Well, 2023 sure flew by in a flash, and while it was another crazy year that tested our collective mettle, at least we had a seemingly endless supply of great music to help keep us from going completely insane. And though I’m now in my late 60s, I still find quite a lot of current music to my liking, and these are my personal picks for the 100 Best Songs of 2023. Music tastes are very subjective, and while I cannot imagine how others cannot share my love for a particular song, I fully realize that not one person will agree with all my song choices or rankings.

As a music blogger, I’m exposed to a tremendous amount of new music over the course of a year, both from the literally thousands of artists and bands I follow, as well as all the music I learn about from my fellow bloggers. Despite this, I’m fully aware that I’ve heard only a fraction of all the music released in 2023 (I get enough proof of this just by reading other bloggers’ year-end best-of lists, where in some cases I’m not familiar with very many of their song or album picks.) Consequently, my list includes only songs I know, and I’m certain there are likely many great ones that should be included, except that I’ve never heard them. Among the thousands of songs I did hear in 2023, there were many outstanding ones, and it frustrates me to have to cull my favorites down to only 100, omitting quite a few that I really like. It’s also a challenge ranking them, because a song at #40 isn’t necessarily any better than a song at #70. Perhaps it’s a pointless exercise to even rank them at all, except for the fact that I love making lists!

In most years there have been at least a few new releases by important legacy acts, but there seemed to be more than ever in 2023, with some quite respectable new music put out by such acts as the Rolling Stones, Ringo Starr, Neil Young, Graham Nash, Dolly Parton, Peter Gabriel, U2, Depeche Mode, Metallica, Slowdive, Green Day, Blur, Wilco and blink-182, as well as the somewhat controversial song “Now And Then”, released by the two surviving Beatles.

I avoid ranking albums, as there are simply far too many I’ve either not heard, nor had the time to fully listen to, therefore any list I might compile would be woefully inadequate. Nevertheless, there are some particularly beautiful records released in 2023 that I love and want to give a shout out to, some of which I reviewed: everything is alive by Slowdive, Eternal Embers by Meltt, I Don’t Know by bdrmm, Beigeification by Darksoft, Magic Spells Abound by Kevin Robertson, Zoo Life by dwi, God’s Waiting Room by N.A.V.E., Oblivion by Western Jaguar, Pineapple Sunrise by Beach Weather, as well as the delightfully uproarious Boombap For Boomers by Lewca.

Before I get to my list, I want to pay homage to some of the legendary and beloved artists we lost in 2023, including Burt Bacharach, Robbie and Tim Bachman (of BTO), Jeff Beck, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, Jimmy Buffett, David Crosby, Astrud Gilberto, Steve Harwell (of Smash Mouth), Rudolph Isley, Jean Knight, Denny Laine, Gordon Lightfoot, Shane MacGowan, Bernie Marsden, Randy Meisner, Jerry Moss, Sinéad O’Connor, Lisa Marie Presley, Robbie Robertson, Barrett Strong, Tina Turner, Dwight Twilley, Tom Verlaine, Cynthia Weil and Gary Wright. They gave us some of the most memorable songs ever recorded, and their musical legacies and influence will continue to live on.

A final caveat I feel I must mention every year: Many bloggers and critics include songs released during the year in question on their year-end lists, whereas Billboard and many other charts generally include songs in the year they were ‘hits’ on said charts, which is what I prefer. Many of the songs on this list were released in 2023, however, a number of them were released in 2022, but didn’t ‘peak’ until 2023. Likewise, several songs released toward the end of this year, such as “What Now” by Brittany Howard, are still moving up my weekly charts and won’t peak until early 2024, thus will appear on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. The few songs in this Top 100 that also appeared on my Top 100 Songs of 2022 list are indicated with an asterisk *. 

I’ve written narratives for the top 10 songs, and would have liked to do it for more, but just didn’t have the energy. Besides, few probably care to read them anyways. As always, I’ve created a Spotify playlist for this Top 100, which is included at the end of the post. Hopefully you’ll find some of your own personal favorites on it. Let me know what songs were your favorites of 2023.

1. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather

Over the past year and a half, alternative pop-rock trio Beach Weather have become one of my favorite bands on the strength of their breezy, melodic sound and charming and colorful personalities. Their music just makes me feel happy, and it was a thrill seeing them in concert this past June. Originally formed in 2015, the band released two excellent EPs, then went on hiatus in 2017. Thankfully, they reformed in early 2022, and now consist of founding members Nick Santino (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Reeve Powers (bass, backing vocals), as well as Sean Silverman (lead guitar). I fell in love with their song “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” (which was originally featured on their 2016 EP Chit Chat) at first listen. The song ended up ranking #3 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list, and I’ve loved every one of their subsequent releases.

In August 2022, they began releasing a string of new singles, starting with “Unlovable”, which they followed that November with the rather melancholy but gorgeous “Trouble With This Bed”. Both songs, along with “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, are included on their wonderful debut album Pineapple Sunrise, which dropped this past March. “Trouble With This Bed” addresses a romantic relationship crippled by uncertainty and unfulfilled desires, acted out by a young couple in the accompanying video, interspersed with scenes of Beach Weather performing the song, all on the same bed. I really love the song’s beautiful languid groove, Nick’s dreamy layered vocals, Sean’s silky guitar notes and Reeve’s sultry bassline, so much so that it’s my favorite song of 2023. 

2. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown

I love when artists from different genres and backgrounds come together to create music, especially when the pooling of their collective talents and imagination results in glorious sonic alchemy. One of the finest examples of this is “New Gold”, a brilliant collaboration between virtual band Gorillaz (fronted by British singer-songwriter and producer Damon Albarn, who also reunited with his other band Blur in 2023 to release their acclaimed album The Ballad of Darren), Australian alternative psychedelic music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown (aka Romye Robinson). The deep, pulsating beat and lush, intricate synths by Albarn, producer extraordinaire Greg Kurstin, and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker create a magical backdrop for Albarn’s and Parker’s dreamy vocals and Brown’s flawlessly rapped verses, all of which not only complement each other beautifully, but also create a palpable sense of excitement and energy. From Gorillaz’ eighth studio album Cracker Island, “New Gold” is a gorgeous feast for the senses, and is my second-most favorite song of 2023.

Co-written by them all, the song’s lyrics speak to the ephemeral and often unfulfilling things too many people indulge in, expressed in the chorus “New gold, foolish gold, everything will disappear.” They rely on self-delusions or any number of palliatives, rather than face their problems in a realistic way, whether it be the ultimately self destructive overuse of cosmetic surgery that often ages poorly, abuse of party drugs that destroy the user’s mind, or endless social media drama, wasting time on online content lacking any real value or engaging in online arguments that only serve to make us feel more isolated than ever.

3. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius

American indie rock supergroup boygenius, comprised of three incredibly talented female singer-songwriters – Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, each of whom are successful artists in their own right – graced us with the release of their long-awaited debut album The Record this past March, four and a half years after they dropped their self-titled EP in 2018. One of the highlights of the album is the beautiful “Not Strong Enough”, which ranks #3 among my 100 Best Songs of 2023 (and #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay year-end chart). Besides their intelligent songwriting and outstanding musicianship, a prominent component of boygenius’ wonderful music are the three ladies’ distinctive vocals and gorgeous harmonies. For “Not Strong Enough”, Bridgers sings the first verse, Baker the second, and Dacus leads the chant in the song’s bridge: “Always an angel, never a god”, with all three singing the exuberant choruses.

In an interview for Rolling Stone, Phoebe elaborated on the meaning behind the song’s Sheryl Crow-inspired lyrics: “The two wolves inside us can be self-hatred and self-aggrandizing. Being like, ‘I’m not strong enough to show up for you. I can’t be the partner that you want me to be.’ But also being like, ‘I’m too fucked up. I’m unknowable in some deep way!’ Self-hatred is a god complex sometimes, where you think you’re the most fucked-up person who’s ever lived. Straight up, you’re not. And it can make people behave really selfishly, and I love each of our interpretations of that concept.” The delightful video, shot by the three members of boygenius and edited by Phoebe’s younger brother Jackson Bridgers, shows the three having fun and enjoying each other’s company in various locations around Los Angeles, including the Santa Monica Pier and Getty Villa in Malibu, one of two campuses of the J. Paul Getty Museum.

