Alabama-born and now Nashville-based singer-songwriter Brittany Howard takes over the top spot this week with her soulful and funky kiss-off single “What Now”, displacing Green Day‘s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” after it’s three week run at #1. The astonishingly talented artist with a powerhouse voice was front woman of rock band Alabama Shakes, but went solo in 2018 when the band went on hiatus. She released her debut album Jaime in 2019 to widespread acclaim, and was nominated for numerous music awards, winning a Grammy in 2021 for Best Rock Song for her single “Stay High”. “What Now” is the lead and title single from her forthcoming second album of the same name, scheduled for release on February 2. About the single, Howard explains “It was written during the pandemic when the question “What now” was on all of our minds. I think it is a feeling that has continued to the present moment in the world we live in. It is also the title of the new album and I think when you hear it you will understand why I landed on that title…but more on that later.” The dark video was directed by Danilo Parra, produced by Adam Braun and filmed by Benjamin Whatley. In addition to Howard, the video features Mohnsta Simmons, Anaelle Rabotoson, Laquane Barnes and Andre Lambert.
In other notable chart developments, Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims is the biggest upward mover for the third consecutive week, as his bluesy and blistering “Lose Control” leaps nine spots to #3. Moving into fourth place is “Attraction”, the sweet song of budding love by talented young British trio Wild Horse, followed by “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mitski at #5. Entering the top 10 after a long slow climb are the ethereal “All I Die For” by Canadian indie rock band SWiiMS and “Modern Girl” by pop-rock band Bleachers.
Making their debut this week are two songs that couldn’t be more different from each other: Entering at #29 is “Lovin On Me” by the enormously popular rapper Jack Harlow, who’s racked up a stream of hits over the past five years, some of them collaborations with other artists. The song is already a massive hit, currently returning to the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 after all the Christmas songs that dominated the chart in December dropped off. I’m not generally a fan of his type of music, but with its infectious groove, “Lovin On You” has finally grown on me. Entering at #30 is the lovely “Your World Now” by fellow blogger, musician and all-around Renaissance man Marc Schuster. About the song, he explains: “On the surface, it sounds like it could be a wistful breakup song in the style of Jens Lekman or Belle & Sebastian, but it isn’t really influenced by any personal experiences beyond the broad strokes of realizing that the world is changing and that I’m okay with handing the reins over to people who will do things differently than I would.” I think it’s one of Schuster’s best songs yet, and his vocals have never sounded better.
WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (2)
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (12)
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (5)
MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (6)
COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (8)
RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (7)
DARLING – Western Jaguar (3)
ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (13)
MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (14)
NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (4)
MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (9)
HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (10)
ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (11)
ATOMIC CITY – U2 (15)
LOVING YOU – Cannons (17) 22nd week on chart
HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (19)
HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (20)
BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (21)
NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (23)
PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (22)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (24)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (25)
WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (16)
Here’s Part 3 of my favorite songs for each year from 2000 through 2023. In 2003, Coldplay became my favorite band, along with Green Day, Incubus and Weezer, and that lasted for about 10 years until they were replaced by Foster the People for a brief period. In 2015, twenty øne piløts became my favorite act, and in the years since, MISSIO, Foals, Lord Huron, Two Feet and, most recently, Beach Weather have been my favorites. I’ve written in varying detail about all of these songs in previous posts over my eight-plus years of blogging, so won’t write narratives about any of them here. Just the year, the song and the artist, and the best video I could find for each one.
Here’s Part 2 of my favorite songs for each year from 1980 through 1999. I’ve written in some detail about several of these songs in previous posts over my eight-plus years of blogging, so won’t write lengthy narratives about any of them here. Just the year, the song and the artist, and the best video I could find for each one.
1980 CALL ME – Blondie
1981 BETTE DAVIS EYES – Kim Carnes
1982 MANEATER – Daryl Hall & John Oates
1983 EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE – The Police (my #1 song of the 1980s)
1984 WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT – Tina Turner
1985 EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – Tears for Fears
1986 WEST END GIRLS – Pet Shop Boys
1987 WITH OR WITHOUT YOU – U2
1988 WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS? – Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield
1989 GOOD THING – Fine Young Cannibals
1990 NOTHING COMPARES 2 U – Sinéad O’Connor
1991 LOSING MY RELIGION – R.E.M. (my #1 song of the 1990s)
Just for fun, I thought I’d do a series of posts listing my favorite songs for each year starting with 1955, when many music historians claim the so-called “rock era” began, as well as the first full year of my life, to the present. There were so many tremendously great songs, especially from about 1964 through 1973, it was a real challenge to pick just one for each year. That said, this listing will provide a sort of snapshot of my life, at least in terms of the music I’ve loved over the years. I’ve written in some detail about many of these songs in previous posts over my eight-plus years of blogging, so won’t write lengthy narratives about any of them here. Just the year, the song and the artist, followed by one sentence and the best video I could find for each one. Enjoy!
