Year-End Lists

Northern Transmissions: Best Albums of 2023

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

1. Bunny
   Beach Fossils
2. Rat Saw God
   Wednesday
3. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
   Caroline Polachek
4. the record
   boygenius
5. Javelin
   Sufjan Stevens
6. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
   Mitski
7. Lahai
   Sampha
8. Tracey Denim
   Bar Italia
9. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
   Lana Del Rey
10. Maps
    Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
11. Yard
    Slow Pulp
12. The Window
    Ratboys
13. V
    Unknown Mortal Orchestra
14. Space Heavy
    King Krule
15. Girl with Fish
    Feeble Little Horse
16. Cartwheel
    Hotline TNT
17. False Lankum
    Lankum
18. Heaven Is a Junkyard
    Youth Lagoon
19. Heavy Heavy
    Young Fathers
20. Perfect Saviors
    The Armed
21. I Inside the Old Year Dying
    PJ Harvey
22. Guts
    Olivia Rodrigo
23. Mid Air
    Romy
24. Radical Romantics
    Fever Ray
25. Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
    Yves Tumor
26. That! Feels Good!
    Jessie Ware
27. Scaring the Hoes
    JPEGMafia and Danny Brown
28. My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
    Anohni and the Johnsons
29. New Blue Sun
    André 3000
30. Quaranta
    Danny Brown
31. Hellmode
    Jeff Rosenstock
32. This Stupid World
    Yo La Tengo
33. We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
    Armand Hammer
34. Lucky for You
    Bully
35. Hit Parade
    Róisín Murphy
36. 3D Country
    Geese
37. First Two Pages of Frankenstein
    The National
38. Hold
    Wild Nothing
39. everything is alive
    Slowdive
40. UK Grim
    Sleaford Mods
41. Strange Disciple
    Nation of Language
42. Food for Worms
    Shame
43. The Ballad of Darren
    Blur
44. All Fiction
    Pile
45. Everyone's Crushed
    Water From Your Eyes
46. I Killed Your Dog
    L'Rain
47. Velveteen
    PONY
48. O Monolith
    Squid
49. Something to Give Each Other
    Troye Sivan
50. Greg Mendez
    Greg Mendez

Aquarium Drunkard: 2023 Year in Review. "As always, our list is unranked and unruly," they write about their 200+ entries.

[see also 2022 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012]

The Fader: The 50 Best Albums of 2023

[see also 2022 • 2021]

1. a.s.o.
   a.s.o
2. Rat Saw God
   Wednesday
3. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
   Lana Del Rey
4. Maps
   Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
5. Scaring the Hoes
   JPEGMafia and Danny Brown
6. Fountain Baby
   Amaarae
7. CBD Reiki Moonbeam
   Neggy Gemmy
8. Javelin
   Sufjan Stevens
9. Spirit World Tour
   Sword II
10. Détwat
    HiTech
11. Radical Romantics
    Fever Ray
12. Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
    Yves Tumor
13. Hood Hottest Princess
    Sexyy Red
14. Heaven
    Cleo Sol
15. Génesis
    Peso Pluma
16. Red Moon in Venus
    Kali Uchis
17. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
    Caroline Polachek
18. Saved!
    Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter
19. The Greater Wings
    Julie Byrne
20. Ganger
    Veeze
21. Hypochondriac
    Brakence
22. Perfect Saviors
    The Armed
23. Panico No Submundo
    DJ K
24. Revanchist
    Evian Christ
25. SOS
    SZA
26. 10,000 gecs
    100 gecs
27. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
    Mitski
28. My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
    Anohni and the Johnsons
29. High School Football
    Brevin Kim
30. Spike Field
    Maria BC
31. Look Over the Wall, See the Sky
    John Francis Flynn
32. Perspective
    Jlin
33. Softscars
    yeule
34. Sundial
    Noname
35. Yo No Era Así, Pero de Ahora en Adelante, Sí
    Diego Raposo
36. Living
    mark william lewis
37. Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
    Jaimie Branch
38. Notorious Dump Legends, Vol. 2
    Mach-Hommy and Tha God Fahim
39. Sugar World
    jonatan leandoer96
40. Pressure Sensitive
    Anysia Kym & Jadasea
41. Atlas
    Laurel Halo
42. Raven
    Kelela
43. Erotic Probiotic 2
    Nourished By Time
44. Work of Art
    Asake
45. Romantic Piano
    Gia Margaret
46. homeless n***a pop music
    Jim Legxacy
47. Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
    Kara Jackson
48. Tracey Denim
    Bar Italia
49. Honey
    Samia
50. Burning Desire
    Mike

