Stereogum's 50 Best Albums of 2023
Stereogum started off as an indie rock-focused website, and that’s still our bread and butter. But it’s getting harder and harder to define “indie rock,” both as a genre and as a web of associations. In 2023, plenty of longtime Stereogum favorites rose to something resembling full-on pop-star status, while some actual pop stars continue to play around with sounds and aesthetics that previous generations would’ve associated with ashtray-smelling dive bars and handmade mixtapes. Context collapse is happening all over the place, and it can be hard to answer a seemingly simple question: What’s good now?
Published: December 05, 2023 14:00
Source
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Rat Saw God | Wednesday | Apr-07-2023, Indie Rock |
| #2 | GUTS | Olivia Rodrigo | Sep-08-2023, Pop Rock |
| #3 | Maps | Billy Woods, Kenny Segal | May-05-2023, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #4 | The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We | Mitski | Sep-15-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #5 | the record | boygenius | Mar-31-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #6 | The Window | Ratboys | Aug-25-2023, Indie Rock |
| #7 | Life Under The Gun | Militarie Gun | Jun-23-2023, Alternative Rock |
| #8 | Cartwheel | Hotline TNT | Nov-03-2023, Shoegaze |
| #9 | Post-American | MSPAINT | Mar-10-2023, Synth Punk |
| #10 | 10,000 gecs | 100 gecs | Mar-17-2023, Alternative Rock |
| #11 | Desire, I Want To Turn Into You | Caroline Polachek | Feb-14-2023, Art Pop |
| #12 | VOIR DIRE | Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist | Oct-06-2023, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #13 | Lucky for You | Bully | Jun-02-2023, Indie Rock |
| #14 | SCARING THE HOES | JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown | Mar-24-2023, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #15 | After the Magic | Parannoul | Jan-28-2023, Shoegaze |
| #16 | All of This Will End | Indigo De Souza | Apr-28-2023, Indie Rock |
| #17 | Yard | Slow Pulp | Sep-29-2023, Indie Rock |
| #18 | Dead Meat | The Tubs | Jan-27-2023, Jangle Pop |
| #19 | Radical Romantics | Fever Ray | Mar-10-2023, Art Pop |
| #20 | Running From the Chase | Truth Club | Oct-06-2023, Indie Rock |
| #21 | That! Feels Good! | Jessie Ware | Apr-28-2023, Disco |
| #22 | With a Hammer | Yaeji | Apr-07-2023, Glitch Pop |
| #23 | Destiny | DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ | Aug-13-2023, House |
| #24 | everything is alive | Slowdive | Sep-01-2023, Dream Pop |
| #25 | Multitudes | Feist | Apr-14-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #26 | Raven | Kelela | Feb-10-2023, Alternative R&B |
| #27 | softscars | yeule | Sep-22-2023, Dream Pop |
| #28 | The Enduring Spirit | Tomb Mold | Sep-15-2023, Death Metal |
| #29 | Everyone's Crushed | Water From Your Eyes | May-26-2023, Experimental Rock |
| #30 | Larger Than Life | Brent Faiyaz | Oct-27-2023, Contemporary R&B |
| #31 | Pure Music | Strange Ranger | Jul-21-2023, Dream Pop |
| #32 | Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) | Yves Tumor | Mar-17-2023, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #33 | Ganger | Veeze | Jun-27-2023, Detroit Trap |
| #34 | Erotic Probiotic 2 | Nourished by Time | Mar-21-2023, |
| #35 | Javelin | Sufjan Stevens | Oct-06-2023, Indie Folk |
| #36 | Death is Nothing to Us | Fiddlehead | Aug-18-2023, Post-Hardcore |
| #37 | Saturnian Bloodstorm | Lamp of Murmuur | Mar-26-2023, Black Metal |
| #38 | Girl In The Half Pearl | Liv.e | Feb-10-2023, Neo-Soul |
| #39 | Girl with Fish | feeble little horse | Jun-09-2023, Slacker Rock |
| #40 | JAGUAR II | Victoria Monét | Aug-25-2023, Contemporary R&B |
| #41 | Infinite Spring | Superviolet | Apr-21-2023, Indie Rock |
| #42 | Good Lies | Overmono | May-12-2023, UK Bass |
| #43 | The Rime of Memory | Panopticon | Nov-29-2023, Atmospheric Black Metal |
| #44 | The Greater Wings | Julie Byrne | Jul-07-2023, Chamber Folk |
| #45 | Games of Power | Home Front | Mar-03-2023, Post-Punk |
| #46 | Hood Hottest Princess | Sexyy Red | Jun-09-2023, Trap |
| #47 | Living Proof | DRAIN | May-05-2023, Crossover Thrash |
