Not all parts of the Sun’s atmosphere are created equal, and in addition to the range of conditions encountered in coronal holes, the quiet Sun, active regions and filaments, the far vastly different chromosphere has also provided a wealth of wave observations in recent years, thanks to the latest generations of space- and ground-based experiments. The questions of whether or not waves can and do heat the solar atmosphere depend sensitively on properties of waves (their type, frequency and amplitude) and of the plasma, magnetic field and gradients that the waves passes through. In addition, regardless of the importance of waves for heating these different regimes of plasma, they have displayed great utility for probing the magnetised plasma above the Sun’s surface, through atmospheric seismology. In this review, we will provide an overview of the last few years’ contributions to the observed wave landscape, and try to place in context the observations that might soon be possible, too.