1955 ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK – Bill Haley & His Comets
Often considered to be the first big rock’n’roll hit song that set the standard for many to come.
1956 MOONGLOW & THEME FROM “PICNIC” – Morris Stoloff
A sublime melding of an old standard and the score from one of the best films of the 1950s.
1957 LITTLE DARLIN’ – The Diamonds
A rather silly, over the top song I foolishly thought would be fun to sing karaoke to back in the 1990s. Boy was I wrong, as I humiliated myself!
1958AT THE HOP – Danny & the Juniors
Just a delightfully upbeat rock’n’roll song celebrating the joys of youth and going to a dance, that always makes me happy.
1959MACK THE KNIFE – Bobby Darin
A great, sophisticated classic by one of the finest singers of his time.
1960 THEME FROM “A SUMMER PLACE” – Percy Faith
A bit overly sentimental and cheesy, but my favorite instrumental track of all time.
1961 RUNNING SCARED – Roy Orbison
A short, but emotionally powerful song by one of the greatest male vocalists of all time.
1962 ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK A HEART – Gene Pitney
Few songs are as overwrought as this one, but I love Gene Pitney’s heartrending vocals and the lush orchestration.
1963 BE MY BABY – The Ronettes
The Mt. Rushmore of Phil Spector’s wall of sound production, and a stellar performance by the great Ronnie Spector and Co.
1964 SHE LOVES YOU – The Beatles
An exuberant love song by the greatest band ever, and one of my all-time favorites of their many incredible songs.
1965 (I CAN’T GET NO) SATISFACTION – The Rolling Stones
Though grossly overplayed over the many years since its release, I still love this song and its biting lyrics.
1966 CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ – The Mamas & The Papas
Their vocal harmonies were exceptional, the lyrics simple yet profound, and oh my, that gorgeous flute! My third-favorite song of all time.
1967 LIGHT MY FIRE – The Doors
It’s the extended album version, showcasing Ray Manzarek’s spectacular organ riff, that makes this my second-favorite song of all time.
1968 HEY JUDE – The Beatles
It goes on a bit too long, but a great song nevertheless.
1969 AQUARIUS/LET THE SUNSHINE IN – The 5th Dimension
I remember how much my mother loved both “Hey Jude” and this song by the fabulous 5th Dimension.
1970 BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER – Simon & Garfunkel
A stunning masterpiece that slowly builds to a stirring crescendo.
1971 IT’S TOO LATE – Carole King
An understated yet powerful song that perfectly encapsulates the painful reality of a break-up.
1972 STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN – Led Zeppelin
What can I say about this monumental tour-de-force by one of the greatest hard rock bands of all time? It’s remained my favorite song for the past 50 years.
1973 DANNY’S SONG – Anne Murray
This lovely cover by Anne Murray of a sweet Kenny Loggins song just resonated with me for some reason, and I adore it.
1974 LOVE’S THEME – Love Unlimited Orchestra
I’ve always been a sucker for lush, cinematic instrumentals, and this one by Barry White and his Love Unlimited Orchestra is one of my favorites.
1975 I LOVE MUSIC – The O’Jays
The greatest Disco song ever in my opinion, by one of the finest R&B bands to come out of Philadelphia in the 1970s. It could also serve as my own theme song!
1976 LOVE HANGOVER – Diana Ross
Once again, it’s the extended version of this song by one of the greatest female vocalists of all time that makes this a favorite of mine. I can’t remember how many times I danced to this.
1977 DREAMS – Fleetwood Mac
My favorite song by one of my all-time favorite bands, “Dreams” strongly resonated with me as I went through a painful breakup at the time.
1978 STAYIN’ ALIVE – Bee Gees
Though technically not a Disco song, “Stayin’ Alive” nevertheless came to represent the entire genre and all that was both great and bad about it. That said, it’s a perfect song.
1979 DO YA THINK I’M SEXY? – Rod Stewart
I know many fans of Rod Stewart absolutely hated this song, but I loved it the moment I heard it, and never grew tired of it.
