Year-End Lists

Greg Kot: The Best Albums of 2023, as aired on Sound Opinions

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Rat Saw God
   Wednesday
2. the record
   boygenius
3. Maps
   Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
4. Heavy Heavy
   Young Fathers
5. Nothing's Gonna Stand in My Way Again
   Lydia Loveless
6. Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
   Jaimie Branch
7. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
   Mitski
8. Struggler
   Genesis Owusu
9. Raven
   Kelela
10. Water Made Us
    Jamila Woods
11. & the Charm
    Avalon Emerson
12. The Window
    Ratboys
13. My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
    Anohni and the Johnsons
14. Perspective
    Jlin
15. Let's Start Here
    Lil Yachty
16. I Inside the Old Year Dying
    PJ Harvey
17. False Lankum
    Lankum
18. Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
    Kara Jackson
19. Art Dealers
    Low Cut Connie
20. Sea of Sorrow
    Tombstones in Their Eyes

Jim DeRogatis: The Best Albums of 2023, as aired on Sound Opinions

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. the record
   boygenius
1. the rest
   boygenius
2. Rat Saw God
   Wednesday
3. Nothing's Gonna Stand in My Way Again
   Lydia Loveless
4. Weathervanes
   Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
5. Sleepwalker
   Louise Post
6. Central City
   Big Freedia
7. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
   Mitski
8. Strays
   Margo Price
9. Time's Arrow
   Ladytron
10. The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
    The Hives
11. Hollow
    The Handsome Family
12. Let's Start Here
    Lil Yachty
13. Maps
    Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
14. Gold
    Cleo Sol
15. Some Kinda Love: Performing the Music of the Velvet Underground
    The Feelies
16. I Don't Want You Anymore
    Cherry Glazerr
17. Lucky for You
    Bully
18. Joy'All
    Jenny Lewis
19. I Inside the Old Year Dying
    PJ Harvey
20. Desire Pathway
    Screaming Females

Vogue: The Best Albums of 2023

• 10,000 gecs
  100 gecs
• Fountain Baby
  Amaarae
• My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
  Anohni and the Johnsons
• Lucky for You
  Bully
• Sit Down for Dinner
  Blonde Redhead
• the record
  boygenius
• Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
  Caroline Polachek
• The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
  Chappell Roan
• Radical Romantics
  Fever Ray
• Volcano
  Jungle
• Mañana Será Bonito
  Karol G
• Raven
  Kelela
• Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
  Lana Del Rey
• Bewitched
  Laufey
• The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
  Mitski
• Life Under the Gun
  Militarie Gun
• Pink Friday 2
  Nicki Minaj
• Guts
  Olivia Rodrigo
• Mid Air
  Romy
• Javelin
  Sufjan Stevens
• Tomorrow's Fire
  Squirrel Flower
• Something to Give Each Other
  Troye Sivan
• V
  Unknown Mortal Orchestra
• Everyone's Crushed
  Water From Your Eyes
• With A Hammer
  yaeji
• Heavy Heavy
  Young Fathers
• Zach Bryan
  Zach Bryan

Brooklyn Vegan: Top 55 Albums of 2023

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016]

1. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
   Mitski
2. Maps
   Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
2. We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
   Armand Hammer
3. Javelin
   Sufjan Stevens
4. The Whaler
   Home Is Where
5. Radical Romantics
   Fever Ray
6. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
   Caroline Polachek
7. Rat Saw God
   Wednesday
8. The Greater Wings
   Julie Byrne
9. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
   Lana Del Rey
10. the record
    boygenius
11. Higher Lonely Power
    Fireworks
12. Ontological Mysterium
    Horrendous
13. Sundial
    Noname
14. Life Under the Gun
    Militarie Gun
15. Quaranta
    Danny Brown
15. Scaring the Hoes
    JPEGMafia and Danny Brown
16. chaos takes the wheel and i am a passenger
    awakebutstillinbed
17. Weathervanes
    Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
18. My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
    Anohni and the Johnsons
19. Post-American
    MSPAINT
20. Prestige
    Girl Ray
21. Like..?
    Ice Spice
22. everything is alive
    Slowdive
23. The Enduring Spirit
    Tomb Mold
24. Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
    Yves Tumor
25. Guts
    Olivia Rodrigo
26. Calling the Dogs
    Citizen
27. Multitudes
    Feist
28. Desolation's Flower
    Ragana
29. Dogsbody
    Model/Actriz
30. Blondshell
    Blondshell
31. Through the Window
    Prewn
32. 93696
    Liturgy
33. The Window
    Ratboys
34. I've Got Me
    Joanna Sternberg
35. Fountain Baby
    Amaarae
36. I've Seen a Way
    Mandy, Indiana
37. Generational Curse
    ICECOLDBISHOP
38. Zach Bryan
    Zach Bryan
38. Boys of Faith
    Zach Bryan
39. Faith Is A Rock
    MIKE, Wiki & The Alchemist
39. 14K Figaro
    Wiki & Tony Seltzer
39. Burning Desire
    Mike
40. Why Would I Watch
    Hot Mulligan
41. The Age of Pleasure
    Janelle Monáe
42. Hood Hottest Princess
    Sexyy Red
43. Playing Robots into Heaven
    James Blake
44. Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
    Kara Jackson
45. With A Hammer
    yaeji
46. That! Feels Good!
    Jessie Ware
47. Psychic Dance Routine
    Scowl
48. Good Living Is Coming For You
    Sweeping Promises
49. Cerebral Circus
    Initiate
50. Saturnian Bloodstorm
    Lamp Of Murmuur
51. Goodnight Summerland
    Helena Deland
52. A New Tomorrow
    Zulu
53. Some of It Was True
    The Menzingers
54. In But Not Of
    Afterbirth
55. After the Magic
    Parannoul

God Is In The TV: Albums of the Year for 2023

1. Black Rainbows
   Corinne Bailey Rae
2. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
   Caroline Polachek
3. Chaos For The Fly
   Grian Chatten
4. The Ballad of Darren
   Blur
5. This Is Why
   Paramore
6. Blómi
   Susanne Sundfør
7. the record
   boygenius
8. Silver
   Say She She
9. Blondshell
   Blondshell
10. Cacti
    Billy Nomates
11. The Last Rotation Of Earth
    BC Camplight
12. I Don't Know
    bdrmm
13. False Lankum
    Lankum
14. The Price of Progress
    The Hold Steady
15. The Age of Pleasure
    Janelle Monáe
16. Norm
    Andy Shauf
17. Pop-Up! Ker-Ching! and the Possibilities of Modern Shopping
    Mozart Estate
18. 3D Country
    Geese
19. A Life Diagrammatic
    JOHN
20. Weathervanes
    Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
21. Tracey Denim
    Bar Italia
22. No Fixed Point In Space
    Modern Nature
23. Acts of Light
    Hilary Woods
24. Star Eaters Delight
    Lael Neale
25. Floodhead
    Tape Runs Out
26. Bless This Mess
    U.S. Girls
27. Race the Night
    Ash
28. Anxiety Replacement Therapy
    The Lottery Winners
29. Galargan
    The Gentle Good
30. All Of This Is Chance
    Lisa O'Neill
31. DK.01
    Das Koolies
32. Deep Is The Way
    Gena Rose Bruce
33. Angel Numbers
    Hamish Hawk
34. The Greater Wings
    Julie Byrne
35. Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
    Kara Jackson
36. Mushroom Cloud
    A.S. Fanning
37. everything is alive
    Slowdive
38. Dreamer
    Nabihah Iqbal
39. Gigi's Recovery
    The Murder Capital
40. Heavy Heavy
    Young Fathers
41. Body Building
    Tom Rasmussen
42. Rat Saw God
    Wednesday
43. All Gas No Brakes
    Heavy Lungs
44. I Inside the Old Year Dying
    PJ Harvey
45. Radical Romantics
    Fever Ray
46. Everyone's Crushed
    Water From Your Eyes
47. Exit Light
    Raveloe
48. SplottWorld
    Mace the Great
49. Lost in a Rush of Emptiness
    Bleach Lab
50. The Wreckage
    Sweet Baboo
51. Good Living Is Coming For You
    Sweeping Promises
52. Yard
    Slow Pulp
53. Lamb
    King Nun
54. Music For Film: Tramps!
    Memorials
54. Music for Film: Tramps!, Pt. 2
    Memorials
54. Music For Film: Women Against the Bomb
    Memorials
55. Boombap for Boomers
    Lewca
56. Giant Elk
    Me Rex
57. ROACH
    Miya Folick
58. Galore
    The St.Pierre Snake Invasion
59. Flowers Telegraphed to All Parts of the World
    The Garment District
60. The Noble Art Of Self Destruction
    Holding Absence
61. Undo The Blue
    Iraina Mancini
62. Ozarker
    Israel Nash
63. Balance
    Lucy Spraggan
64. RPG
    Me Lost Me
65. Windrush Baby
    Aleighcia Scott
66. Nails
    Benefits
67. Eternal Life Now
    Bad Pelicans
68. Expired Candy
    Body Type
69. Crazymad, for Me
    CMAT
70. Meursault
    Meursault
71. Last Chance to Learn the Twist
    Graham Parker & the Goldtops
72. Artefacts (Reimaginings From The Original Psychedelic Era)
    The KVB
73. Metamorphosis
    Bethan Lloyd
74. Cousin
    Wilco
75. Maps
    Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
76. Blouse Club
    Problem Patterns
77. The Loveliest Time
    Carly Rae Jepsen
78. Good Lies
    Overmono
79. Sick Boi
    Ren
80. Lahai
    Sampha
81. Stereo Mind Game
    Daughter
82. The Feminine Divine
    Dexys
83. Javelin
    Sufjan Stevens
84. Exotico
    Temples
85. How to Love
    Withered Hand
86. Raven
    Kelela
87. Off The Grid
    Onipa
88. The Dreamless Sleep Of The 1990s
    Broken Records
89. et cetera, etc
    dust
90. Rapture
    Emily Breeze
91. Zuma 85
    Allah-Lahs
92. Plus Ultra
    Chappaqua Wrestling
93. Thanks For Reaching Out
    Jim Bob
94. I Killed Your Dog
    L'Rain
95. A Living Commodity
    Egyptian Blue
96. Otherworld
    Celestial North
97. Bunny
    Willie J Healey
98. Lemon Lights
    Seablite
99. Air in the Lungs
    Air in the Lungs
100. Summer of No Light
     The Natvral

