The year 2023 was a stunning one for music, with comfortable fan favorites releasing predictably brilliant albums and artists on the rise pushing boundaries to their breaking point. Some major surprises were in store for fans of artists teasing new projects—including a beautiful flute one and several vaulted tracks from an iconic star.
But narrowing down the best albums of the year is still difficult. Success on the charts has to play a role, but so does creativity, songwriting, production value, and relatability. In this article, we’ll narrow down the 51 best albums of 2023.
1. One Thing At A Time – Morgan Wallen
It might seem strange for a country album to be the best-selling, most consumed, or just plain best of the year. And if you feel that way, you’d be in the majority. But Morgan Wallen’s One Thing At A Time was the biggest album of 2023 and the subject of several viral trends that skyrocketed its sales figures. It debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and spent a total of 16 nonconsecutive weeks on top of that chart. It served as his third studio album and is a huge, 36-track entry that samples all of the music that has influenced him over the years.
Crossover hit singles like Last Night, You Proof, and Everything I Love showed his ability to combine genres and find success outside of country audiences. Last Night in particular was the biggest hit, gaining traction on TikTok as a viral sound and funneling listeners to the album that might have otherwise passed by it. In 2023, no other album covered as many different sounds. It offers a little bit of something for everyone, and for that, it’s hard to place it anywhere else on our list of the best albums of the year.
2. SOS – SZA
SZA’s debut album Ctrl set the world on fire, so it comes as no surprise that she was able to do it again with the follow-up album. SOS technically came out in 2022, but since it wasn’t released until mid-December, I’m counting it anyway. Of the six singles released from the album—Shirt, Kill Bill, I Hate U, Good Days, Nobody Gets Me, and Snooze—only Shirt failed to reach the top 10 of the Hot 100.
It marked her entry into her vigilante era, exacting revenge on the people who wronged her and proving the idea that maturity is a prerequisite to personal growth a fallacy. The highlight of this one is her vocal delivery, relentless but also perfectly calm.
3. Self-Titled Album – Zach Bryan
Zach Bryan has continued his incredible run in both the country and rock genres, releasing his eponymous fourth album in August 2023 as an entirely self-produced banger. After debuting atop the Billboard 200, it earned the biggest streaming week of the year for a rock album, and its lead single I Remember Everything debuted atop the Hot 100. It also earned the best sales week for a rock album in the last four years.
But while it’s classed as a country rock album, any lover of old-school country music is going to find a gem in this album. Singles like East Side Of Sorrow and Smaller Acts scratch the itchy yearning for a return to classic country in an era of bro- and pop-country hits.
4. UTOPIA – Travis Scott
UTOPIA earned Travis Scott plenty of chart accolades, but landing all 19 songs on the album on the Hot 100 made him the 15th artist in history to score 100 entries to the chart. A concept album to follow up Astroworld that was accompanied by the film Circus Maximus, this sees him at his absolute best.
It sees him dabble in psychedelic rock and expand his sound, all the while returning to the roots of his debut mixtape that put him on the map. It also sees him team up with Drake, Playboi Carti, Beyoncé, 21 Savage, SZA, Bad Bunny, and plenty of other massive artists to create his best album yet.
5. GUTS – Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo’s songwriting has been her strongest trait and the thing that has turned her into one of the most relatable artists currently releasing new music. GUTS puts all of her abilities on display, effortlessly shifting from soft pop ballads to powerful punk rockers. It serves as an exploration of maturing into an adult while dealing with the incredible level of success she achieved with her previous album Sour. All 12 songs on it broke into the top 40 of the Hot 100, with Vampire becoming an international number-one single.
6. Fountain Baby – Amaarae
If you’re looking for one of the top pop albums of the year, it’s impossible to ignore Amaarae’s Fountain Baby. Universally acclaimed by critics with a near-perfect review score, it is the perfect mixture of pop, R&B, and Afrobeats. The song Sad Gurlz Love Money shot to viral fame and produced a remix version from Kali Uchis.