Not a lot of changes to this week’s Top 30, with the songs in the top six spots remaining in place for a second week. Green Day‘s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” is #1 for a third week, while Brittany Howard‘s “What Now” holds on the #2 spot for a second week. The lovely “Cool About It” by boygenius climbs three spots to enter the top 10 at #8. The biggest upward mover again this week is “Lose Control” by Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, jumping seven spots to #12. The sole debut this week is “nice to know you” by L.A. pop-rock trio lovelytheband, who I had the pleasure of seeing in concert last June. In fact, in addition to lovelytheband, I’ve also seen two other acts on this list – Cold War Kids and Cannons.
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (2)
DARLING – Western Jaguar (3)
NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (4)
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (5)
MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (6)
RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (10)
COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (11)
MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (7)
HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (8)
ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (9)
LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (19)
ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (14)
MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (15)
ATOMIC CITY – U2 (12)
WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (13)
Unquiet Nights is an outstanding rock band I’ve been following for nearly six years, ever since frontman Luke Mathers reached out to me about their superb single “Promise of You”, which I loved at first listen. Originally started in 2006 as a solo project by Mathers, a talented singer-songwriter and guitarist from Belfast, Northern Ireland, with help by Rodger Firmin on drums, he began recording songs for what would become the first Unquiet Nights album 21st Century Redemption Songs. In 2010, Luke relocated to Italy, where he eventually finished and released the album.
He was later joined by Italian musicians Francesco Piciucchi on bass and keyboards, and drummer Matteo Bussotti for live shows, though Rodger still played drums on their recordings. In 2015 they released their beautiful and compelling second album Postcards in Real Time. One of the tracks from that album, “George Best City”, which was never released as a single but was used in the Federico Buffa Racconta documentary series, landed them several live national appearances on Italian TV stations. Their best known and most successful song, it’s now garnered more than 486,000 streams on Spotify alone. Mathers eventually moved back to Belfast in 2016, where he continues to record and release music with Firmin and Piciucchi as Unquiet Nights.
I’ve written about them three times over the past six years, most recently two years ago this month when I reviewed their excellent single “In Spite of It All”. The song was released in conjunction with, and included on, their compilation album First Ten (2012-2022), a sort of ‘greatest hits so far’ work commemorating the 10-year anniversary of their debut album 21st Century Redemption Songs. Now they’re back with a great new single “Diamond and the Missing Son“, their first new music in two years. The lead single of their forthcoming album Seasons in Exile, to be released on January 19th, the song (and album) was produced by Mathers, and mixed and mastered by Neal Calderwood, who’s also mixed and mastered all previous Unquiet Nights releases.
The song’s a bona fide rock gem, with a strong Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers vibe, courtesy of Mathers’ vibrant soaring guitars. His masterful guitar work never ceases to amaze me, and he doesn’t disappoint here as he delivers spine-tingling riffs that smolder and wail throughout. Meanwhile, Firmin deftly sets the driving rhythm with his muscular drumbeats that propel, but never overpower, the song. And as always, Mather’s vocals are equal parts commanding and pleasing, with just a hint of a rasp to convey the right amount of passion. It’s a marvelous introduction to what promises to be another stellar album by Unquiet Nights.
The song lyrics tell a tale of two characters who find themselves entwined with each other, serving as a kind of first chapter to a much bigger story involving a character named ‘Diamond’, who I’m guessing is a woman, and a man referred to as ‘The Missing Son’. Mathers provides some background to the premise: “Sometimes I force myself to try and write songs that aren’t directly about myself, and to just approach the song like it would be a movie. The back story of these two characters isn’t fully expanded on in ‘Diamond And The Missing Son’ itself, because of the limitations of a three minute single, so I thought if we were going to release it that I would challenge myself to write the whole third album from the point of view of these two characters. This is what our new album ‘Seasons In Exile’ turned into, which was a useful experiment because I’ve ended up getting a lot of songs that definitely wouldn’t have existed without the continuity. The funny thing is that when someone thinks they’re writing fiction, they usually discover it’s the most honest they’ve ever written about themselves. This seems to have happened here.”