Uproxx Music Critics Poll: Best Albums of 2023, a survey of nearly 300 music critics

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018]

1. the record
   boygenius
2. Guts
   Olivia Rodrigo
3. Rat Saw God
   Wednesday
4. Javelin
   Sufjan Stevens
5. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
   Caroline Polachek
6. SOS
   SZA
7. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
   Mitski
8. Maps
   Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
9. Raven
   Kelela
10. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
    Lana Del Rey
11. Jaguar II
    Victoria Monét
12. The Window
    Ratboys
13. The Age of Pleasure
    Janelle Monáe
14. Fountain Baby
    Amaarae
15. Sundial
    Noname
16. Weathervanes
    Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
17. 10,000 gecs
    100 gecs
18. This Stupid World
    Yo La Tengo
19. Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
    Kara Jackson
20. My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
    Anohni and the Johnsons
21. That! Feels Good!
    Jessie Ware
22. Scaring the Hoes
    JPEGMafia and Danny Brown
23. Zach Bryan
    Zach Bryan
24. Blondshell
    Blondshell
25. This Is Why
    Paramore
26. Let's Start Here
    Lil Yachty
27. Cartwheel
    Hotline TNT
28. Scarlet
    Doja Cat
29. The Greater Wings
    Julie Byrne
30. Burning Desire
    Mike
31. New Blue Sun
    André 3000
32. Lucky for You
    Bully
33. Life Under the Gun
    Militarie Gun
34. Lahai
    Sampha
35. Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
    Yves Tumor
36. Heaven Is a Junkyard
    Youth Lagoon
37. Ganger
    Veeze
38. Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
    Jaimie Branch
39. Erotic Probiotic 2
    Nourished By Time
40. After the Magic
    Parannoul
41. I Inside the Old Year Dying
    PJ Harvey
42. Get Up
    NewJeans
43. Quaranta
    Danny Brown
44. Cousin
    Wilco
45. Something to Give Each Other
    Troye Sivan
46. Heavy Heavy
    Young Fathers
47. The Whaler
    Home Is Where
48. Unreal Unearth
    Hozier
49. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
    Chappell Roan
50. Radical Romantics
    Fever Ray