4. RESCUED – Foo Fighters

Too many bands have faced the sudden and tragic loss of an integral member, and one of the more heartbreaking in recent memory was the death last year of Taylor Hawkins, the beloved longtime drummer of American rock band Foo Fighters. Picking up the pieces and soldiering on after such a loss is always difficult, and sometimes impossible, as Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl knows all too well from his experience with Nirvana. He and Foo Fighters bandmates channeled their grief to create one of the best albums of their nearly 30-year career in the form of But Here We Are, which they describe as “10 songs that run the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between.” The album’s blistering, heart-wrenching lead single “Rescued” is one of the best song of 2023, and ranks #4 on my year-end list.

The song is about trying to cope with, then move on from, a sudden, unexpected event, expressed in the opening lyrics “It came in a flash, it came outta nowhere. It happened so fast, and then it was over.” Later in the song, Grohl acknowledges the overwhelming numbness and grief he and his bandmates experienced after Hawkins’ death, wondering if they’d ever truly feel ‘alive’ again: “We’re all free to some degree to dance under the lights. I’m just waitin’ to be rescued, bring me back to life.” The song ends with Grohl’s signature screams, which sound more heart-wrenching than ever here. For the recording of “Rescued”, along with the entire album But Here We Are, Dave Grohl played drums, but earlier in the year, legendary drummer Josh Freese officially joined Foo Fighters as their new drummer.

5. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182

Though I’ve liked some of their songs, I’ve never really followed nor been a huge fan of pop-punk band blink-182. But like most people, I love happy endings, so even I am thrilled to see the original line-up back together again and still making music. Formed in Southern California in 1992 by guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, and drummer Scott Raynor, Rayner was later dismissed from the band in 1998 and replaced by Travis Barker, who remains the drummer to this day. Despite their commercial and popular success, they’ve had more than their fair share of ups and downs over their 30-year history. After releasing five albums, three of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 Album chart, as well as scoring two #1 songs on the Modern Rock/Alternative charts, the combination of family commitments (all three guys now had children), the toll of touring and increasing artistic differences caused tension among the band members. Consequently, they decided to go on a hiatus in early 2005 that ended up lasting nearly four years, with the band members not speaking with each other until October 2008, after Barker was involved in a plane crash that killed four people, leaving he and his collaborator Adam Goldstein as the only two survivors. Barker sustained second and third degree burns which ultimately required sixteen surgeries, multiple blood transfusions, and numerous skin grafts, and also resulted in him developing PTSD. Barker’s brush with death prompted him, DeLonge and Hoppus to come together, put aside their differences, and reunite as a band.

Following their reunion, the band toured extensively and in 2011 released their sixth studio album Neighborhoods, which peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. Nevertheless, tensions between the three persisted, with this period of blink-182’s history characterized as dysfunctional by all three members. DeLonge decided to leave the band indefinitely at the end of 2014, at which point Hoppus and Barker continued blink-182 with Matt Skiba, of punk rock band Alkaline Trio, on lead vocals and guitar. That iteration of blink-182 released two albums, California and Nine, the first of which reached #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and earned the band a Grammy nomination. One of the album’s singles “Bored to Death” also became their third song to hit #1 on the Alternative chart.

In June 2021, the band was hit with yet another setback when Hoppus confirmed that he’d been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and had been receiving treatment in secret for the previous three months. This led to him, Barker and DeLonge coming together yet again in response to a crisis, and the three decided to reunite for a second time in late 2022. Both their latest album One More Time and its heartwarming and poignant title track touch on their history and the challenges that brought them back together. In a sense, “One More Time” is a kind of successor to their 2004 hit “I Miss You”, which they name-drop in the lyrics. “I wish they told us, it shouldn’t take a sickness, or airplanes falling out the sky. Do I have to die to hear you miss me? Do I have to die to hear you say goodbye? / I miss you, took time, but I admit it. It still hurts even after all these years. And I know that next time, ain’t always gonna happen. I gotta say, “I love you” while we’re here.” I love the beautiful ballad, on which all three members sing, and it’s become my favorite blink-182 song. It spent four weeks atop my weekly top 30, and ranks #5 on my year-end list. (The song has spent nine weeks and counting at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.) 

6. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National

One of the more captivating songs of 2023 is “Tropic Morning News”, by American alternative indie rock band The National. The lead single from their ninth studio album First Two Pages Of Frankenstein, the song was released in January and quickly climbed the Alternative charts. The National has a rather interesting lineup, comprised of Matt Berninger (vocals), twin brothers Aaron (guitar, piano, keyboards) and Bryce Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards), and brothers Scott (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums). I love their sophisticated songwriting and rich, complex sound, especially Matt Berninger’s rich baritone vocals.