7. Scarlet – Doja Cat
Scarlet marked a new style for Doja Cat after she was criticized for her pop sound and her rap sensibilities came under fire. This time she leaves nothing in question, centering the entirety of it on rap and R&B tracks to show off her versatility. The album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200, becoming her third entry to the top 10 of the chart. The lead single Paint The Town Red became an overnight hit and was supported with singles like Agora Hills that were just as good.
8. Larger Than Life – Brent Faiyaz
Brent Faiyaz was already one of the most impressive independent artists in the world prior to his debut mixtape Larger Than Life coming out in 2023 under the umbrella of UnitedMasters.
A major throwback to late-’90s radio R&B sounds, the album brings together other newer and independent artists who might not have made it to the spotlight yet. The tracks are incredibly interesting, as while he sings about major happy events and celebrations, they don’t push beyond just a happy little story into egregious or egotistical rants.
9. Mañana Será Bonito – Karol G
Mañana Será Bonito became the first ever entirely Spanish-language album by a woman to top the Billboard 200 in 2023. It was inspired by a phrase Karol G repeats to herself when she isn’t feeling the greatest, conceptually encapsulating her going through the motions as she tries to find herself and happiness.
10. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You – Caroline Polacheck
Desire, I Want To Turn Into You is another album that has a little bit of something for everyone. Fitting bagpipes onto the same album as ’60s pop or breakbeats isn’t a particularly easy task, but the result is one full of enough themes and sounds that any listener will find something familiar in it, making them feel right at home. It even earned a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
11. Rat Saw God – Wednesday
Rat Saw God sees singer Karly Hartzman pulling images from her teenage years in a small town to produce what might be the best alternative album of the year. Wednesday released the single Chosen To Deserve in January 2023 to announce the album, immediately entrancing fans with the relatability of the songs and just how amazing they made everyday life sound.
Even if it does happen to be their fifth album as a group, it’s the perfect jumping-off point for new listeners wanting to get into the modern indie rock scene.
12. Javelin – Sufjan Stevens
If you happen to be a fan of Sufjan Stevens’ albums Carrie & Lowell or Illinois, you’re going to fall in love with Javelin. Each of the songs on the album starts in hushed tones with him softly singing careful and reflective lyrics before exploding into layered sounds that represent the emotions of what he just said.
The album as a whole serves as a masterpiece of production and songwriting from him, earning it incredible critical marks and cementing him as one of the premier folk artists of the day.
13. Radical Romantics – Fever Ray
Fever Ray dives deep into the meaning and types of relationships throughout Radical Romantics, from sexual to estranged and familial to casual acquaintances. The sprawling pop album classifies love itself as a mythical thing, though many become preoccupied or struggle against it. What the real meaning of it is, we may never know. However, we can get just a bit closer to understanding the concept of love through songs like What They Call Us, Carbon Dioxide, and Kandy.
14. Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd – Lana Del Rey
Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is a different kind of alt-pop than Lana Del Rey’s typical offerings. It turns away from her lauded world-building style towards something almost conversational. Fans wanting a look behind the curtain of just who she is and why she ended up that way will be delighted with this album, as it’s a different perspective on some familiar stories.
A&W earned two Grammy nods while Candy Necklace earned another and helped push the album towards nominations for Album of the Year and Best Alternative Music Album.
15. 10,000 gecs – 100 gecs
After releasing an album titled 1,000 gecs, what’s the best option for the title of your next album? Crank it to 10,000 for this one. 100 gecs might have disappointed some fans who thought they got corporatized on their second album, but the tweaks they made to the emo formula earned them rave critical reviews. It wasn’t afraid to get political or challenge social norms, forcing them into the mainstream eye and fighting for everyone’s place in the industry.
