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...

Source

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 Desire, I Want To Turn Into You Caroline Polachek Feb-14-2023, Art Pop
#2 The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We Mitski Sep-15-2023, Singer-Songwriter
#3 Javelin Sufjan Stevens Oct-06-2023, Indie Folk
#4 The Enduring Spirit Tomb Mold Sep-15-2023, Death Metal
#5 SCARING THE HOES JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown Mar-24-2023, Experimental Hip Hop
#6 Rat Saw God Wednesday Apr-07-2023, Indie Rock
#7 Maps Billy Woods, Kenny Segal May-05-2023, Abstract Hip Hop
#8 The Window Ratboys Aug-25-2023, Indie Rock
#9 Suntub ML Buch Oct-27-2023, Neo-Psychedelia
#10 GOOD LUCK DEBBY FRIDAY Mar-24-2023, Electro-Industrial
#11 the record boygenius Mar-31-2023, Singer-Songwriter
#12 10,000 gecs 100 gecs Mar-17-2023, Alternative Rock
#13 Raven Kelela Feb-10-2023, Alternative R&B
#14 Bekka Maiingan Zoon Apr-28-2023, Shoegaze
#15 Multitudes Feist Apr-14-2023, Singer-Songwriter
#16 Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd Lana Del Rey Mar-24-2023, Singer-Songwriter
#17 & the Charm Avalon Emerson Apr-28-2023, Indietronica
#18 GUTS Olivia Rodrigo Sep-08-2023, Pop Rock
#19 Post-American MSPAINT Mar-10-2023, Synth Punk
#20 VOIR DIRE Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist Oct-06-2023, Abstract Hip Hop
#21 portrait of a dog Jonah Yano Jan-27-2023, Jazz Pop
#22 Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) Yves Tumor Mar-17-2023, Neo-Psychedelia
#23 Dogsbody Model/Actriz Feb-24-2023, Noise Rock
#24 Games of Power Home Front Mar-03-2023, Post-Punk
#25 Madres Sofia Kourtesis Oct-27-2023, Deep House
#26 Gentle Confrontation Loraine James Sep-22-2023, IDM
#27 The Greater Wings Julie Byrne Jul-07-2023, Chamber Folk
#28 This Is Why Paramore Feb-10-2023, Post-Punk Revival
#29 Dizzy Dizzy Aug-18-2023,
#30 PANIC TOBi Oct-12-2023, Neo-Soul
#31 Burning Desire MIKE Oct-13-2023, Abstract Hip Hop
#32 The Whaler Home Is Where Jun-16-2023, Midwest Emo
#33 Atlas Laurel Halo Sep-22-2023, Ambient
#34 Kaytraminé KAYTRAMINÉ, Aminé, KAYTRANADA May-19-2023, Pop Rap
#35 Bless This Mess U.S. Girls Feb-24-2023, Pop Soul
#36 Hellmode Jeff Rosenstock Sep-01-2023, Indie Rock
#37 Beyond the Uncanny Valley myst milano. Aug-25-2023,
#38 Let’s Start Here. Lil Yachty Jan-27-2023, Neo-Psychedelia
#39 Agriculture Agriculture Jul-21-2023, Blackgaze
#40 Radical Romantics Fever Ray Mar-10-2023, Art Pop
#41 Nature Morte Big Brave Feb-24-2023, Drone Metal
#42 Life Under The Gun Militarie Gun Jun-23-2023, Alternative Rock
#43 Fountain Baby Amaarae Jun-09-2023, Afrobeats
#44 When We Were That What Wept for the Sea Colin Stetson May-12-2023, Post-Minimalism
#45 We're Still Here The Hirs Collective Mar-24-2023, Queercore
#46 Guy Jayda G Jun-09-2023, Deep House
#47 Food for Worms shame Feb-24-2023, Indie Rock
#48 RAT WARS HEALTH Dec-07-2023, Electro-Industrial
#49 Good Living Is Coming For You Sweeping Promises Jun-30-2023, Post-Punk
#50 Birds, Bees, The Clouds & the Trees Harrison Apr-28-2023, Synthpop
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Desire, I Want To Turn Into You | Caroline Polachek | Album, Feb-14-2023, Art Pop |
| #2 | The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We | Mitski | Album, Sep-15-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #3 | Javelin | Sufjan Stevens | Album, Oct-06-2023, Indie Folk |
| #4 | The Enduring Spirit | Tomb Mold | Album, Sep-15-2023, Death Metal |
