people thought it was theirs. In the late-'90s Metallica had amassed their own catalogue of hits and dropped the tune from the rotation. It returned in all its glory that December night by the Bay.
Metallica setlist 2021, Chase Center
8. My Chemical Romance, Shrine Exposition Hall, LA, CA 12/20/19
Another setlist that was popular despite its age was My Chemical Romance's 2019 comeback gig at the Shrine near downtown LA.
The emo darlings hadn't played together in over seven years and rocked the house next to USC with a 20-tune blitzkrieg beginning with "I’m Not Okay, I Promise" and concluding the third (!) encore with "Welcome To The Black Parade."
Fans who had travelled as far as Europe and South America savored the reunion which was supposed to launch a world tour, but the Plague squashed those plans until 2022.
7. Dua Lipa, FTX Arena, Miami, FL, 2/9/22
At lucky #7 was Dua Lipa's The Future Nostalgia Tour kickoff in Miami at the unfortunately named FTX Arena. Since it was just the second tour in her career - and first time headlining arenas - the majority of the tunes were from her Grammy-winning Future Nostalgia album.
The English-Albanian entertainer wowed them in the Magic City with her colorful outfits, saucy dance moves and TikTok-famous hits.
The Miami show live-debuted five tunes including the title track. She also included "Cold Heart," a mash-up she released with Elton John which features four of his classics.
Dua Lipa 2022 setlist Miami
6. Billie Eilish, Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA, 2/3/22
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Greeted with signs from fans in the pit that read "We Missed You," Billie Eilish's return to the stage after a two-year hiatus was the first time the 20-year-old and her brother Finneas had performed in the Big Easy.
Fans waited patiently in the pouring rain singing her songs to each other, waiting for the opportunity to experience the kick off of the Happier Than Ever: The World Tour.
Also eager to get at it, Billie hit the stage a half hour before she was scheduled to, and reeled off 26 tunes in 90 minutes.
Billie Eilish setlist New Orleans
5. Tyler, The Creator, Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ, 2/8/22
The wildly entertaining Tyler, The Creator kicked off his Call Me If You Get Lost tour in Arizona in February. The energetically spectacular show included a Rolls Royce, a yacht, a house, tons of pyro, and of course many jokes.
“I went to Baskin-Robbins earlier," the Odd Future leader said to the exuberant Phoenix crowd. "A crackhead tried to break in — and they were open! Is meth the drug of choice here?!”
For 75 minutes Tyler led the willing audience through 20 selections spanning 5 albums proving that hip-hop mixed with punk sensibilities is also extremely popular out in the desert.
Tyler, The Creator setlist, Phoenix 2022
4. Justin Bieber, Pechanga Arena, San Diego, CA, 2/18/22
Billie Eilish's BFF, Justin Bieber began his massive 90-date Justice World Tour in San Diego in February to a sold-out screaming crowd. With an emphasis on "world," Beliebers in 20 countries within five continents would be treated to a five-act performance spanning the pop star's career.
The debut gig at the 16,000 seat Pechanga Arena included two dozen tunes from his 6 studio albums, but fair warning: half of those tracks were from 2021's Justice, so brush up on the new stuff.
Justin Bieber setlist, San Diego 2022
3. John Mayer, Madison Square Garden, NYC, 2/21/22
When John Mayer isn't playing with the remaining members of the Grateful Dead in epic 4-hour sets in football stadiums, he's fronting his own band in epic 2-hour sets in arenas.
It was the second show at Madison Square Garden of his Sob Rock Tour that really got fans clicking - not the first show the previous night or the kickoff show earlier in the month in LA. What made the Feb 21st gig special was two members of his band tested positive for COVID hours before the doors were to open and the handsome guitarist had to scramble.
"Tonight's concert will go on as scheduled, with a very special presentation," Mayer announced.
His typical set was rearranged to begin with a solo acoustic of "Neon" followed by 16 acoustic selections with the rest of his band backing him up.
Then the guitar slinger strapped on his Stratocaster and called none other than ?estlove of the Roots to man the drums, and the ensemble rocked out five tunes including a Prince cover and an encore.
2. Bad Bunny, Ball Arena, Denver, CO, 2/10/22
Puerto Rico's Bad Bunny kicked off his El Último Tour del Mundo spectacular with a 36-song barrage at the Ball Arena in Denver in early February.
Sixteen of those tracks were from 2020's Grammy-winning Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana (I Do Whatever I Want) and over a dozen were from last year's EUTDM - the first all-Spanish-language album to reach #1 on the US Billboard Top 200.
A typical stage was not enough for this massive party, Bad Bunny arrived on a semi truck which is a sure way to alert those in the restrooms that the show is about to commence.
1. Tool, Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, OR, 1/10/22
The most viewed setlist was a bit of a surprise. Tool, a band whose first album was released over 30 years ago rocked the Matthew Knight Arena on Jan. 10, 2022 to about 16,000 fans.
It was special because due to the pandemic, the LA band was unable to perform any shows in 670 days. That's 22 months, which probably felt like a lifetime.
Maynard and Co. made up for lost time with a baker's dozen of rock for the Fear Inoculum Second Leg tour, which included a couple of tracks ("Right in Two," and "Hooker With a Penis") that hadn't been performed live since 2011 and 2014, respectively.
Hardcore fans also delighted in the addition of "Pushit" which was presented for the first time with vocals since 2014.
Tool setlist, Eugene 2022
