My 50 Favorite Songs of 2023
50. Motorama, ‘Two Sunny Days’
If you are like me and have an affinity for lighter cuts from New Wave bands like The Cure or New Order, you’ll dig this. This is a very breezy, melodic rock song with some pretty guitar work.
49. Olivia Rodrigo, ‘All American Bitch.’
I wasn’t in love with Rodrigo’s entire album. However, I think she’s brilliant at making loud and upbeat pop-rock songs. The intro track proved to be my favorite.
48. McKinley Dixon, ‘Live! From the Kitchen Table.’
I still need more time to fully form my thoughts on this project, but I can say that this is an amazing jazz rap song without a doubt.
47. The Japanese House, ‘Sunshine Baby.’
“I miss my dog, and I miss falling in love.” These lyrics and Amber Bain’s achingly beautiful voice paint a perfect picture of yearning.
46. Yo La Tengo, ‘Aselestine.’
One of the dreamiest songs of the year.
45. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, ‘Deathwish.’
Isbell and his band came through with perhaps the best album of his career. This intro track is devastating, as he tells a story of loving a girl afflicted with depression. The lyrics and performance make this one of the most powerful and gut-wrenching songs of the year.
44. Susanne Sundfør, ‘rūnā.’
With her new album, Norwegian songstress Susanne Sundfør evokes the wintery landscapes of her homeland. This particular cut reminds me of a great Fairport Convention song, which is perhaps the best compliment I could give to a folk song.
43. Black Country, New Road, ‘Laughing Song - Live At Bush Hall.’
Black Country, New Road proved with their live album that they are capable of making great music even with the absence of their prolific lead singer, Issac Wood. ‘Laughing Song’ possesses a gorgeous melody and stunning jazz instrumentation.
42. Geese, ‘Cowboy Nudes.’
A great rock ‘n’ roll track bursting with colorful energy.
41. Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist, ‘27 Braids.’
The beat alone is enough to land this track on the list.
40. Bully, ‘All I Do.’
An anthemic indie rock track that is passionate to the brim.
39. Knocked Loose, ‘Deep In The Willow.’
I’ll admit that there’s a lack of metal inclusions on this list. I’m not the type of person who usually listens to this kind of music, but I genuinely loved this track. It is violent and harrowing.
38. Slowdive, “shanty.’
Slowdive doing what Slowdive does best, crafting enveloping and psychedelic shoegaze. I fell asleep to this beautiful song for a month straight.
37. Kara Jackson, ‘pawnshop.’
I could’ve picked nearly any song from this fantastic album, but for now, ‘pawnshop’ remains my favorite with its hazy blues and folk.
36. George Clanton, ‘I Been Young.’
A lush and immersive fusion of dream pop, electronic, and hip/hop. This is maybe the best “car” song of the year.
35. Guided By Voices, ‘Cruisers Cross.’
Since GBV regularly releases about 2-3 albums every year, it’s been unachievable for me to keep up. But I occasionally find some diamonds from Robert Pollard’s trove, and ‘Cruisers Cross’ is definitely one of them. The first time I heard this song was when I caught the band live, and I was instantly blown away by the magical melody and killer guitar riff.
34. Amaarea, ‘Come Home To God.’
Sublime and pure. This is an utterly exquisite piece of music.
33. Indigo De Souza, ‘You Can Be Mean.’
A very catchy indie rock cut with totally devastating lyrics.
32. Danny Brown, ‘Quaranta.’
I was immediately hooked when this fantastic track graced my ears. Danny Brown continues to be one of the most compelling rappers ever.
31. The Hold Steady, ‘Grand Junction.’
With this song, The Hold Steady delivers what’s expected from them at this point, and it’s great as usual. I have a lot of respect for this band, as they continue to make amazing rock music after 20 years.
30. Mac DeMarco, ‘20210217 Scarecrow.’
A perfectly innocent track that is simply very beautiful. Mac DeMarco’s new uncompromising project of nearly nine hours of music has many diamonds to be found.
29. The Lemon Twigs, ‘In My Head.’
This song is if you combine the harmonization and melodic power of The Beach Boys, the moodiness of Elliot Smith, and the power-pop magic of Todd Rundgren. And somehow, it still sounds unique and refreshing.
28. Ichiko Aoba, ‘Space Orphans.’
Nocturnal and as stirring as the ocean.
27. Mannequin Pussy, ‘I Got Heaven.’
A killer punk rock banger that is equally blessed with heavenly grace. Mannequin Pussy continue to prove that they are one of the best rock bands making music today.
26. Doja Cat, ‘Agora Hills.’
An extremely addictive track and one of the best of Doja’s career.
25. ANOHNI and the Johnson’s, ‘Can’t.’
A song filled with pain and grace.
24. Reverend Kristin Micheal Hayter, ‘I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS.’
Brutal and mesmerizing.