Tonight we roll the dice If just to stop and pray for paradise to come through Straight in to the dark Straight into something looking for the spark that we knew
No thinking of tomorrow We only got today
You are the only thing that keeps me hanging on And on and on There’s nothing else could ever come between us ’cause we are The diamond and the missing son
Diamond, you should know Nothing and no one makes me feel anything like you do For all the things you show There’s always something that leaves we wondering and blind and confused
No thinking of tomorrow We only got today
You are the only thing that keeps me hanging on And on and on There’s nothing else could ever come between us ’cause we are The diamond and the missing son
I generally prefer music videos that show the musicians or bands performing their song, so the video for ‘Diamond and the Missing Son” is right up my alley. Filmed in black and white, it shows Mathers and Firmin working their musical magic, while the in-house cat makes its rounds, seeming to express approval of the proceedings.
I became a huge fan of British psychedelic pop/rock act Solar Eyes in the summer of 2021 when they first released their brilliant single “Naked Monkey on a Spaceship”. They subsequently dropped an even better single “I See the Sun”, which I loved so much, it went all the way to #1 on my Weekly Top 30, and ended up ranking #18 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.
Their music is an arresting style of pop/rock awash in dramatic psychedelic grooves, twangy Western-style guitars and dreamy cinematic synths, giving them a distinctly unique sound. Based in Birmingham, they now consist primarily of singer-songwriter, musician and producer Glenn Smyth and drummer Sebastian Maynard-Francis, along with new bassist Emily Doyle (former member, guitarist Tom Ford, moved out of the area and no longer performs live with them, but still helps with the production of some of their music).
Glenn and Sebastian in Austin, Texas
Their music has been featured in numerous televised sporting events, including Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC Match Of The Day and Birmingham City Football Club, as well as traditional alt-rock radio channels such as BBC Introducing Hereford, BBC 6 Music and The Guardian. Last spring, they had the privilege of performing at the legendary SXSW (South by Southwest) festival in Austin, Texas. In February 2022, Solar Eyes signed with the label Fierce Panda Records, through which they’ve released three EPs – Dreaming of the Moon, Alcatraz, and Naked Monkey on a Spaceship. (I’ve reviewed quite a bit of their music, and you can read some of those reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.)
Now they’re back with a terrific new single “Let’s Run Away“, the second single from their forthcoming debut self-titled album Solar Eyes, set for release on February 16th, which they’ll be launching with a hometown show at Birmingham’s Hare & Hounds. The song was written by Smyth, who co-produced it with Francis, and mixed and mastered by Jeff Knowler. Smyth played guitar and sang vocals, Francis played drums and percussion, Liam McKeown played additional guitar and keyboards, and Tom Boddison played slide guitar.
Smyth wrote, and the band recorded, the song following Solar Eyes’ appearance a SXSW last year, where he was inspired by the historical lore and Tex-Mex flavor of the Austin region. Specifically, he drew inspiration from “small-town tales of daylight robberies in times of old and rumours of the last crimes of the infamous duo Bonnie & Clyde“. He elaborates: “‘Let’s Run Away’ was one of the last songs to be written on the album; it was written in Texas last March when we were out there playing South by Southwest. You can sort of hear it as well, there’s that Americana haze type sound. Spaghetti western vibe. I sort of had in my head – now this might sound a bit mad – Tracey Chapman ‘Fast Car’ – in essence, but with a brummie slant.”
Accordingly, the song features their signature exciting Spaghetti Western-style guitar lines layered over lush cinematic synths and a haunting psychedelic groove, fortified by Francis’ energetic galloping drumbeats. It all beautifully conveys a sense of intrigue and remorse expressed in the lyrics delivered by Smyth’s wonderful droning layered vocals: “I hope that given time, you’ll forgive my crimes, I don’t wanna die alone, I love you, I let you go, I’m to blame / I see it all, I heed the call, let’s run away…”
“Let’s Run Away” is another fine song from Solar Eyes, and in fact, their entire forthcoming album is outstanding. The colorful animated video was created by the band’s new bassist Emily Doyle.
Happy New Year! As we transition from 2023 to 2024, Green Day remain on top for a second week with their protest anthem “The American Dream Is Killing Me”. They’ve been a long-time favorite of mine, and I’m glad they’re still making music nearly 34 years after the release of their first album 39/Smooth. They’ll be dropping their 14th studio album Savior on January 19th. Brittany Howard‘s gloriously defiant “What Now” climbs five spots into second position, while Cold War Kids (who I saw open for Tears for Fears last August) enter the top 10 with “Run Away With Me”. British pop-rock band Wild Horse move up three spots to #5 with their breezy love song “Attraction”, followed at #6 by Mitski‘s contemplative “My Love Mine All Mine”. The biggest upward mover this week is the bluesy “Lose Control” by Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, leaping 10 spots to #19.