| #48 | Eye on the Bat | Palehound | Jul-14-2023, Indie Rock |
| #49 | Walk the Wheel | Truth Cult | Mar-03-2023, Post-Hardcore |
| #50 | Orbweaving | Midwife, Vyva Melinkolya | May-12-2023, Slowcore |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Rat Saw God | Wednesday | Album, Apr-07-2023, Indie Rock |
| #2 | GUTS | Olivia Rodrigo | Album, Sep-08-2023, Pop Rock |
| #3 | Maps | Billy WoodsKenny Segal | Album, May-05-2023, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #4 | The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We | Mitski | Album, Sep-15-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #5 | the record | boygenius | Album, Mar-31-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #6 | The Window | Ratboys | Album, Aug-25-2023, Indie Rock |
| #7 | Life Under The Gun | Militarie Gun | Album, Jun-23-2023, Alternative Rock |
| #8 | Cartwheel | Hotline TNT | Album, Nov-03-2023, Shoegaze |
| #9 | Post-American | MSPAINT | Album, Mar-10-2023, Synth Punk |
| #10 | 10,000 gecs | 100 gecs | Album, Mar-17-2023, Alternative Rock |
| #11 | Desire, I Want To Turn Into You | Caroline Polachek | Album, Feb-14-2023, Art Pop |
| #12 | VOIR DIRE | Earl SweatshirtThe Alchemist | Album, Oct-06-2023, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #13 | Lucky for You | Bully | Album, Jun-02-2023, Indie Rock |
| #14 | SCARING THE HOES | JPEGMAFIADanny Brown | Album, Mar-24-2023, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #15 | After the Magic | Parannoul | Album, Jan-28-2023, Shoegaze |
| #16 | All of This Will End | Indigo De Souza | Album, Apr-28-2023, Indie Rock |
| #17 | Yard | Slow Pulp | Album, Sep-29-2023, Indie Rock |
| #18 | Dead Meat | The Tubs | Album, Jan-27-2023, Jangle Pop |
| #19 | Radical Romantics | Fever Ray | Album, Mar-10-2023, Art Pop |
| #20 | Running From the Chase | Truth Club | Album, Oct-06-2023, Indie Rock |
| #21 | That! Feels Good! | Jessie Ware | Album, Apr-28-2023, Disco |
| #22 | With a Hammer | Yaeji | Album, Apr-07-2023, Glitch Pop |
| #23 | Destiny | DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ | Album, Aug-13-2023, House |
| #24 | everything is alive | Slowdive | Album, Sep-01-2023, Dream Pop |
| #25 | Multitudes | Feist | Album, Apr-14-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #26 | Raven | Kelela | Album, Feb-10-2023, Alternative R&B |
| #27 | softscars | yeule | Album, Sep-22-2023, Dream Pop |
| #28 | The Enduring Spirit | Tomb Mold | Album, Sep-15-2023, Death Metal |
| #29 | Everyone's Crushed | Water From Your Eyes | Album, May-26-2023, Experimental Rock |
| #30 | Larger Than Life | Brent Faiyaz | Album, Oct-27-2023, Contemporary R&B |
| #31 | Pure Music | Strange Ranger | Album, Jul-21-2023, Dream Pop |
| #32 | Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) | Yves Tumor | Album, Mar-17-2023, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #33 | Ganger | Veeze | Album, Jun-27-2023, Detroit Trap |
| #34 | Erotic Probiotic 2 | Nourished by Time | Album, Mar-21-2023, |
| #35 | Javelin | Sufjan Stevens | Album, Oct-06-2023, Indie Folk |
| #36 | Death is Nothing to Us | Fiddlehead | Album, Aug-18-2023, Post-Hardcore |
| #37 | Saturnian Bloodstorm | Lamp of Murmuur | Album, Mar-26-2023, Black Metal |
| #38 | Girl In The Half Pearl | Liv.e | Album, Feb-10-2023, Neo-Soul |
| #39 | Girl with Fish | feeble little horse | Album, Jun-09-2023, Slacker Rock |
| #40 | JAGUAR II | Victoria Monét | Album, Aug-25-2023, Contemporary R&B |
| #41 | Infinite Spring | Superviolet | Album, Apr-21-2023, Indie Rock |
| #42 | Good Lies | Overmono | Album, May-12-2023, UK Bass |
| #43 | The Rime of Memory | Panopticon | Album, Nov-29-2023, Atmospheric Black Metal |
| #44 | The Greater Wings | Julie Byrne | Album, Jul-07-2023, Chamber Folk |
| #45 | Games of Power | Home Front | Album, Mar-03-2023, Post-Punk |
| #46 | Hood Hottest Princess | Sexyy Red | Album, Jun-09-2023, Trap |
| #47 | Living Proof | DRAIN | Album, May-05-2023, Crossover Thrash |
| #48 | Eye on the Bat | Palehound | Album, Jul-14-2023, Indie Rock |
| #49 | Walk the Wheel | Truth Cult | Album, Mar-03-2023, Post-Hardcore |
| #50 | Orbweaving | MidwifeVyva Melinkolya | Album, May-12-2023, Slowcore |