Year-End Lists

Stef Rubino: 10 of the Best Queer Albums of 2023, as published by Autostraddle

• Fountain Baby
  Amaarae
• All of This Will End
  Indigo De Souza
• Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
  Kara Jackson
• My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
  Anohni and the Johnsons
• Water Made Us
  Jamila Woods
• i’ll be fine if i want to
  Miki Ratsula
• Raven
  Kelela
• Mid Air
  Romy
• Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
  Yves Tumor
• The Greater Wings
  Julie Byrne

Complex: The Best Albums Of 2023

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

1. A Gift & a Curse
   Gunna
2. SOS
   SZA
3. Utopia
   Travis Scott
4. Scarlet
   Doja Cat
5. Michael
   Killer Mike
6. Jaguar II
   Victoria Monét
7. Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana
   Bad Bunny
8. Heroes & Villains
   Metro Boomin
9. Like..?
   Ice Spice
10. Let's Start Here
    Lil Yachty
11. Glockoma 2
    Key Glock
12. Sundial
    Noname
13. Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale
    Tyler, The Creator
14. Mañana Será Bonito
    Karol G
15. Set It Off
    Offset
16. Ganger
    Veeze
17. 3MEN2 KBRN
    Eladio Carrión
18. Split Decision
    Central Cee and Dave
19. The Great Escape
    Larry June and the Alchemist
20. Never Enough
    Daniel Caesar
21. Voir Dire
    Earl Sweatshirt and the Alchemist
22. For All the Dogs Scary Hours Edition
    Drake
23. Hood Hottest Princess
    Sexyy Red
24. Falling or Flying
    Jorja Smith
25. Gumbo
    Young Nudy
26. Through and Through
    Baby Rose
27. No Thank You
    Little Simz
28. Larger than Life
    Brent Faiyaz
29. A Great Chaos
    Ken Carson
30. Heaven
    Cleo Sol
31. Burning Desire
    Mike
32. Heaven Knows
    PinkPantheress
33. Love Sick
    Don Toliver
34. Fountain Baby
    Amaarae
35. Red Moon in Venus
    Kali Uchis
36. Clear 2: Soft Life
    Summer Walker
37. Forward
    Jordan Ward
38. AftërLyfe
    Yeat
39. Too Good to Be True
    Rick Ross and Meek Mill
40. Magic 2
    Nas
41. Kaytraminé
    Kaytraminé
42. Pink Friday 2
    Nicki Minaj
43. Raven
    Kelela
44. Quaranta
    Danny Brown
45. Playa Saturno
    Rauw Alejandro
46. Welcome 2 Collegrove
    2 Chainz and Lil Wayne
47. Lahai
    Sampha
48. Won't He Do It
    Conway the Machine
49. To Be Eaten Alive
    Mariah the Scientist
50. TEC
    Lil Tecca

The Independent: The 30 Best Albums of 2023

1. the record
   boygenius
2. False Lankum
   Lankum
3. The Age of Pleasure
   Janelle Monáe
4. Javelin
   Sufjan Stevens
5. Drop Cherries
   Billie Marten
6. Black Rainbows
   Corinne Bailey Rae
7. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
   Caroline Polachek
8. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
   Lana Del Rey
9. Heavy Heavy
   Young Fathers
10. My 21st Century Blues
    Raye
11. I/O
    Peter Gabriel
12. Strays
    Margo Price
13. SOS
    SZA
14. Chaos For The Fly
    Grian Chatten
15. Guts
    Olivia Rodrigo
16. Dig The Mountain!
    Stornoway
17. I Inside the Old Year Dying
    PJ Harvey
18. Flyte
    Flyte
19. The Ballad of Darren
    Blur
20. God Save the Streets
    Avelino
21. Continue as a Guest
    The New Pornographers
22. In the End It Always Does
    The Japanese House
23. God Games
    The Kills
24. Fuse
    Everything but the Girl
25. The Rise & the Fall
    The Rural Alberta Advantage
26. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
    Mitski
27. Mythologies
    Thomas Bangalter
28. Hit Parade
    Róisín Murphy
29. Fronzoli
    Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
30. Gag Order
    Kesha

Beats Per Minute: Top 50 Albums of 2023

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2012]