Four songs debut this week: Entering at #27 is “Northern Attitude”, a terrific duet by Vermont-based singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. The song is a newly-recorded version of the track from Kahan’s critically-acclaimed album Stick Season, which also features his hit single “Dial Drunk”. He’s also recorded collaborative versions of a number of the album’s tracks, including “Dial Drunk” with Post Malone. Hozier also scored a successful and acclaimed album in 2023, Unreal Unearth, which features his hit songs “Eat Your Young” and “Francesca”. Next up is “The Tower” by always wonderful Baltimore-based synth pop band Future Islands. The song is from their forthcoming seventh studio album People Who Aren’t There Anymore, slated for release on January 26. Coming in at #29 is “Alive!” by British singer-songwriter Bakar, marking his third appearance on my chart. The song is the lead single from his second album Halo, which was released in September. Last but certainly not least is the lovely “Mother Nature” by American neo-psychedelic rock band MGMT. The song is the lead single from their upcoming fifth studio album Loss of Life, due for release on February 23, their first new music in six years.
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (7)
DARLING – Western Jaguar (2)
NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (3)
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (8)
MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (9)
MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (4)
HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (5)
ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (6)
RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (12)
COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (16)
ATOMIC CITY – U2 (10)
WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (14)
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, Fly the Flag by Hardwicke Circus, 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.
TRANSMITTER – Sea Power
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier
THE NARCISSIST – Blur
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather
LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy
BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills
SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles
WHY – Future Theory
OVERRATED – dwi
WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier
GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode
HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads
DARLING – Western Jaguar
MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas
TONIGHT – Phoenix feat. Ezra Koenig *
SAY YES TO HEAVEN - Lana Del Rey
NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna
ANTI-HERO – Taylor Swift
WITHIN YOU, WITHIN ME – Meltt
GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO
I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975
FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus
FRANCESCA – Hozier
DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan
LEAVING – Au Gres
LOVING YOU – Cannons
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day
PAGES – White Reaper
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy
UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters
PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie
THE LONELIEST – Måneskin
PAID OFF – Oli Barton
PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis
VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo
NOW AND THEN – The Beatles
SAIL AWAY – lovelytheband
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man
CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy
RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore
SOFTEN – Alex Southey
BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua
JUST BEFORE THE MORNING – Local Natives
THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant
THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens
WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black
UNCERTAIN COUNTRY – Great Lake Swimmers
ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix
DEATH WISH – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s
WILD AS THE WIND – HULLAH
STUCK – Thirty Seconds To Mars
MAYFLY – Callum Pitt
DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides
BONES – HEALER
DANCE FOR ME – Sam Rappaport
OUT OF MY SYSTEM – Louis Tomlinson
SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man ft. Unknown Mortal Orchestra
We’ve arrived at the final week of 2023, and though it would be nice to have a sweet song at the top of my chart to bring us a bit of Christmas cheer, alas, that’s not to be. Instead, Green Day‘s boisterous protest anthem “The American Dream Is Killing Me” ascends to the #1 spot. The black and white video they made for the song is pretty violent and dark, with Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool made up as zombies, performing the song amidst hordes of zombies rioting in the streets and attacking people. Some scary stuff indeed!
In other chart developments, Brittany Howard‘s “What Now” is once again the biggest climber of the week, jumping eight spots to #7. The song is now #1 on the Billboard AAA chart. After spending three weeks at #4 in November, “Loving You” by Cannons reverses its downward course and moves back up five spots to #13, followed by “Wild” by Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster, “All I Die For” by SWiiMS, and “Cool About It” by boygenius, all of which advance five spots. Bleachers‘ “Modern Girl” moves up six spots to #17. Making their debut are the bluesy “Lose Control” by the gruff-voiced Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims (born Jaten Collin Dimsdale), at #29, and “Winter Cowboy” by silky-voiced British artist Frank Joshua, at #30. It’s Frank’s second song to appear on my chart, the first being his beautiful “Bluebell Wood”, which peaked at #6 this past Spring.
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (2)
DARLING – Western Jaguar (1)
NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (3)
MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (4)
HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (5)
ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (6)
WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (15)
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (9)
MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (11)
ATOMIC CITY – U2 (8)
THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (7)
RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (15)
LOVING YOU – Cannons (18)
WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (19)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 