Treble: The 50 Best Albums of 2023

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

1. The Window
   Ratboys
2. Maps
   Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
3. The Enduring Spirit
   Tomb Mold
4. We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
   Armand Hammer
5. Javelin
   Sufjan Stevens
6. Cartwheel
   Hotline TNT
7. Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
   Yves Tumor
8. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
   Mitski
9. Rat Saw God
   Wednesday
10. My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
    Anohni and the Johnsons
11. Nature Morte
    Big Brave
12. Lucky for You
    Bully
13. I've Seen a Way
    Mandy, Indiana
14. Raven
    Kelela
15. That! Feels Good!
    Jessie Ware
16. Half Eaten By Dogs
    The Serfs
17. Good Luck
    Debby Friday
18. Voir Dire
    Earl Sweatshirt and the Alchemist
19. Vidrio
    Titanic
20. Only Constant
    Gel
21. Perfect Saviors
    The Armed
22. Scaring the Hoes
    JPEGMafia and Danny Brown
23. I Killed Your Dog
    L'Rain
24. With A Hammer
    yaeji
25. everything is alive
    Slowdive
26. Radical Romantics
    Fever Ray
27. Protect Your Light
    Irreversible Entanglements
28. Fuse
    Everything but the Girl
29. Good Living Is Coming For You
    Sweeping Promises
30. Life Under the Gun
    Militarie Gun
31. I Inside the Old Year Dying
    PJ Harvey
32. Post-American
    MSPAINT
33. The Lamb as Effigy
    Sprain
34. Weathervanes
    Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
35. Perspective
    Jlin
36. Gentle Confrontation
    Loraine James
37. Saved!
    Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter
38. One Day
    Fucked Up
39. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
    Caroline Polachek
40. This Stupid World
    Yo La Tengo
41. Desolation's Flower
    Ragana
42. Spiritual Cramp
    Spiritual Cramp
43. Shook
    Algiers
44. The Loveliest Time
    Carly Rae Jepsen
45. Furling
    Meg Baird
46. This Is Why
    Paramore
47. Marzipan
    Charif Megarbane
48. Hellmode
    Jeff Rosenstock
49. Love in Exile
    Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily
50. Agriculture
    Agriculture

Carl Wilson: The 12 Best Albums of 2023, as published by Slate, alphabetical by artist

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

• Love in Exile
  Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily
• the record
  boygenius
• Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
  Jaimie Branch
• Fuse
  Everything but the Girl
• Scaring the Hoes
  JPEGMafia and Danny Brown
• See That Girl 1979-2000
  Kirsty MacColl
• Lucky
  Megan Moroney
• All Of This Is Chance
  Lisa O'Neill
• Get Up
  NewJeans
• Rabbit Rabbit
  Speedy Ortiz
• Guts
  Olivia Rodrigo
• Rat Saw God
  Wednesday

Two Dozen Runners-Up (alphabetical by artist)

• Abstract Concrete
  Abstract Concrete
• Fountain Baby
  Amaarae
• Catching Ghosts
  Peter Brötzmann / Majid Bekkas / Hamid Drake
• Rare Birds: Hour of Song
  The Bug Club
• Crazymad, for Me
  CMAT
• Could Have Done Anything
  Charlotte Cornfield
• Workin' on a World
  Iris DeMent
• Echo the Diamond
  Margaret Glaspy
• Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
  Kara Jackson
• Madres
  Sofia Kourtesis
• Eye Of I
  James Brandon Lewis
• For Mahalia, With Love
  James Brandon Lewis / Red Lily Quintet
• The Devil I Know
  Ashley McBryde
• Your Mother Should Know: Brad Mehldau Plays The Beatles
  Brad Mehldau
• Jenny from Thebes
  The Mountain Goats
• The Omnichord Real Book
  Meshell Ndegeocello
• Erotic Probiotic 2
  Nourished By Time
• Trouble On Big Beat Street
  Pere Ubu
• Mélusine
  Cécile McLorin Salvant
• Hood Hottest Princess
  Sexyy Red
• Live in Brooklyn 2011
  Sonic Youth
• SOS
  SZA
• Time Ain't Accidental
  Jess Williamson
• Heavy Heavy
  Young Fathers
• Maps
  Billy Woods & Kenny Segal