16. The Name Chapter: Temptation – TOMORROW X TOGETHER
The Name Chapter: Temptation features four tracks in addition to its lead single Sugar Rush Ride and began the start of TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s 2023 concert tour. An experimental album that deviates from the Korean group’s traditional sound, it draws on musical influences from around the world, from bossa nova to Latin music and R&B to dance pop. It debuted atop the US Billboard 200 as well, earning them their first chart-topper in that country.
17. Pink Tape – Lil Uzi Vert
Lil Uzi Vert returned to form and the top of the Billboard 200 with his 2023 album Pink Tape. Supported by singles like Just Wanna Rock and Endless Fashion, it soared on the streaming charts. His sheer brilliance is on display in the album, spanning 26 tracks and an hour-and-a-half runtime. While it didn’t get full marks from critics largely thanks to the changes in quality over such a bloated tracklist and the combination of genre elements, it remains a massively hyped and well-worth-the-wait album for fans and new listeners.
18. Get Up – New Jeans
K-pop isn’t exactly anything new in the Western world, but as it evolves it continues to gain more traction. NewJeans often imitates the ‘90s girl-group style in their work and their newest album is no exception. Get Up is the second EP released by them and spends most of its time talking about friendship and love.
All six tracks on it came with music videos and half of them were released as singles in support of it. In Korea, it became the second-most-sold album in its first week by a female K-pop group and topped the Billboard 200 in the US.
19. The Greater Wings – Julie Byrne
Julie Byrne wrote all of The Greater Wings after the loss of collaborator and partner Eric Littmann. The indelible grief and pain are the most poignant traits of the album, and this served as a way to process the loss for her.
Hope in the future and gratitude for the time they shared underpin the album and bring it from a potential waterfall of tears to something a bit brighter for listeners. Singles like Summer Glass and Moonless showcase the devastating nature of loss and the inevitability of death but are also able to find a place of healing along the way.
20. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
If someone asked you what artist truly owned 2023, the only possible answer you can give them is Taylor Swift. With her The Eras Tour in full swing, she continued releasing her re-recorded albums to avid fans and new listeners alike. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), a re-recording of her 2010 album Speak Now, not only contains the 16 songs from the deluxe version of the album, but it also has six unreleased tracks from her vault.
While some lyric changes stirred up debate among both the Swifties and critics, it marked her 12th time topping the Billboard 200 and all 22 of the tracks debuted on the Hot 100.
21. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
Continuing the same trend as our last entry, Taylor Swift released her re-recorded version of 1989 in October 2023. The fourth re-recorded album by her after a dispute over her master recordings, it also contains 16 original songs from the first one with another five previously unreleased tracks in tow.
In 2023, this album earned the biggest streaming day on Spotify for the year and broke the record for single-day streams on Amazon Music. Seven songs from it broke into the top 10 of the Hot 100, and it marked the 13th time she released an album that topped the Billboard 200.
22. This Is Why – Paramore
Paramore was another group that returned with a passion in 2023. Masterful levels of post-punk and existentialism abound on their newest album This Is Why. Interestingly, it’s the first one released by them made with the same lineup as their previous one, but their musings on the human condition are something you can count on throughout each of them. A nomination for Best Rock Album at the Grammys and a remix album released eight months later cemented it as one of the finest offerings of 2023.
23. Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana – Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny finished a world tour in 2022 and told fans he would be taking a break, going absent on social media channels for five months. Apparently, he didn’t take a very long break, because he returned with his fifth album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana. A trash-talking trap album that serves as the ideal place for him to get his frustrations off of his chest, it stays true to the sound that turned him into a modern icon.
24. Like…? – Ice Spice
Ice Spice just found the spotlight last year, but she wasted no time in becoming one of the hottest names in the industry since then. Her debut EP Like…? built on the success of Munch (Feelin’ U) with singles like Bikini Bottom and In Ha Mood. A bonus edition was released three months later that saw her team up with Nicki Minaj on the remix of Princess Diana, which reached number four on the Hot 100. But it also saw the release of Deli, her highest solo single, which peaked at number 41.