23. Noname, ‘gospel?’
This track evokes the feeling of celebration and joy when something terrible has finally ended, but also the feeling of uncertainty about what comes next. The final verse by Billy Woods is poetic, and the story he tells summons intensely vivid imagery.
22. feeble little horse, ‘Paces.’
A cute and hazy indie track that feels infinite.
21. Swans, ‘Unforming.’
This is perhaps the most introspective song that these noise rock giants have ever crafted.
20. PinkPantheress, Ice Spice, ‘Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2.’
At first, I didn’t take this song all that seriously, but it somehow proved itself to be one of the most infectious and catchiest songs of the year by far. Ice Spice and PinkPantheress complement each other’s styles perfectly.
19. Big Thief, ‘Vampire Empire.’
I don’t have much to say on this one, Big Thief just knows their way around a great tune.
18. Squid, ‘The Blades.’
Squid’s new album reminds me a lot of In Rainbows, but it’s weirder. On this track, the instrumentation climbs higher and higher for a psychedelic fever dream.
17. Jeff Rosenstock, ‘DOUBT.’
This is perhaps my favorite song that Rosenstock has ever written. It’s moody, sweet, and packs quite the punch if you’re not careful.
16. Armand Hammer, ‘I Keep A Mirror In My Pocket.’
Armand Hammer’s newest release is perhaps the best abstract hip-hop album of the year. This song is intensely layered and wonderfully peculiar.
15. Skating Polly, ‘I'm Sorry For Always Apologizing.’
Skating Polly is one of the most talented and dynamic rock bands today, and this song has everything that makes them great; it’s catchy, dynamic, and fun. The confessional and contradictive lyrics remind me a lot of some of my favorite songs, such as “I Apologize” by Hüsker Dü or ‘Never Mind’ by The Replacements. Don’t miss out on this one.
14. Nas, ‘Speechless, Pt. 2.’
I had a whole host of great options from Nas’ 2023 victory lap. But this one already feels like a classic.
13. Wednesday, ‘Turkey Vultures.’
The best and most intense indie rock song I’ve heard in years.
12. Julie Byrne, ‘Flare.’
Byrne paints some gorgeously vivid imagery across her great new album, and this song reaches the highest peak of the cloudy atmosphere.
11. Björk, Rosalía, ‘Oral.’
Two Art Pop angels team up to craft a beautiful anthem of love and peace to help fight fish farming in Iceland. They both sound fantastic, and the music is great. What’s not to love?
10. Sufjan Stevens, ‘Everything That Rises.’
This album has been praised to death, and I don’t have anything to add to the conversation. This is one of the most beautiful songs of the year.
9. JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown, ‘Kingdom Hearts Key.’
The sampling and flow of this track is insanely lush and infectious. I’ve had this on repeat since it came out.
8. Carly Rae Jepsen, ‘Psychedelic Switch.’
Carly Rae is a master at crafting sublime and sexy pop music. This is one of the biggest dance highlights of the year.
7. Lana Del Rey, ‘Let The Light In.’
I’ve always been a Lana Del Rey enjoyer, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a fan. This album changed that entirely. ‘Let The Light In’ is one of the many exquisite moments of songwriting power showcased on this fantastic album.
6. Billy Woods, Kenny Segal, ‘FaceTime.’
The last two years have been prolific for Billy Woods, and he has proven himself to be a poet of unmatched quality. ‘FaceTime’ is one of his more accessible tracks, but it’s a truly great jazz rap song with warm production provided by Kenny Segal and a fantastic hook by none other than Samuel T. Herring of Future Islands. This is what music sounds like when Gods come together to combine their powers.
5. CMAT, ‘Have Fun!’
Irish songwriter CMAT has returned after delivering one of the best albums of 2022. I knew this would be one of my favorite songs of the year when I first heard it. The blend of rock, pop, and country is wonderfully authentic and engaging.
4. Mitski, ‘My Love Mine All Mine.’
An enchanting love letter to the moon; Mitski’s yearning voice and the heavenly instrumentation seem to have slipped straight out of a dream.
3. Caroline Polachek, ‘Blood and Butter.’
Art Pop extraordinaire Caroline Polachek really outdid herself with her sophomore album. ‘Blood and Butter’ is the most anthemic and fantastical pop song of the year, and she pulls out the bagpipes?! Taylor Swift could never.
2. Young Fathers, ‘I Saw.’
I Saw propels Young Father’s newest album forward with a driving, tribal, and spiritual force. A fantastic cut that I can’t get enough of.
1. Boygenius, ‘Not Strong Enough.’
I didn’t care about this song at first, but then its pop brilliance really snuck up on me (Phoebe has a tendency to do that). It’s not original or special, but for me, it is the most tuneful song of the year, and it has already become a classic for me. The production is immaculate, the performances by Bridgers, Dacus, and Baker are passionate, and it has the best sing-along chorus of the year. I’ll be listening to this song long after 2023 is gone.
Spotify playlist down below: