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
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | That! Feels Good! | Jessie Ware | Apr-28-2023, Disco |
| #2 | Wait Til I Get Over | Durand Jones | May-05-2023, Soul |
| #3 | the record | boygenius | Mar-31-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #4 | Desire, I Want To Turn Into You | Caroline Polachek | Feb-14-2023, Art Pop |
| #5 | Heavy Heavy | Young Fathers | Feb-03-2023, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #6 | ٣ (Trois) | Acid Arab | Feb-03-2023, Arabic Music |
| #7 | Rat Saw God | Wednesday | Apr-07-2023, Indie Rock |
| #8 | Weathervanes | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | Jun-09-2023, Alt-Country |
| #9 | falling or flying | Jorja Smith | Sep-29-2023, Contemporary R&B |
| #10 | Volcano | Jungle | Aug-11-2023, Nu-Disco |
| #11 | Aşk | Altin Gün | Mar-31-2023, Anatolian Rock |
| #12 | Madres | Sofia Kourtesis | Oct-27-2023, Deep House |
| #13 | Gentle Confrontation | Loraine James | Sep-22-2023, IDM |
| #14 | Sundial | Noname | Aug-11-2023, Jazz Rap |
| #15 | Bunny | Beach Fossils | Jun-02-2023, Jangle Pop |
| #16 | Tension (Deluxe) | Kylie Minogue | Sep-22-2023, Dance-Pop |
| #17 | City of Gold | Molly Tuttle, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway | Jul-21-2023, Progressive Bluegrass |
| #18 | Strays | Margo Price | Jan-13-2023, Contemporary Country |
| #19 | Javelin | Sufjan Stevens | Oct-06-2023, Indie Folk |
| #20 | everything is alive | Slowdive | Sep-01-2023, Dream Pop |
| #21 | Dancing While Falling | Quantic | Nov-10-2023, Disco |
| #22 | Black Classical Music | Yussef Dayes | Sep-08-2023, Jazz Fusion |
| #23 | We Buy Diabetic Test Strips | Armand Hammer, billy woods, E L U C I D | Sep-29-2023, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #24 | Blondshell | Blondshell | Apr-07-2023, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Maps | Billy Woods, Kenny Segal | May-05-2023, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #26 | Nothing's Gonna Stand in My Way Again | Lydia Loveless | Sep-22-2023, Alt-Country |
| #27 | The Omnichord Real Book | Meshell Ndegeocello | Jun-16-2023, Neo-Soul |
| #28 | Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd | Lana Del Rey | Mar-24-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #29 | The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We | Mitski | Sep-15-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #30 | London Ko | Fatoumata Diawara | May-12-2023, Wassoulou |
| #31 | Strange Disciple | Nation of Language | Sep-15-2023, Synthpop |
| #32 | Proof Of Life | Joy Oladokun | Apr-28-2023, Indie Pop |
| #33 | Lahai | Sampha | Oct-20-2023, Alternative R&B |
| #34 | VOIR DIRE | Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist | Oct-06-2023, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #35 | Drum Money | Ekiti Sound | Jun-23-2023, Afrobeats |
| #36 | Shook | Algiers | Feb-24-2023, Post-Industrial |
| #37 | Space Heavy | King Krule | Jun-09-2023, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #38 | Blight Year | Anti-God Hand | Aug-25-2023, Black Metal |
| #39 | GUTS | Olivia Rodrigo | Sep-08-2023, Pop Rock |
| #40 | Atlas | Laurel Halo | Sep-22-2023, Ambient |
| #41 | Everyone's Crushed | Water From Your Eyes | May-26-2023, Experimental Rock |
| #42 | Jenny from Thebes | The Mountain Goats | Oct-27-2023, Soft Rock |
| #43 | i've seen a way | Mandy, Indiana | May-19-2023, Post-Industrial |
| #44 | Exit Simulation | Niecy Blues | Nov-10-2023, Alternative R&B |
| #45 | Zango | WITCH | Jun-02-2023, Zamrock |
| #46 | Jupiter | Upper Wilds | Jul-21-2023, Noise Pop |
| #47 | Homo Anxietatem | Shamir | Aug-18-2023, Indie Rock |
| #48 | Anarchist Gospel | Sunny War | Feb-03-2023, Americana |
| #49 | The Window | Ratboys | Aug-25-2023, Indie Rock |
| #50 | Cracker Island | Gorillaz | Feb-24-2023, Synthpop |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | That! Feels Good! | Jessie Ware | Album, Apr-28-2023, Disco |
