PopMatters' 80 Best Albums of 2023

The best albums of 2023 challenged orthodoxies, blended and created new genres, and spanned a vast range of musical styles and traditions, while looking forward.

Source

# 1

That! Feels Good! by Jessie Ware

Album • Apr 28 / 2023 Disco Dance-Pop

# 2

Wait Til I Get Over by Durand Jones

Album • May 05 / 2023 Soul

# 3

the record by boygenius

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

# 4

Desire, I Want To Turn Into You by Caroline Polachek

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

# 5

Heavy Heavy by Young Fathers

Album • Feb 03 / 2023 Neo-Psychedelia Art Pop

# 6

٣ (Trois) by Acid Arab

Album • Feb 03 / 2023 Arabic Music Electronic

# 7

Rat Saw God by Wednesday

Album • Apr 07 / 2023 Indie Rock Noise Rock

# 8

Weathervanes by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Album • Jun 09 / 2023 Alt-Country Americana

# 9

falling or flying by Jorja Smith

Album • Sep 29 / 2023 Contemporary R&B

# 10

Volcano by Jungle

Album • Aug 11 / 2023 Nu-Disco

# 11

Aşk by Altin Gün

Album • Mar 31 / 2023 Anatolian Rock Psychedelic Rock Neo-Psychedelia

# 12

Madres by Sofia Kourtesis

Album • Oct 27 / 2023 Deep House Latin House

# 13

Gentle Confrontation by Loraine James

Album • Sep 22 / 2023 IDM UK Bass

# 14

Sundial by Noname

Album • Aug 11 / 2023 Jazz Rap Conscious Hip Hop Political Hip Hop

# 15

Bunny by Beach Fossils

Album • Jun 02 / 2023 Jangle Pop Dream Pop Indie Pop

# 16

Tension (Deluxe) by Kylie Minogue

Album • Sep 22 / 2023 Dance-Pop House

# 17

City of Gold by Molly Tuttle + Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Album • Jul 21 / 2023 Progressive Bluegrass

# 18

Strays by Margo Price

Album • Jan 13 / 2023 Contemporary Country Heartland Rock

# 19

Javelin by Sufjan Stevens

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

# 20

everything is alive by Slowdive

Album • Sep 01 / 2023 Dream Pop

# 21

Dancing While Falling by Quantic

Album • Nov 10 / 2023 Disco

# 22

Black Classical Music by Yussef Dayes

Album • Sep 08 / 2023 Jazz Fusion

# 23

We Buy Diabetic Test Strips by Armand Hammer + billy woods + E L U C I D

Album • Sep 29 / 2023 Experimental Hip Hop Abstract Hip Hop East Coast Hip Hop

# 24

Blondshell by Blondshell

Album • Apr 07 / 2023 Indie Rock

# 25

Maps by Billy Woods + Kenny Segal

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

# 26

Nothing's Gonna Stand in My Way Again by Lydia Loveless

Album • Sep 22 / 2023 Alt-Country Pop Rock

# 27

The Omnichord Real Book by Meshell Ndegeocello

Album • Jun 16 / 2023 Neo-Soul Jazz Fusion

# 28

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

Album • Mar 24 / 2023 Singer-Songwriter Art Pop

# 29

The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We by Mitski

Album • Sep 15 / 2023 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 30

London Ko by Fatoumata Diawara

Album • May 12 / 2023 Wassoulou Art Pop

# 31

Strange Disciple by Nation of Language

Album • Sep 15 / 2023 Synthpop

# 32

Proof Of Life by Joy Oladokun

Album • Apr 28 / 2023 Indie Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 33

Lahai by Sampha

Album • Oct 20 / 2023 Alternative R&B

# 34

VOIR DIRE by Earl Sweatshirt + The Alchemist

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

# 35

Drum Money by Ekiti Sound

Album • Jun 23 / 2023 Afrobeats

# 36

Shook by Algiers

Album • Feb 24 / 2023 Post-Industrial Post-Punk

# 37

Space Heavy by King Krule

Album • Jun 09 / 2023 Neo-Psychedelia Slowcore

# 38

Blight Year by Anti-God Hand

Album • Aug 25 / 2023 Black Metal Progressive Metal

# 39

GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo

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

# 40

Atlas by Laurel Halo

Album • Sep 22 / 2023 Ambient

# 41

Everyone's Crushed by Water From Your Eyes

Album • May 26 / 2023 Experimental Rock Art Pop

# 42

Jenny from Thebes by The Mountain Goats

Album • Oct 27 / 2023 Soft Rock

# 43

i've seen a way by Mandy, Indiana

Album • May 19 / 2023 Post-Industrial

# 44

Exit Simulation by Niecy Blues

Album • Nov 10 / 2023 Alternative R&B Ambient Pop Ambient

# 45

Zango by WITCH

Album • Jun 02 / 2023 Zamrock

# 46

Jupiter by Upper Wilds

Album • Jul 21 / 2023 Noise Pop Noise Rock

# 47

Homo Anxietatem by Shamir

Album • Aug 18 / 2023 Indie Rock

# 48

Anarchist Gospel by Sunny War

Album • Feb 03 / 2023 Americana

# 49

The Window by Ratboys

Album • Aug 25 / 2023 Indie Rock

# 50

Cracker Island by Gorillaz

Album • Feb 24 / 2023 Synthpop Electropop