1. Raven
   Kelela
2. Javelin
   Sufjan Stevens
3. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
   Caroline Polachek
4. My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
   Anohni and the Johnsons
5. Heaven Is a Junkyard
   Youth Lagoon
6. Rat Saw God
   Wednesday
7. Radical Romantics
   Fever Ray
8. the record
   boygenius
9. Dogsbody
   Model/Actriz
10. Maps
    Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
11. I've Got Me
    Joanna Sternberg
12. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
    Lana Del Rey
13. This Stupid World
    Yo La Tengo
14. We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
    Armand Hammer
15. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
    Mitski
16. Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
    Yves Tumor
17. Isn't It Now?
    Animal Collective
18. Scaring the Hoes
    JPEGMafia and Danny Brown
19. Madres
    Sofia Kourtesis
20. That! Feels Good!
    Jessie Ware
21. I Inside the Old Year Dying
    PJ Harvey
22. The Greater Wings
    Julie Byrne
23. The Whaler
    Home Is Where
24. I Killed Your Dog
    L'Rain
25. I've Seen a Way
    Mandy, Indiana
26. New Blue Sun
    André 3000
27. Time Ain't Accidental
    Jess Williamson
28. Everyone's Crushed
    Water From Your Eyes
29. After the Magic
    Parannoul
30. Lahai
    Sampha
31. The Rainbow Wheel of Death
    Dougie Poole
32. Átta
    Sigur Rós
33. everything is alive
    Slowdive
34. Doomscroll
    Naked Lungs
35. Love in Exile
    Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily
36. Erotic Probiotic 2
    Nourished By Time
37. Generational Curse
    ICECOLDBISHOP
38. Let's Start Here
    Lil Yachty
39. Softscars
    yeule
40. Messages To God
    Sarah Mary Chadwick
41. Vidrio
    Titanic
42. Hellmode
    Jeff Rosenstock
43. No Joy
    Spanish Love Songs
44. Blómi
    Susanne Sundfør
45. The Land, The Water, The Sky
    Black Belt Eagle Scout
46. Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
    Jaimie Branch
47. Devil Music
    portrayal of guilt
48. in​||FLUX
    Anna B Savage
49. Formal Growth In The Desert
    Protomartyr
50. Voir Dire
    Earl Sweatshirt and the Alchemist

KCRW: The 23 Best Albums of 2023

[see also 2022 • 2020 • 2018]

1. Silver
   Say She She
2. Slugs of Love
   Little Dragon
3. everything is alive
   Slowdive
4. Switched-On
   Pachyman
5. Flowers At Your Feet
   Rahill
6. Let's Start Here
   Lil Yachty
7. Volcano
   Jungle
8. Good Lies
   Overmono
9. Zango
   Witch
10. Dreamer
    Nabihah Iqbal
11. When the Poems Do What They Do
    Aja Monet
12. Lahai
    Sampha
13. Raven
    Kelela
14. Glorious Game
    El Michels Affair & Black Thought
15. The Comeback Kid
    Marnie Stern
16. Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
    Yves Tumor
17. Pastor's Paradox
    Don Byron / Lester St. Louis / Pheeroan akLaff
18. Curyman
    Rogê
19. the record
    boygenius
20. For That Beautiful Feeling
    The Chemical Brothers
21. MOONSHOTS
    The South Hill Experiment
22. Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall
    Nia Archives
23. The Lamb as Effigy
    Sprain

Folk Alley: Best Albums of 2023

[see also 2022 • 2020]

1. Valley Of Heart's Delight
   Margo Cilker
2. Stand in the Joy
   William Prince
3. City of Gold
   Molly Tuttle
4. Mighty Poplar
   Mighty Poplar
5. Keep Your Courage
   Natalie Merchant
6. Imaginary People
   Viv & Riley
7. Proof of Life
   Joy Oladokun
8. Thank God We Left The Garden
   Jeffrey Martin
9. The Fungi Sessions Vol​..1
   Hannah Read
10. Workin' on a World
    Iris DeMent
11. The Fatalist
    Buffalo Nichols
12. Lay Your Darkness Down
    Mark Erelli
13. Home
    Eliza Gilkyson
14. As We Speak
    Béla Fleck / Zakir Hussain / Edgar Meyer
15. Sisters of White Chapel
    Annie Bartholomew
16. Sun to Sun
    Alice Gerrard
17. You're the One
    Rhiannon Giddens
18. Ridin'
    Eric Bibb
19. 1988
    Lori McKenna
20. Try to Make It Fly
    The Lonesome Ace Stringband

Steven Hyden: Favorite Albums Of 2023, as published by Uproxx where it appears with three very important annual disclaimers, five fantastic, themed "sub-lists," and a special clarification about the albums not mentioned here, all of which Hyden hates

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019]

1. Rat Saw God
   Wednesday
2. Infinite Spring
   superviolet
3. And The Wind (Live and Loose​!!)
   MJ Lenderman
4. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
   Mitski
5. 10,000 gecs
   100 gecs
6. Weathervanes
   Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
7. Dead Meat
   The Tubs
8. Eye On The Bat
   Palehound
9. The Holey Bible
   Florry
10. Cartwheel
    Hotline TNT
11. Killers of the Flower Moon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
    Robbie Robertson
12. Tim: Let It Bleed Edition
    The Replacements
13. I've Got Me
    Joanna Sternberg
14. New Shadows
    Jerry David DeCicca
15. The Window
    Ratboys
16. Western Cum
    Cory Hanson
17. Hackney Diamonds
    The Rolling Stones
18. Glass Pastures
    Dusk
19. Dancing on the Edge
    Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band
20. Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
    Kara Jackson
21. An Inbuilt Fault
    Westerman
22. 3D Country
    Geese
23. Frankenstein Laughs (custom compilation of two albums by The National)
24. I Killed Your Dog
    L'Rain
25. I/O
    Peter Gabriel
26. I Looked Out
    Greg Freeman