Bob Boilen: Favorite Albums 2023

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2011]

1. the record
   boygenius
2. Javelin
   Sufjan Stevens
3. All Of This Is Chance
   Lisa O'Neill
4. in​||FLUX
   Anna B Savage
5. Sugar The Bruise
   Hand Habits
6. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
   Mitski
7. ROACH
   Miya Folick
8. The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte
   Sparks
9. Haunted Mountain
   Buck Meek
10. Ghosts
    Hania Rani
11. Love in Exile
    Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily
12. Dark Corners and Alchemy
    mehro
13. All of This Will End
    Indigo De Souza
14. Folkocracy
    Rufus Wainwright
15. Eye On The Bat
    Palehound
16. Cousin
    Wilco
17. Diamonds
    Luluc
18. Come Back To Me
    Peter One
19. The Art of Forgetting
    Caroline Rose
20. Newfound Oxygen
    Steady Holiday
21. Secret Life
    Fred Again and Brian Eno
22. The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored
    Hayden Pedigo
23. Romantic Piano
    Gia Margaret
24. Honey
    Samia
25. This Stupid World
    Yo La Tengo
26. I/O
    Peter Gabriel
27. Goodnight Summerland
    Helena Deland
28. Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
    Kara Jackson
29. Everything Is Alive
    Darlingside
30. A Little Touch of Schleicher in the Night
    Katie Von Schleicher

Jennifer Lucy Allan: The Best Of 2023, as published by The Quietus where she also has a list of reissues, under "AOB" (any other business)

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019]

• EP/64-63
  EP/64
• Tête-à-tête
  Ruth Anderson & Annea Lockwood
• Proofs & Refutations
  John Fahey
• Choose Mortality
  Flesh & The Dream
• Tamiditine
  Moussa Tchingou
• Woodwind Multiples
  Mary Jane Leach
• Corner Dancer
  Lucy Railton
• Winter Songs, Wedding Songs
  Mykolaiv Singers
• F(r)icciones
  A.Maiah
• Hot Pot Totto
  WaqWaq Kingdom

This list contributes to:

