THE TOP 20 SONGS OF 2023

 

There was a lot packed into a year that felt like it lasted three months, wasn’t there?  I don’t have a final count yet for how much music I listened to, but it was quite a bit.  And luckily, there was quite a bit of gold in them thar hills, so let’s break out the jeweler's loops and see what we’ve got.

[Also, what were your favorite songs this year?  Let me know in the comments, hi me up on Mastodon or Bluesky (if you want invite codes, I got ‘em).]

20. Fever Ray “Kandy”

“Kandy” is so bizarre I have no choice but to respect it.  The hypnotic ambience, the off-kilter beat, the strange vocal delivery, and yet it all works to perfection.  Give this one a listen if you want some challenging pop(?) music.

19. Lil Yachty “Running Out Of Time”

This is not the only song with this title on this list, and its sentiment is both felt and expressed in opposite ways.  This one a vibe.

18. PinkPantheress “Take Me Home”

The UK’s Headmistress of Bops keeps ‘em comin’ in 2023.  Phrenetic, somehow 80’s and 90’s at the same time, twee but in a good way…lot of disparate ingredients stirred together to bake a scrumptious cake.

17. Kesha “Eat The Acid”

Heart wrenching and all-too relatable.  Sometimes even when you think you’re okay, you’re still not.

16. Carly Ray Jepsen “Shy Boy”

Look, when Carly Rae Jepsen wants you, you pay attention and get with it!  

15. 100 Gecs “Dumbest Girl Alive”

Takin’ it back to when going stupid was a good, fun thing to do, and doing it to the best of their abilities.  Bang this shit.

14. Skrillex, Fred Again.. & Flowdan “Rumble”

What can I say?  The most out of all the songs here, it bumps in the whip.

13. Jpegmafia & Danny Brown “Lean Beef Patty”

I actually got sick of this song for awhile because Scaring The Hoes was my most listened to album of the year and this is the opener, but I still absolutely goon out whenever it hits “THIS AIN’T WHAT YOU WANT”.  

12. The Go Team & Star Feminine Band “Look Away , Look Away”

Wasn’t expecting a Pizzicato 5 throwback-ass song to stick with me the whole year, but damn if it isn’t fun!

11. Paramore “Thick Skull”

The Grower Award for this list probably goes to this.  I didn’t think much on first listen, kinda liked it on second, probably noticed it on fourth, and when I made this list it really clicked into place.

10. Knower “I’m The President”

Jam of the year?  Jam of the year.  Primary both of these fuckers.  Elect Genevive!

9. Caroline Polachek “Pretty In Possible”

Probably the best vocal performance of the year, even with an album full of them attached to this.

8. Ava Max “Million Dollar Baby”

I’d never even heard a full Ava Max song before this one and what I had heard I didn’t like.  This knocked me on my ass.  And I feel deeply uncool for admitting it.

7. Sampha “Spirit 2.0”

Sampha captures an immaculate aura here.  Every part is in just the right place.  Take a deep breath, close your eyes and float the fuck away.

6. Abby Jeane “Know Better”

I can’t believe this is only number six!  One of the best choruses of the year, without a doubt.  The rest ain’t too shabby either!

5. Thundercat & Tame Impala “No More Lies”

Two great tastes that go great together.  The smooth, syrupy aether of Tame Impala swirled in with the thick and rich buttery goodness of a Thundercat.  Must be 18 or older to participate (or at least wait til the adults in the room aren’t looking.)

4. Foo Fighters & Violet Grohl “Show Me How”

A powerful meditation on loss.  Not so much with the lyrics, but with the emotion.  Having a duet between Father and Daughter when singing about Grandma (and uncle Taylor) not being there anymore hit me in the feels harder than I expected a Foo Fighters song to hit, y’know?

3. Paramore “Running Out Of Time”

I don’t know what it is, but 2019, 2022 and now this year saw my frontrunner for Song Of The Year wind up at number three.  And this one would sting all the more for Paramore (if they knew I existed) because this came out in January.  From damn near beginning to end, this was my pick for #1, but like those other two years, pffft.  Went to do the list and it hit different.

The song is still incredible.  Post-punk angularity, delectable chord choices, and fit the theme of my year WAY too well; I felt busy all year and don’t feel like I accomplished anything.  In fact, I feel like I fell behind a considerable amount, in spite of making some hard choices I’d been putting off.  With nothing but difficult times ahead.  At least we got a kick ass Paramore song to soundtrack the ennui, no?

2. Arlo Parks “Devotion”

The vibe of the year.   If grunge rock could be a blanket, it would be this song.  It’s a weighted blanket too, coming down like a million tons.

1. Demi Lovato, Daisy Jones & The Six “Let Me Down Easy”

Oh hey, just like 2019 a song from a show I don’t watch made my #1.  Weird.  Demi Lovato’s pivot to rock continues to pay all the dividends and then some.  I really like how this tries on a different style than Holy Fvck or Revamped did; I hope they mix it up more like this in the future, because if this is the result?  HOOOOO!  Closest thing you’ll get to Fleetwood Mac nowadays.

Honorable Mentions

Oddisee “Try Again”

Paramore “This Is Why”

Knower “Do Hot Girls Like Chords?”

U.S. Girls “Just Space For Flight”

Genesis Owusu “Tied Up!”

Ava Max “Mabye You’re The Problem”

Ava Max “In The Dark”

PinkPantheress “Boy’s A Liar (Pt. 1)”

Spiritbox “Jaded”

Paramore “The News”

Caroline Polachek “Blood And Butter”

Will Stetson “Koala (Self Cover)”

Say She She “Reeling”

Poppy “Motorbike”

Yaeji “For Granted”

Genesis Owusu “Leaving The Light”

Janelle Monae, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 “Float”

L’Rain “I Killed Your Dog”

I don’t have a clue when the Best Albums of 2023 list will be ready.  Because of computer troubles, working overtime, having to mix an album, Christmas Shopping and seasonal depression, I’ve fallen behind on music.  (I’m typing this shit on a keyboard plugged into my XBox One on Google Docs.  Things are cacamamie right now.)  I’ll get the Best list up as soon as I can, but right now I’m looking forward to the Holidays where I can chill the fuck out for a few seconds.

In the same token, I’ve been wanting to write more, so this has been a nice brush to the dust and rust.  Stay safe out there and keep checking back for updates.

You never know.