DIY Magazine: Albums of the Year 2023

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2016 • 2011]

1. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
   Caroline Polachek
2. the record
   boygenius
3. Guts
   Olivia Rodrigo
4. Heavy Heavy
   Young Fathers
5. Crazymad, for Me
   CMAT
6. Javelin
   Sufjan Stevens
7. That! Feels Good!
   Jessie Ware
8. Chaos For The Fly
   Grian Chatten
9. This Is Why
   Paramore
10. False Lankum
    Lankum
11. Rat Saw God
    Wednesday
12. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
    Mitski
13. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
    Lana Del Rey
14. The Ballad of Darren
    Blur
15. Scaring the Hoes
    JPEGMafia and Danny Brown
16. Something to Give Each Other
    Troye Sivan
17. I've Seen a Way
    Mandy, Indiana
18. O Monolith
    Squid
19. My 21st Century Blues
    Raye
20. Mid Air
    Romy

Spencer Kornhaber: The 10 Best Albums of 2023, as published by The Atlantic

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2017]

1. Fountain Baby
   Amaarae
2. Rat Saw God
   Wednesday
3. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
   Caroline Polachek
4. SOS
   SZA
5. Weathervanes
   Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
6. Guts
   Olivia Rodrigo
7. Wallsocket
   underscores
8. Zach Bryan
   Zach Bryan
9. Scaring the Hoes
   JPEGMafia and Danny Brown
10. Look Over the Wall, See the Sky
    John Francis Flynn

PopMatters: The 80 Best Albums of 2023

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2012 • 2011]

1. That! Feels Good!
   Jessie Ware
2. Wait Til I Get Over
   Durand Jones
3. the record
   boygenius
4. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
   Caroline Polachek
5. Heavy Heavy
   Young Fathers
6. ٣ (Trois)
   Acid Arab
7. Rat Saw God
   Wednesday
8. Weathervanes
   Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
9. Falling or Flying
   Jorja Smith
10. Volcano
    Jungle
11. Aşk
    Altın Gün
12. Madres
    Sofia Kourtesis
13. Gentle Confrontation
    Loraine James
14. Sundial
    Noname
15. Bunny
    Beach Fossils
16. Tension
    Kylie Minogue
17. City of Gold
    Molly Tuttle
18. Strays
    Margo Price
19. Javelin
    Sufjan Stevens
20. everything is alive
    Slowdive
21. Dancing While Falling
    Quantic
22. Black Classical Music
    Yussef Dayes
23. We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
    Armand Hammer
24. Blondshell
    Blondshell
25. Maps
    Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
26. Nothing's Gonna Stand in My Way Again
    Lydia Loveless
27. The Omnichord Real Book
    Meshell Ndegeocello
28. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
    Lana Del Rey
29. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
    Mitski
30. London Ko
    Fatoumata Diawara
31. Strange Disciple
    Nation of Language
32. Proof of Life
    Joy Oladokun
33. Lahai
    Sampha
34. Voir Dire
    Earl Sweatshirt and the Alchemist
35. Drum Money
    Ekiti Sound
36. Shook
    Algiers
37. Space Heavy
    King Krule
38. Blight Year
    Anti-God Hand
39. Guts
    Olivia Rodrigo
40. Atlas
    Laurel Halo
41. Everyone's Crushed
    Water From Your Eyes
42. Jenny from Thebes
    The Mountain Goats
43. I've Seen a Way
    Mandy, Indiana
44. Exit Simulation
    Niecy Blues
45. Zango
    Witch
46. Jupiter
    Upper Wilds
47. Homo Anxietatem
    Shamir
48. Anarchist Gospel
    Sunny War
49. The Window
    Ratboys
50. Cracker Island
    Gorillaz
51. End
    Explosions in the Sky
52. Raven
    Kelela
53. Integrated Tech Solutions
    Aesop Rock
54. Memento Mori
    Depeche Mode
55. Water Made Us
    Jamila Woods
56. Driving
    Sam Wilkes
57. The Enduring Spirit
    Tomb Mold
58. Higher
    Chris Stapleton
59. Playing Robots into Heaven
    James Blake
60. Isn't It Now?
    Animal Collective
61. Get Up
    NewJeans
62. Bolted
    Forest Swords
63. This Is Why
    Paramore
64. Diagonal Musik II
    Prins Emanuel
65. The Good Witch
    Maisie Peters
66. Sit Down for Dinner
    Blonde Redhead
67. The Hypnogogue
    The Church
68. Trustfall
    Pink
69. Afterpoem
    Faten Kanaan
70. Workin' on a World
    Iris DeMent
71. Fantasy
    M83
72. Continue as a Guest
    The New Pornographers
73. Saved!
    Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter
74. Endless Summer Vacation
    Miley Cyrus
75. One Day
    Fucked Up
76. The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored
    Hayden Pedigo
77. With A Hammer
    yaeji
78. I Am Not There Anymore
    The Clientele
79. Romantic Piano
    Gia Margaret
80. Data Doom
    Frankie and the Witch Fingers