| #5 | SCARING THE HOES | JPEGMAFIADanny Brown | Album, Mar-24-2023, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #6 | Rat Saw God | Wednesday | Album, Apr-07-2023, Indie Rock |
| #7 | Maps | Billy WoodsKenny Segal | Album, May-05-2023, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #8 | The Window | Ratboys | Album, Aug-25-2023, Indie Rock |
| #9 | Suntub | ML Buch | Album, Oct-27-2023, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #10 | GOOD LUCK | DEBBY FRIDAY | Album, Mar-24-2023, Electro-Industrial |
| #11 | the record | boygenius | Album, Mar-31-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #12 | 10,000 gecs | 100 gecs | Album, Mar-17-2023, Alternative Rock |
| #13 | Raven | Kelela | Album, Feb-10-2023, Alternative R&B |
| #14 | Bekka Maiingan | Zoon | Album, Apr-28-2023, Shoegaze |
| #15 | Multitudes | Feist | Album, Apr-14-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #16 | Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd | Lana Del Rey | Album, Mar-24-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #17 | & the Charm | Avalon Emerson | Album, Apr-28-2023, Indietronica |
| #18 | GUTS | Olivia Rodrigo | Album, Sep-08-2023, Pop Rock |
| #19 | Post-American | MSPAINT | Album, Mar-10-2023, Synth Punk |
| #20 | VOIR DIRE | Earl SweatshirtThe Alchemist | Album, Oct-06-2023, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #21 | portrait of a dog | Jonah Yano | Album, Jan-27-2023, Jazz Pop |
| #22 | Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) | Yves Tumor | Album, Mar-17-2023, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #23 | Dogsbody | Model/Actriz | Album, Feb-24-2023, Noise Rock |
| #24 | Games of Power | Home Front | Album, Mar-03-2023, Post-Punk |
| #25 | Madres | Sofia Kourtesis | Album, Oct-27-2023, Deep House |
| #26 | Gentle Confrontation | Loraine James | Album, Sep-22-2023, IDM |
| #27 | The Greater Wings | Julie Byrne | Album, Jul-07-2023, Chamber Folk |
| #28 | This Is Why | Paramore | Album, Feb-10-2023, Post-Punk Revival |
| #29 | Dizzy | Dizzy | Album, Aug-18-2023,  |
| #30 | PANIC | TOBi | Album, Oct-12-2023, Neo-Soul |
| #31 | Burning Desire | MIKE | Album, Oct-13-2023, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #32 | The Whaler | Home Is Where | Album, Jun-16-2023, Midwest Emo |
| #33 | Atlas | Laurel Halo | Album, Sep-22-2023, Ambient |
| #34 | Kaytraminé | KAYTRAMINÉAminéKAYTRANADA | Album, May-19-2023, Pop Rap |
| #35 | Bless This Mess | U.S. Girls | Album, Feb-24-2023, Pop Soul |
| #36 | Hellmode | Jeff Rosenstock | Album, Sep-01-2023, Indie Rock |
| #37 | Beyond the Uncanny Valley | myst milano. | Album, Aug-25-2023,  |
| #38 | Let’s Start Here. | Lil Yachty | Album, Jan-27-2023, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #39 | Agriculture | Agriculture | Album, Jul-21-2023, Blackgaze |
| #40 | Radical Romantics | Fever Ray | Album, Mar-10-2023, Art Pop |
| #41 | Nature Morte | Big Brave | Album, Feb-24-2023, Drone Metal |
| #42 | Life Under The Gun | Militarie Gun | Album, Jun-23-2023, Alternative Rock |
| #43 | Fountain Baby | Amaarae | Album, Jun-09-2023, Afrobeats |
| #44 | When We Were That What Wept for the Sea | Colin Stetson | Album, May-12-2023, Post-Minimalism |
| #45 | We're Still Here | The Hirs Collective | Album, Mar-24-2023, Queercore |
| #46 | Guy | Jayda G | Album, Jun-09-2023, Deep House |
| #47 | Food for Worms | shame | Album, Feb-24-2023, Indie Rock |
| #48 | RAT WARS | HEALTH | Album, Dec-07-2023, Electro-Industrial |
| #49 | Good Living Is Coming For You | Sweeping Promises | Album, Jun-30-2023, Post-Punk |
| #50 | Birds, Bees, The Clouds & the Trees | Harrison | Album, Apr-28-2023, Synthpop |