According to an article by Leah Degrazia for the website Genius, the album came together while Berninger was emerging from a period of crippling writer’s block (something I can strongly relate to). “Even though we’d always been anxious whenever we were working on a record, this was the first time it ever felt like maybe things really had come to an end,” Berninger said. The lyrics for “Tropic Morning News”, written by Berninger and his wife Carin Besser, speak of how constantly inundating yourself with negative news can pull you into a dark hole of isolation and sadness, making it hard to reach out and form deep human connection. Despite it’s rather dark subject matter, the song is incredibly pleasing and lovely.

7. ESSENCE – Refeci feat. Shimmer Johnson

Refeci (aka Victor Cornelius Tommerup) is a brilliant Danish DJ and electronic house music producer who’s been making music since his mid teens, both as a solo artist and a collaborator with numerous musicians and vocalists. Now 24 years old, he’s released an impressive amount of music since 2016, and five of his singles have garnered many millions of streams on Spotify alone. Shimmer Johnson is a singer-songwriter and musician with the voice of an angel. Based in Edmonton, Canada with professional ties to Los Angeles, she’s also a talented guitarist and pianist, and has collaborated with several songwriters and producers to create an impressive repertoire of outstanding songs over the past several years. She started out singing Country songs, but eventually branched out into adult contemporary pop, rock and dance music, all of which she handles with ease. I’ve written about her numerous times on this blog.

The two teamed up earlier this year to create a bewitching dance song “Essence“, with Refeci composing and arranging the music and Shimmer writing and singing the lyrics. His pulsating dance beats are overlain with hauntingly beautiful piano chords and gauzy atmospheric synths, creating a mesmerizing and sensuous soundscape for her enchanting ethereal vocals that transport us to a dreamy, faraway place. The simple lyrics speak to the importance of having faith in ourselves and forging our own path: “Don’t ever ever doubt your life. Make a wish and just believe. Find the path that’s right. It’s the essence of life.” To date, the song has been streamed over 1.2 million times on Spotify alone. It was Shimmer’s second song to top my chart, her first being “Starts With You” in early 2022.

8. THIS IS WHY – Paramore

Though Nashville trio Paramore, consisting of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro, have been around since 2004, I’ve never previously cared much for their music. But I have to say I’ve found their more recent music much more to my liking, both musically and lyrically, especially “This Is Why”, the title track from their sixth studio album This Is Why, which was released this past February. Their first new single in four years, the defiantly honest and exuberant song is indicative of their more mature songwriting, and both this song and their follow-up single “Running Out Of Time” (which appears later on this list) strongly resonate with me. ‘This Is Why” spent three weeks at #1 on my weekly top 30, and comes in at #8 for the year.

About the single, Williams told NME “‘This Is Why” was the very last song we wrote for the album. To be honest, I was so tired of writing lyrics but Taylor convinced Zac and I both that we should work on this last idea. What came out of it was the title track for the whole album. It summarizes the plethora of ridiculous emotions, the roller-coaster of being alive in 2022, having survived even just the last three or four years. You’d think after a global pandemic of fucking biblical proportions and the impending doom of a dying planet, that humans would have found it deep within themselves to be kinder or more empathetic or something.”

9. KID – The Revivalists

The Revivalists are an 8-piece alternative roots rock band who formed in New Orleans in 2007, but finally burst onto the music scene in 2015 when, on the strength of their third album Men Amongst Mountains, Rolling Stone magazine named them one of “10 Bands You Need to Know”. One of the singles from that album, “Wish I Knew You”, was a sleeper hit, eventually reaching #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart in September 2016, then topping the Alternative Airplay chart in May 2017.

Their exuberant feel-good anthem “Kid” was the lead single from their fifth studio album Pour It Out Into The Night, released in June. Band lead vocalist David Shaw said the song “is about capturing the essence of life. We all go through ups and downs. Sometimes, we don’t believe in ourselves. We’ve got skeletons in the closet trying to drag us down. But you’ve got to believe in yourself. You’ve just got to live for the spirit. Nothing good ever comes easy. If you don’t have hope, what do you have?” Besides making great songs, The Revivalists use their music as a force of positivity, and are actively involved in several philanthropic causes, including establishing an umbrella fund Rev Causes in 2019, for the purpose of supporting various organizations dedicated to reviving and investing in their communities, public health, and the environment. “Kid” spent 20 weeks on my chart, two of them at #1, and is my 9th favorite song of 2023.