25. For All The Dogs – Drake
There aren’t going to be any hip hop heads arguing that Drake released his best-ever album in 2023, nor many that would say he was at his best. But that changes very little when he remains as sharp as ever and incorporates some of the best beats of the year. For All The Dogs is an album that sprawls across all subgenres of hip hop while maintaining his signature combative lyricism. Songs like What Would Pluto Do and Another Late Night pushed up the pop charts as quickly as they pushed sales for it.
26. One More Time – blink-182
One More Time was a return to form for blink-182, delving into familiar topics like maturing and relationships while also devoting some time to heavier ones like Mark Hoppus’ cancer diagnosis. If you were at all a fan of their punk rock energy in the past, this album is likely going to be in your top three of the year. It isn’t anything new or groundbreaking from them, but it sees them do exactly what made them a worldwide sensation.
27. Oh Me Oh My – Lonnie Holley
Lonnie Holley has made a name for himself on the back of his songwriting ability and his unwavering courage when it comes to taking on political issues. Oh Me Oh My brazenly takes on issues like intergenerational Black traumas, slavery, mortality, and survival in a country that is unwelcoming. Despite the chains figuratively holding him down, he finds release in speaking truth through atmospheric and powerful songs. This is an excellent album for anyone weary of the state of the world and ready for change.
28. Raven – Kelela
Six years after Kelela earned one of the best albums of 2017, she returned with another incredible piece of work. Raven serves as a cathartic release for the artist, laying down consistently introspective tracks alongside fluid beats that are one of the best representations of modern soul music out there. While her first album was mostly focused on falling apart, this one focuses on rebuilding, giving us an ambient and danceable album of songs full of hope.
29. Praise a Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) – Yves Tumor
It’s beautiful when an album follows suit with its title, and this one can be perfectly described as a mouthful—in the best way. Yves Tumor is known for mashing up genres, and this one is no exception. An experimental album dabbling in rock, dance, pop, electronic, punk, and indie works, the diversity of it alone warrants attention. From there, it turns into a transcendent masterpiece of sound that is just as likely to welcome listeners in as it is to challenge their preconceived notions about music.
30. Gag Order – Kesha
Kesha is another artist who made a massive return in 2023 and boy did she come back mad. Blending all of the genres she personally loves, she dives into darker content than her party pop era, discussing traumas, depression, death, exploitation, and control. But it’s not all doom and gloom, there’s a bit of triumphant joy in her rage, as it brings up how she has overcome those problems and serves as a release valve for the emotions and traumas she’s faced over the years.
31. Hood Hottest Princess – Sexyy Red
Sexxy Red truly broke through with the release of Hood Hottest Princess. Quotable lyrics abound in singles like Pound Town 2, SkeeYee, and Born By The River. But it’s the rapper’s sheer charisma that carries much of the album, as she effortlessly drops bars alongside some of the current greats in hip hop like Nicki Minaj, Chief Keef, and Juicy J.
32. Red Moon In Venus – Kali Uchis
Red Moon In Venus got a hot start when it debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, becoming Kali Uchis’ first top-10 album. A mixture of Spanish and English, it is heavily focused on the R&B genre and has become one of the most creative releases of the year. Songs like I Wish You Roses and Moonlight helped buoy it on the charts. Interestingly, it was revealed that many of the tracks had been written years ago but are just now surfacing for her 2023 album.
33. Saved! – Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter
Saved! is something of a horror album of gospel standards and original songs. Perhaps the most chilling album on this list, it’s full of audio errors and tape manipulation that adds a haunting sound to some familiar tracks. Terrorizing is one of the best ways to describe it, however, that doesn’t do justice to the sheer creativity of an album like this. It’s a sonic Book of Revelations that uses spiritual conversion as an allegory for falling apart and rebuilding yourself.
34. Ganger – Veeze
Many of the best raps come from free-flowing street artists like Veeze, and his second production showcases everything great from his debut and more. An unbothered facade is largely responsible for the ease at which his crafted lyrics slur together as he raps his lines.