| #2 | Wait Til I Get Over | Durand Jones | Album, May-05-2023, Soul |
| #3 | the record | boygenius | Album, Mar-31-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #4 | Desire, I Want To Turn Into You | Caroline Polachek | Album, Feb-14-2023, Art Pop |
| #5 | Heavy Heavy | Young Fathers | Album, Feb-03-2023, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #6 | ٣ (Trois) | Acid Arab | Album, Feb-03-2023, Arabic Music |
| #7 | Rat Saw God | Wednesday | Album, Apr-07-2023, Indie Rock |
| #8 | Weathervanes | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | Album, Jun-09-2023, Alt-Country |
| #9 | falling or flying | Jorja Smith | Album, Sep-29-2023, Contemporary R&B |
| #10 | Volcano | Jungle | Album, Aug-11-2023, Nu-Disco |
| #11 | Aşk | Altin Gün | Album, Mar-31-2023, Anatolian Rock |
| #12 | Madres | Sofia Kourtesis | Album, Oct-27-2023, Deep House |
| #13 | Gentle Confrontation | Loraine James | Album, Sep-22-2023, IDM |
| #14 | Sundial | Noname | Album, Aug-11-2023, Jazz Rap |
| #15 | Bunny | Beach Fossils | Album, Jun-02-2023, Jangle Pop |
| #16 | Tension (Deluxe) | Kylie Minogue | Album, Sep-22-2023, Dance-Pop |
| #17 | City of Gold | Molly TuttleMolly Tuttle & Golden Highway | Album, Jul-21-2023, Progressive Bluegrass |
| #18 | Strays | Margo Price | Album, Jan-13-2023, Contemporary Country |
| #19 | Javelin | Sufjan Stevens | Album, Oct-06-2023, Indie Folk |
| #20 | everything is alive | Slowdive | Album, Sep-01-2023, Dream Pop |
| #21 | Dancing While Falling | Quantic | Album, Nov-10-2023, Disco |
| #22 | Black Classical Music | Yussef Dayes | Album, Sep-08-2023, Jazz Fusion |
| #23 | We Buy Diabetic Test Strips | Armand Hammerbilly woodsE L U C I D | Album, Sep-29-2023, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #24 | Blondshell | Blondshell | Album, Apr-07-2023, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Maps | Billy WoodsKenny Segal | Album, May-05-2023, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #26 | Nothing's Gonna Stand in My Way Again | Lydia Loveless | Album, Sep-22-2023, Alt-Country |
| #27 | The Omnichord Real Book | Meshell Ndegeocello | Album, Jun-16-2023, Neo-Soul |
| #28 | Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd | Lana Del Rey | Album, Mar-24-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #29 | The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We | Mitski | Album, Sep-15-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #30 | London Ko | Fatoumata Diawara | Album, May-12-2023, Wassoulou |
| #31 | Strange Disciple | Nation of Language | Album, Sep-15-2023, Synthpop |
| #32 | Proof Of Life | Joy Oladokun | Album, Apr-28-2023, Indie Pop |
| #33 | Lahai | Sampha | Album, Oct-20-2023, Alternative R&B |
| #34 | VOIR DIRE | Earl SweatshirtThe Alchemist | Album, Oct-06-2023, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #35 | Drum Money | Ekiti Sound | Album, Jun-23-2023, Afrobeats |
| #36 | Shook | Algiers | Album, Feb-24-2023, Post-Industrial |
| #37 | Space Heavy | King Krule | Album, Jun-09-2023, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #38 | Blight Year | Anti-God Hand | Album, Aug-25-2023, Black Metal |
| #39 | GUTS | Olivia Rodrigo | Album, Sep-08-2023, Pop Rock |
| #40 | Atlas | Laurel Halo | Album, Sep-22-2023, Ambient |
| #41 | Everyone's Crushed | Water From Your Eyes | Album, May-26-2023, Experimental Rock |
| #42 | Jenny from Thebes | The Mountain Goats | Album, Oct-27-2023, Soft Rock |
| #43 | i've seen a way | Mandy, Indiana | Album, May-19-2023, Post-Industrial |
| #44 | Exit Simulation | Niecy Blues | Album, Nov-10-2023, Alternative R&B |
| #45 | Zango | WITCH | Album, Jun-02-2023, Zamrock |
| #46 | Jupiter | Upper Wilds | Album, Jul-21-2023, Noise Pop |
| #47 | Homo Anxietatem | Shamir | Album, Aug-18-2023, Indie Rock |
| #48 | Anarchist Gospel | Sunny War | Album, Feb-03-2023, Americana |
| #49 | The Window | Ratboys | Album, Aug-25-2023, Indie Rock |
| #50 | Cracker Island | Gorillaz | Album, Feb-24-2023, Synthpop |