We present a compact review of the status of QCD spectral sum rules until 2022. We emphasize the recent progresses for determining the QCD input parameters ($\alpha_s$, running quark masses, quark and gluon condensates) where their correlations have been taken into account. Some selected phenomenological uses of the sum rules in different channels (light and heavy quarks, gluonia/glueballs, hybrids and four-quark states) are briefly reviewed and commented. The estimate of the $1^{-+}$ light hybrid mass is revised which confirms the hybrid nature of the $\pi_1(1600)$ but not the $\pi_1(2050)$.