But while he himself wasn’t a fan of the blowup that followed his debut album Navy Wavy, this is certainly yet another one worthy of attention. There’s something intoxicating about his line delivery, ensuring that fans will clamor for more whether or not he wants to give it to them anytime soon.
35. I Killed Your Dog – L’Rain
Experimental is perhaps the best word to describe L’Rain, but that’s by no means an adjective meant negatively. Their album I Killed Your Dog serves as an anti-breakup record and explores themes of sexuality, contradictions, and the darker side of the artist’s alias. As you could probably guess from the album title, the title track is morbidly funny and the album as a whole is full of great moments.
36. softscars – yeule
Yeule was well-known for electronic pop music, but what audiences got on Softscars was pure ’90s alternative. The theme of scars is vitally important to the album, with each song representing a scar tied to the artist’s past. But thankfully, those scars are soft ones, which means that even though time never erases them, the pain fades over time. Taking that theme even further in the lyrics of the track, this becomes an album full of self-healing and overcoming the challenges of dealing with past traumas.
37. My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross – ANOHNI and the Johnsons
Perhaps the best way to describe My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross is as an album full of grief. Lost friends, unfulfilled promises, depression, and societal ills all make appearances to paint a vivid and tragic picture.
ANOHNI’s voice comes off as angry yet exhausted as she trudges through the songs and delivers poignant messages about everything that has gone wrong in the past. From societal changes to environmentalism, she doesn’t just point to things that need to change, the solutions are offered as she pours out her soul in the tracks.
38. Sundial – Noname
Noname took a long break from her music career after her 2018 album Room 25, spending most of her time on revolutionary politics, activism, and her book club. But in 2023, she returned to rip into other musicians, our political system, and the conditions people face around the world with Sundial.
Slight shifts in tone allowed her to change the flow of her bristling lyrics from an assault to a teardown, losing none of the glorious songwriting skills she possesses. Comedy, questions about morality, and a watchful eye on current events are all wrapped up in the incredible bundle that is this album.
39. The Record – boygenius
After a five-year hiatus, boygenius returned in 2023 to critical, commercial, and fan acclaim. The indie-rock supergroup put together songs that fans can relate to, from the nihilist perspectives of Satanist to the calm confidence explored in Letter To An Old Poet.
The album as a whole manages to stay down to earth despite the lofty ambitions of the artists behind it, making listeners feel as though they’re scanning through grunge and folk stations as the tracks pass them by. The Record eventually climbed to number four on the Billboard 200 and earned them seven Grammy nominations, including one for both Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
40. Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? – Kara Jackson
Poet and songwriter Kara Jackson’s debut album Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love? just might be the highest-rated one on this list in terms of critical praise. She released it in April 2023 and blends country, folk, and chamber pop into a stunningly beautiful album.
But despite how carefully crafted the emotional portions of the songs are, there’s still plenty of room for humor. Therapy in particular takes a warranted shot at dependent men that many listeners will both giggle alongside and relate to instantly.
41. That! Feels Good! – Jessie Ware
The whole point of the disco and funk crazes of yesteryear was to lose inhibitions and let go for a while, even if it was only for a single song. All the wonderful things about dancing and shaking your body around are encapsulated in Jessie Ware’s album That! Feels Good! And while it has the big band funk you could ask for, it still asks big questions about life and how people are best able to cope. Tracks like What’s Your Pleasure and Begin Again are the perfect fusion of conscious and dance music.
42. Everyone’s Crushed – Water From Your Eyes
Among indie pop groups, Water From Your Eyes still seems to be on the come up. Their latest album Everyone’s Crushed received weighty reviews from critics and brings the absolute best out of the duo. Songs like Structure and Barley highlight the chaos of their music, with dissonant sounds and beats that seemingly don’t line up quite right. But don’t let that keep you from listening, as not only is it intentional, but when it lines up the right way, it’s an incredible listening experience.