• Quietus: Albums of the Year 2023

AllMusic: Best Albums of 2023

[see also 2021 • 2020 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

• 10,000 gecs
  100 gecs
• Integrated Tech Solutions
  Aesop Rock
• Shook
  Algiers
• Aşk
  Altın Gün
• Luna
  Anna Lapwood
• April March Meets Staplin
  April March & Staplin
• My Soft Machine
  Arlo Parks
• Through and Through
  Baby Rose
• Natural Disaster
  Bethany Cosentino
• Maps
  Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
• The Ballad of Darren
  Blur
• Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You
  Bonnie “Prince” Billy
• the record
  boygenius
• Brand New Life
  Brandee Younger
• Brandy Clark
  Brandy Clark
• Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
  Caroline Polachek
• Cascades
  Christian Dillingham
• Sus Dog
  Clark
• Black Rainbows
  Corinne Bailey Rae
• Mélusine
  Cécile McLorin Salvant
• Quaranta
  Danny Brown
• Memento Mori
  Depeche Mode
• Danse Macabre
  Duran Duran
• Wait Til I Get Over
  Durand Jones
• Behind the Tea Chronicles
  Ed Motta
• Les Égarés
  Sissoko Segal Parisien Peirani
• Principia
  En Attendant Ana
• Afterpoem
  Faten Kanaan
• Multitudes
  Feist
• Radical Romantics
  Fever Ray
• Alive at the Village Vanguard
  Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding
• Angels & Queens
  Gabriels
• Struggler
  Genesis Owusu
• Dante
  Thomas Adès
• Workin' on a World
  Iris DeMent
• Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
  Jaimie Branch
• Joy'All
  Jenny Lewis
• That! Feels Good!
  Jessie Ware
• When you're this, this in love
  John Southworth
• The Greater Wings
  Julie Byrne
• Year Away
  Kacey Johansing
• Taking Shape
  Kaisa's Machine
• Red Moon in Venus
  Kali Uchis
• Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
  Kara Jackson
• Mañana Será Bonito
  Karol G
• Raven
  Kelela
• Smalltown Stardust
  King Tuff
• Endling
  Kvelertak
• Tension
  Kylie Minogue
• Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
  Lana Del Rey
• False Lankum
  Lankum
• Radio Red
  Laura Groves
• Colours of Air
  Loscil & Lawrence English
• Girl In The Half Pearl
  Liv.e
• The Comeback Kid
  Marnie Stern
• Goodbye, Hotel Arkada
  Mary Lattimore
• Ahora
  Melenas
• The Omnichord Real Book
  Meshell Ndegeocello
• Burning Desire
  Mike
• The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
  Mitski
• Pop-Up! Ker-Ching! and the Possibilities of Modern Shopping
  Mozart Estate
• Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! (Complete Original Score)
  John Wilson, Sinfonia of London, Nathaniel Hackmann, Sierra Boggess
• Strange Disciple
  Nation of Language
• Celebrants
  Nickel Creek
• The Great White Sea Eagle
  James Yorkston, Nina Persson and The Second Hand Orchestra
• Bent Sørensen: St Matthew Passion
  The Norwegian Soloists' Choir / Ensemble Allegria / Grete Pedersen
• Guts
  Olivia Rodrigo
• This Is Why
  Paramore
• After the Magic
  Parannoul
• Coast 2 Coast
  Pearl & The Oysters
• I/O
  Peter Gabriel
• Heaven Knows
  PinkPantheress
• I Inside the Old Year Dying
  PJ Harvey
• In Times New Roman...
  Queens of the Stone Age
• Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine
  Raphaël Pichon / Pygmalion
• In Between Thoughts...A New World
  Rodrigo y Gabriela
• Lahai
  Sampha
• Flight of the Long Distance Healer
  Skyway Man
• UK Grim
  Sleaford Mods
• everything is alive
  Slowdive
• Madres
  Sofia Kourtesis
• Javelin
  Sufjan Stevens
• Blómi
  Susanne Sundfør
• The Third Decade: From Paris To Paris
  Art Ensemble Of Chicago
• I Am Not There Anymore
  The Clientele
• Sea of Mirrors
  The Coral
• Get Up Sequences Part Two
  The Go! Team
• God Games
  The Kills
• Tony Allen JID018
  Tony Allen, Adrian Younge
• Suk - Dvořák
  Trio Karénine
• A Cat in the Rain
  Turnpike Troubadours
• Rustin' In The Rain
  Tyler Childers
• Afternoon X
  Vanishing Twin
• Jaguar II
  Victoria Monét
• Everyone's Crushed
  Water From Your Eyes
• With A Hammer
  yaeji
• This Stupid World
  Yo La Tengo
• Heavy Heavy
  Young Fathers
• Live from The Cliburn - Liszt: Transcendental Etudes
  Yunchan Lim
• Black Classical Music
  Yussef Dayes

Chris Willman: The Best Albums of 2023, as published by Variety

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018]

1. the record
   boygenius
2. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
   Lana Del Rey
3. The Returner
   Allison Russell
4. Guts
   Olivia Rodrigo
5. Brandy Clark
   Brandy Clark
6. Weathervanes
   Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
7. Seven Psalms
   Paul Simon
8. My 21st Century Blues
   Raye
9. Bewitched
   Laufey
10. Zach Bryan
    Zach Bryan

Honorable mention

• Rat Saw God
  Wednesday
• The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte
  Sparks
• Lucky
  Megan Moroney
• Mañana Será Bonito
  Karol G
• I/O
  Peter Gabriel
• 10,000 gecs
  100 gecs
• Bluegrass Vacation
  Robbie Fulks
• Strays
  Margo Price
• Good Riddance
  Gracie Abrams
• Proof of Life
  Joy Oladokun
• Loving You
  Amanda Shires & Bobbie Nelson
• Unreal Unearth
  Hozier
• Anarchist Gospel
  Sunny War