10. KISSES – Slowdive

Without question, one of the prettiest songs of 2023 is “kisses” by British dream rock band Slowdive. Though they formed way back in 1989, I’m embarrassed to admit I was not familiar with them until hearing “kisses” this past June (which may partly be due to the fact they’ve never had a single chart in the U.S.). Consisting of Rachel Goswell on vocals, guitar and keyboard, Neil Halstead on vocals and guitar, Christian Savill on guitar, Nick Chaplin on bass guitar and Simon Scott on drums, they rose to prominence in the British shoegaze scene in the early 90s. While their second studio album Souvlaki (1993) initially received mixed reviews, it has since been recognized as one of the best albums of the 90s and one of the greatest shoegaze albums of all time by Pitchfork, NME and PopMatters, among others. (Wikipedia) Slowdive broke up soon after the release of their third studio album Pygmalion in 1995, but reunited in 2014, and released their fourth studio album, the self-titled Slowdive, in 2017.

They dropped their stunning fifth album everything is alive on September 1st, which became their first top 10 album ever, reaching #4 in the Netherlands, #6 in the UK and #7 in Germany. Though I think it’s one of the best albums of 2023, it only peaked at #63 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. Unbelievably, “kisses” has not appeared on any singles chart, however, it went all the way to #1 song on MY weekly chart, and it ends up ranking #10 for the year. About the gorgeous album and song, Halstead told NPR: “A lot of the album is sort of about time passing. And I suppose, seeing as we’re all getting on a bit now, that’s one of the things we’re writing songs about… and ‘kisses’ is about having a second act, having a different chance in life.” Those dreamy synths, shimmery chiming guitars and sublime harmonies are simply breathtaking.

11. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power
12. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier
13. THE NARCISSIST – Blur
14. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather
15. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy
16. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills
17. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles
18. WHY – Future Theory
19. OVERRATED – dwi
20. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier
21. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode
22. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin
23. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads
24. DARLING – Western Jaguar
25. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas
26. TONIGHT – Phoenix feat. Ezra Koenig *
27. SAY YES TO HEAVEN - Lana Del Rey
28. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna
29. ANTI-HERO – Taylor Swift
30. WITHIN YOU, WITHIN ME – Meltt
31. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO
32. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975
33. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus
34. FRANCESCA – Hozier
35. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan
36. LEAVING – Au Gres
37. LOVING YOU – Cannons
38. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day
39. PAGES – White Reaper
40. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy
41. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters
42. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie
43. THE LONELIEST – Måneskin
44. PAID OFF – Oli Barton
45. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis
46. VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo
47. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles
48. SAIL AWAY – lovelytheband
49. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man
50. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy
51. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore
52. SOFTEN – Alex Southey
53. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua
54. JUST BEFORE THE MORNING – Local Natives
55. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant
56. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens
57. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
58. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black
59. UNCERTAIN COUNTRY – Great Lake Swimmers
60. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix
61. DEATH WISH – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
62. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s
63. WILD AS THE WIND – HULLAH
64. STUCK – Thirty Seconds To Mars
65. MAYFLY – Callum Pitt
66. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides
67. BONES – HEALER
68. DANCE FOR ME – Sam Rappaport
69. OUT OF MY SYSTEM – Louis Tomlinson
70. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man ft. Unknown Mortal Orchestra
71. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft
72. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda w/Kailee Morgue
73. EVICTED – Wilco
74. HELLO – GROUPLOVE
75. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee
76. THOSE EYES – New West
77. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick
78. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten
79. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House
80. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine *
81. 1982 – Morgendust
82. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo
83. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
84. SUREFIRE – Wilderado
85. KILL BILL – SZA
86. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves
87. ATOMIC CITY – U2
88. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse
89. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski
90. LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – Crystal Cities
91. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars
92. JUST PRETEND – Bad Omens
93. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal
94. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones
95. ORBIT – Gooseberry
96. WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan
97. THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra
98. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers
99. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood
100. MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John