NME: The Best Albums of 2023

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. the record
   boygenius
2. Guts
   Olivia Rodrigo
3. Heavy Heavy
   Young Fathers
4. Something to Give Each Other
   Troye Sivan
5. This Is Why
   Paramore
6. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
   Caroline Polachek
7. Madres
   Sofia Kourtesis
8. Fountain Baby
   Amaarae
9. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
   Mitski
10. The Ballad of Darren
    Blur
11. Javelin
    Sufjan Stevens
12. In Times New Roman...
    Queens of the Stone Age
13. Mid Air
    Romy
14. 10,000 gecs
    100 gecs
15. Scaring the Hoes
    JPEGMafia and Danny Brown
16. But Here We Are
    Foo Fighters
17. Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
    Yves Tumor
18. Struggler
    Genesis Owusu
19. Life Under the Gun
    Militarie Gun
20. That! Feels Good!
    Jessie Ware
21. Take Me Back to Eden
    Sleep Token
22. Blondshell
    Blondshell
23. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
    Lana Del Rey
24. With A Hammer
    yaeji
25. Gentle Confrontation
    Loraine James
26. Voir Dire
    Earl Sweatshirt and the Alchemist
27. Michael
    Killer Mike
28. Everyone's Crushed
    Water From Your Eyes
29. Heaven Knows
    PinkPantheress
30. Unforgiven
    Le Sserafim
31. Kaytraminé
    Kaytraminé
32. Laugh Track
    The National
33. Bewitched
    Laufey
34. Rat Saw God
    Wednesday
35. World's End FM
    Hak Baker
36. Black Rainbows
    Corinne Bailey Rae
37. Mid Air
    Paris Texas
38. D-DAY
    Agust D
39. Paint My Bedroom Black
    Holly Humberstone
40. Playing Robots into Heaven
    James Blake
41. Nails
    Benefits
42. 3D Country
    Geese
43. Hackney Diamonds
    The Rolling Stones
44. Crazymad, for Me
    CMAT
45. Messy
    Olivia Dean
46. Mañana Será Bonito
    Karol G
47. I've Ive
    Ive
48. Spunky!
    Grrrl Gang
49. Memento Mori
    Depeche Mode
50. Let's Start Here
    Lil Yachty

Slant Magazine: The 50 Best Albums of 2023

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
   Lana Del Rey
2. Javelin
   Sufjan Stevens
3. That! Feels Good!
   Jessie Ware
4. Fountain Baby
   Amaarae
5. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
   Caroline Polachek
6. Rat Saw God
   Wednesday
7. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
   Mitski
8. Raven
   Kelela
9. 10,000 gecs
   100 gecs
10. WOW
    Kate NV
11. the record
    boygenius
12. Guts
    Olivia Rodrigo
13. The Window
    Ratboys
14. The Loveliest Time
    Carly Rae Jepsen
15. A Great Chaos
    Ken Carson
16. Gag Order
    Kesha
17. My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
    Anohni and the Johnsons
18. I Inside the Old Year Dying
    PJ Harvey
19. All of This Will End
    Indigo De Souza
20. The Ballad of Darren
    Blur
21. Like..?
    Ice Spice
22. Quest for Fire
    Skrillex
23. Fuse
    Everything but the Girl
24. 12
    Ryuichi Sakamoto
25. Weathervanes
    Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
26. Strays
    Margo Price
27. Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
    Yves Tumor
28. Perspective
    Jlin
29. I've Got Me
    Joanna Sternberg
30. Heaven Knows
    PinkPantheress
31. Something to Give Each Other
    Troye Sivan
32. The Ones Ahead
    Beverly Glenn-Copeland
33. Wallsocket
    underscores
34. We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
    Armand Hammer
35. False Lankum
    Lankum
36. Perfect Picture
    Hannah Diamond
37. Space Heavy
    King Krule
38. This Stupid World
    Yo La Tengo
39. Water Made Us
    Jamila Woods
40. Softscars
    yeule
41. Paranoia, Angels, True Love
    Christine and the Queens
42. With A Hammer
    yaeji
43. Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
    Kara Jackson
44. Heavy Heavy
    Young Fathers
45. Blómi
    Susanne Sundfør
46. Red Moon in Venus
    Kali Uchis
47. Maps
    Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
48. Hit Parade
    Róisín Murphy
49. One Day
    Fucked Up
50. Girl In The Half Pearl
    Liv.e