43. I’ve Got Me – Joanna Sternberg
I’ve Got Me is another great album that contains a lot of tracks written during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Joanna Sternberg went through quite a lot of setbacks, resulting in an album that focuses primarily on mental health issues.
Full of self-doubt and introspection, the songs hearken back to something familiar in all of us, making listeners feel like they’re hearing old classics rather than something released in 2023. Precise lyricism coupled with pure American songbook melodies make this one of the best of the year and the perfect listen for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
44. This Stupid World – Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo is definitely not the new kid on the block for indie rock, as its 17th album This Stupid World was released in 2023. Mostly recorded during the pandemic days, it slowly grew out of jam sessions that resonated with the general gloom accompanying the times. But it’s not a dooming feeling, more of a strength to make something out of a crap situation. That resilience—and frankly acceptance—makes dealing with problems just a little bit easier.
45. Heaven is a Junkyard – Youth Lagoon
Youth Lagoon may have officially ended in 2016, but Trevor Powers brought it back with a vengeance in 2023. With the release of Heaven Is A Junkyard, he was able to release all the emotions and thoughts that followed a reaction to over-the-counter medications that left him without a voice for months.
Love, drugs, and miracles are all major themes of the album, but it’s the blend of experimental techniques and well-known genres that really brings it home for me. In the end, it’s essentially a blend of music that can only be described as modern Americana.
46. After the Magic – Parannoul
After The Magic has been praised as a major breakthrough for Parannoul, including their best songwriting to date and stunningly beautiful music arrangements. Moving away from overt emo styles, it instead shifts towards melodic rock that quite literally feels like a waking dream. Aside from rave critical reviews, it also garnered the Best New Music distinction from Pitchfork Magazine and saw some singles fall onto other lists of the best new rock songs.
47. New Blue Sun – André 3000
New Blue Sun marked one of the first times listeners got to hear music from André 3000 in a world after he decided to quit rapping. It’s an album that seemingly comes out of left field to those without that knowledge and his debut as a solo artist ended his 17-year hiatus as a musician.
Rather than his trademark bars, he instead delivers an 87-minute album of experimental flute music that borders on spiritual jazz. The sheer creativity and devotion to a new direction opens more doors and instills hope for more music from him in the near future.
48. Ready to Be – TWICE
TWICE stepped into more mature themes in 2023 with their album Ready To Be. A bit of maturation from the girl group helped it debut at number two on the Billboard 200 and earn them the title of being the first female K-pop group to have three top-three albums in the country.
49. FML – Seventeen
FML is the 10th EP from Korean boy band Seventeen and was the second-most preordered album in South Korea history with over 4.6 million orders. Surpassing six million sales only three months later made it the first time a K-pop artist reached those sales goals. Songs like F*ck My Life and Super were major reasons for it winning Album of the Year at the 2023 MAMA Awards.
50. Portals – Melanie Martinez
Portals saw Melanie Martinez move away from her alt-pop sound into something more along the lines of pop-rock. Darker, with more of an edge, her latest muse inspired her to release an album full of deep and introspective lines. It also marked her return to music after a two-year hiatus, releasing the singles Death, Void, and Evil in support of the album, which earned her first appearances on the Hot 100 and an album that reached number two on the Billboard 200.
51. PANICO NO SUBMUNDO – DJ K
DJ K’s debut album PANICO NO SUBMUNDO is a unique blend of horrorcore and funk carioca music that has more energy than just about any other EDM album you try to compare against it. Heavy production on each song takes each one to another level of aggressive power. Anyone not checking this one out is missing out on one of the best and most unique experiences of 2023.
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As a contributing writer for Music Grotto, Dakotah writes and produces professional music/media content. He works closely with editorial staff to meet editorial standards and create
quality content for the Music Grotto website. Dakotah is passionate about music in a wide variety of genres, from hip-hop to country and lo-fi to metal, and he enjoys creating music pieces for Music Grotto.