Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2023

This was the year of the long-awaited payoff. After long stretches of toil and creative refinement, 2023 saw the dam break for a handful of...

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# 1

Desire, I Want To Turn Into You by Caroline Polachek

Album • Feb 14 / 2023 Art Pop Alt-Pop Electronic

# 2

The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We by Mitski

Album • Sep 15 / 2023 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 3

Javelin by Sufjan Stevens

Album • Oct 06 / 2023 Indie Folk Singer-Songwriter Chamber Folk

# 4

The Enduring Spirit by Tomb Mold

Album • Sep 15 / 2023 Death Metal Progressive Metal

# 5

SCARING THE HOES by JPEGMAFIA + Danny Brown

Album • Mar 24 / 2023 Experimental Hip Hop Hardcore Hip Hop

# 6

Rat Saw God by Wednesday

Album • Apr 07 / 2023 Indie Rock Noise Rock

# 7

Maps by Billy Woods + Kenny Segal

Album • May 05 / 2023 Abstract Hip Hop Jazz Rap Conscious Hip Hop East Coast Hip Hop

# 8

The Window by Ratboys

Album • Aug 25 / 2023 Indie Rock

# 9

Suntub by ML Buch

Album • Oct 27 / 2023 Neo-Psychedelia Dream Pop

# 10

GOOD LUCK by DEBBY FRIDAY

Album • Mar 24 / 2023 Electro-Industrial

# 11

the record by boygenius

Album • Mar 31 / 2023 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk Indie Rock

# 12

10,000 gecs by 100 gecs

Album • Mar 17 / 2023 Alternative Rock Hyperpop

# 13

Raven by Kelela

Album • Feb 10 / 2023 Alternative R&B Electronic

# 14

Bekka Maiingan by Zoon

Album • Apr 28 / 2023 Shoegaze Neo-Psychedelia

# 15

Multitudes by Feist

Album • Apr 14 / 2023 Singer-Songwriter Contemporary Folk

# 16

Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey

Album • Mar 24 / 2023 Singer-Songwriter Art Pop

# 17

& the Charm by Avalon Emerson

Album • Apr 28 / 2023 Indietronica Downtempo Indie Pop

# 18

GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo

Album • Sep 08 / 2023 Pop Rock Singer-Songwriter Alternative Rock

# 19

Post-American by MSPAINT

Album • Mar 10 / 2023 Synth Punk

# 20

VOIR DIRE by Earl Sweatshirt + The Alchemist

Album • Oct 06 / 2023 Abstract Hip Hop Drumless West Coast Hip Hop

# 21

portrait of a dog by Jonah Yano

Album • Jan 27 / 2023 Jazz Pop Neo-Soul Sophisti-Pop

# 22

Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) by Yves Tumor

Album • Mar 17 / 2023 Neo-Psychedelia Post-Punk

# 23

Dogsbody by Model/Actriz

Album • Feb 24 / 2023 Noise Rock Dance-Punk Industrial Rock

# 24

Games of Power by Home Front

Album • Mar 03 / 2023 Post-Punk Synthpop

# 25

Madres by Sofia Kourtesis

Album • Oct 27 / 2023 Deep House Latin House

# 26

Gentle Confrontation by Loraine James

Album • Sep 22 / 2023 IDM UK Bass

# 27

The Greater Wings by Julie Byrne

Album • Jul 07 / 2023 Chamber Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 28

This Is Why by Paramore

Album • Feb 10 / 2023 Post-Punk Revival

# 29

Dizzy by Dizzy

Album • Aug 18 / 2023

# 30

PANIC by TOBi

Album • Oct 12 / 2023 Neo-Soul Jazz Rap

# 31

Burning Desire by MIKE

Album • Oct 13 / 2023 Abstract Hip Hop East Coast Hip Hop

# 32

The Whaler by Home Is Where

Album • Jun 16 / 2023 Midwest Emo Post-Hardcore

# 33

Atlas by Laurel Halo

Album • Sep 22 / 2023 Ambient

# 34

Kaytraminé by KAYTRAMINÉ + Aminé + KAYTRANADA

Album • May 19 / 2023 Pop Rap West Coast Hip Hop

# 35

Bless This Mess by U.S. Girls

Album • Feb 24 / 2023 Pop Soul Synthpop

# 36

Hellmode by Jeff Rosenstock

Album • Sep 01 / 2023 Indie Rock Power Pop Pop Punk

# 37

Beyond the Uncanny Valley by myst milano.

Album • Aug 25 / 2023

# 38

Let’s Start Here. by Lil Yachty

Album • Jan 27 / 2023 Neo-Psychedelia Psychedelic Rock

# 39

Agriculture by Agriculture

Album • Jul 21 / 2023 Blackgaze

# 40

Radical Romantics by Fever Ray

Album • Mar 10 / 2023 Art Pop Synthpop

# 41

Nature Morte by Big Brave

Album • Feb 24 / 2023 Drone Metal Post-Metal Noise Rock

# 42

Life Under The Gun by Militarie Gun

Album • Jun 23 / 2023 Alternative Rock Post-Hardcore

# 43

Fountain Baby by Amaarae

Album • Jun 09 / 2023 Afrobeats Alternative R&B

# 44

When We Were That What Wept for the Sea by Colin Stetson

Album • May 12 / 2023 Post-Minimalism

# 45

We're Still Here by The Hirs Collective

Album • Mar 24 / 2023 Queercore Powerviolence

# 46

Guy by Jayda G

Album • Jun 09 / 2023 Deep House Dance-Pop

# 47

Food for Worms by shame

Album • Feb 24 / 2023 Indie Rock Art Punk

# 48

RAT WARS by HEALTH

Album • Dec 07 / 2023 Electro-Industrial Industrial Metal

# 49

Good Living Is Coming For You by Sweeping Promises

Album • Jun 30 / 2023 Post-Punk Art Punk

# 50

Birds, Bees, The Clouds & the Trees by Harrison

Album • Apr 28 / 2023 Synthpop