Songs of 2023

Presenting: The Best Songs of 2023 featuring Olivia Rodrigo, Amaarae, Armand Hammer, MJ Lenderman, Carly Rae Jepsen, L'Rain, Nourished By Time, Kylie Minogue, and more!

Despite the plethora of killer songs that dropped in 2023, there was no clear runaway, no chart-topping unavoidable banger, nothing that jolted back to the mainstream from a TV show, or a definitive world-conquering anthem that dominated Spotify playlists. Still, the songs on this list all deserve serious attention and can each hold their own with any of the other songs that have been the best of their respective years. As I've been consistently reporting, the abundance of great new music continues to surge and after, once again, listening to over 8,000 songs this year (both old and new), I think there's something here for everyone. Whether you're into country, jazz, metal, pop, hardcore, or hip-hop, 2023 provided an outpouring so strong that I'm sure I'll still be discovering great new tunes from this year for quite some time ahead. There are tracks here that are ready for the club and begging you to get the party started, one to cry to alone in your bedroom, some that will make you want to rage with your best friends, a couple to soundtrack a cocktail party, and a lengthy ambient jazz piece that wasn't written by Andre 3000! All of that is to say, these are my favorite songs of 2023 and I hope you find something that becomes your favorite as well.

100  BJÖRK / ROSALÍA | "Oral"

099  NUBYA GARCIA | "Lean In"

098  VINES | "I don't mind"

097  FABIANA PALLADINO / JAI PAUL | "I Care"

096  KALI UCHIS | "Moonlight"
095  SQUID | "Swing (In a Dream)"
094  MUNYA | "Un Deux Trois"
093  WILCO | "Evicted"
092  BARONESS | "Last Word"

091  YAEJI | "For Granted"

090  PARANNOUL | "We Shine at Night"
089  SPIRIT GHOST | "Walk Back"
088  MOMMA | "Bang Bang"
087  AXEL BOWMAN | "Lucky Luke"
086  BARRY CAN'T SWIM | "Sonder"
085  ROMY | "Enjoy Your Life"
084  JONAH YANO | "the ordinary is ordinary because it ordinarily repeats" (ft BADBADNOTGOOD)
083  ALGIERS | "Bite Back" (ft billy woods and Backxwash)

082  FRANKIE ROSE | "Anything"
081  U.S. GIRLS | "Future Bet"

080  STEPHEN VITIELLO / BRENDAN CANTY / HAHN ROE | "First"

079  THE TELEPHONE NUMBERS | "Weird Sisters"
078  THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS | "Really Really Light"

077  EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL | "Nothing Left to Lose"

076  SHAMIR | "Oversized Sweater"

075  JAIMIE BRANCH | "take over the world"

074  KELELA | "Contact"
073  HOTLINE TNT | "I Thought You'd Change"

072  ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER | "A Barely Lit Path"
071  IRREVERSIBLE ENTANGLEMENTS | "Free Love"

070  MSPAINT | "Delete It" (ft Militarie Gun)
069  YARD ACT | "The Trench Coat Museum"

068  VAGABON | "Carpenter"

067  CHAPPELL ROAN | "Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl"

066  THE REDS, PINKS AND PURPLES | "Life in the Void"
065  TIRZAH | "Promises"
064  MOLLY BURCH | "Physical"

063  MOOR MOTHER | "WE GOT THE JAZZ" (ft Kyle Kidd, Keir Neuringer, and Aquiles Navarro)
062  CARLY RAE JEPSEN | "Psychedelic Switch"

061  CRUSHED | "milksugar"

060  BE YOUR OWN PET | "Worship the Whip"

059  SCREAMING FEMALES | "Brass Bell"
058  GEESE | "Cowboy Nudes"
057  PATIO | "En Plein Air"
056  OVERMONO | "Is U"
055  BAR ITALIA | "Nurse!"
054  PALEHOUND | "The Clutch"

053  GLOBEMASTER | "No Internet"

052  GORILLAZ | "Silent Running" (ft Adeleye Omotayo)

051  NOURISHED BY TIME | "The Fields"

050  FEIST | "Love Who You Are Meant To"

049  JULIE BYRNE | "Summer Glass"
048  JACK J | "Foolish Man"

047  PETER ONE | "Cherie Vico"

046  MODEL/ACTRIZ | "Crossing Guard"
045  THE NATIONAL | "Grease In Your Hair"

044  ARMAND HAMMER | "The Gods Must Be Crazy" (ft El-P)

043  APHEX TWIN | "Blackbox Life Recorder 21f"

042  GEORGIA GETS BY | "Easier to Run"

041  MITSKI | "Bug Like an Angel"

040  JESS WILLIAMSON | "Hunter"

039  NONAME | "Namesake"

038  ALAN BRAXE | "Never Coming Back" (ft Annie)

037  KYLIE MINOGUE | "Padam Padam"

036  YVES TUMOR | "Echocalia"

035  SLOWDIVE | "kisses"

034  DUA LIPA | "Dance the Night"

033  MJ LENDERMAN | "Rudolph"

032  ARLO PARKS | "Devotion"

031  FREAK HEAT WAVES | "In a Moment Devine" (ft Cindy Lee)

030  BIG THIEF |"Vampire Empire"

029  SLOW PULP | "Cramps"

028  SKRILLEX | "Rumble" (ft Fred again.. and Flowdan)

027  COLE PULICE | "If I Don't See You in the Future, I'll See You in the Pasture"

026  JAMILA WOODS | "Tiny Garden" (ft duendita)

025  THE SMILE | "Bending Hectic"

024  CAROLINE POLACHEK | "Blood and Butter"

023  AVALON EMERSON | "Karaoke Song"

022  TANUKICHAN | "Think Air" (ft Enumclaw)

021  YOUTH LAGOON | "Prize Fighter"

020  YO LA TENGO | "Aselestine"

019  BABY KEEM / KENDRICK LAMAR | "The Hillbillies"

018  INDIGO DE SOUZA | "Younger & Dumber"

017  L'RAIN | "New Year's UnResolution"

016  FOUR TET | "Three Drums"

015  ICE SPICE | "In Ha Mood"

014  BILLY WOODS / KENNY SEGAL | "Year Zero" (ft Danny Brown)

013  BULLY | "Days Move Slow"

012  FEVER RAY | "Kandy"

011  BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT | "Nobody"

10  MILITARIE GUN | "Do It Faster"

09  AMAARAE | "Co-Star"

08  JESSIE WARE | "Pearls"

07  BOYGENIUS | "Satanist"

06  ANOHNI AND THE JOHNSONS | "It Must Change"

05  SUFJAN STEVENS | "So You Are Tired"

04  PINKPANTHERESS / ICE SPICE | "Boys a liar Pt. 2"

03  LANA DEL RAY | "A&W"

02  OLIVIA RODRIGO | "get him back!"

01  WEDNESDAY | "Chosen to Deserve"

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