Billboard: Best Albums of 2023, compiled by the magazine's staff

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Guts
   Olivia Rodrigo
2. the record
   boygenius
3. Something to Give Each Other
   Troye Sivan
4. Zach Bryan
   Zach Bryan
5. Jaguar II
   Victoria Monét
6. Mañana Será Bonito
   Karol G
7. Scarlet
   Doja Cat
8. Let's Start Here
   Lil Yachty
9. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
   Lana Del Rey
10. Snow Angel
    Reneé Rapp
11. Génesis
    Peso Pluma
12. This Is Why
    Paramore
13. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
    Chappell Roan
14. Kaytraminé
    Kaytraminé
15. Raven
    Kelela
16. Endless Summer Vacation
    Miley Cyrus
17. Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana
    Bad Bunny
18. Like..?
    Ice Spice
19. Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good)
    Kelsea Ballerini
20. Barbie The Album
    various artists
21. Utopia
    Travis Scott
22. Javelin
    Sufjan Stevens
23. Desvelado
    Eslabon Armado
24. Good Riddance
    Gracie Abrams
25. Mid Air
    Romy
26. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
    Caroline Polachek
27. Unreal Unearth
    Hozier
28. Whitsitt Chapel
    Jelly Roll
29. How Do You Sleep at Night?
    Teezo Touchdown
30. Colmillo De Leche
    Carin Leon
31. Madres
    Sofia Kourtesis
32. One Thing at a Time
    Morgan Wallen
33. A Gift & a Curse
    Gunna
34. My 21st Century Blues
    Raye
35. The Age of Pleasure
    Janelle Monáe
36. Michael
    Killer Mike
37. Larger than Life
    Brent Faiyaz
38. Heaven Knows
    PinkPantheress
39. Timeless
    Davido
40. Hood Hottest Princess
    Sexyy Red
41. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
    Mitski
42. My Soft Machine
    Arlo Parks
43. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
    Metro Boomin
44. My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
    Anohni and the Johnsons
45. 10,000 gecs
    100 gecs
46. Bewitched
    Laufey
47. Lover's Game
    The War and Treaty
48. Scaring the Hoes
    JPEGMafia and Danny Brown
49. Destiny
    DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ
50. For All the Dogs
    Drake

Chris Richards: The Best Albums of 2023, as published by The Washington Post

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

1. Ulaan
   Enji
2. Ganger
   Veeze
3. A Great Chaos
   Ken Carson
4. Génesis
   Peso Pluma
5. Hood Hottest Princess
   Sexyy Red
6. trip9love...???
   Tirzah
7. Erotic Probiotic 2
   Nourished By Time
8. Härvest
   Poison Ruïn
9. Atlas
   Laurel Halo
10. Been Bout It
    WiFiGawd & GAWD

Mikael Wood: The 20 Best Albums of 2023, as published by The Los Angeles Times

[see also 2022 • 2021]

1. SOS
   SZA
2. Red Moon in Venus
   Kali Uchis
3. Lucky
   Megan Moroney
4. Calico
   Ryan Beatty
5. Guts
   Olivia Rodrigo
6. Like..?
   Ice Spice
7. the record
   boygenius
8. Blondshell
   Blondshell
9. But Here We Are
   Foo Fighters
10. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
    Lana Del Rey
11. Jaguar II
    Victoria Monét
12. The Complete Budokan 1978
    Bob Dylan
13. The Mockingbird & the Crow
    Hardy
14. Nostalgia
    Rod Wave
15. Proof of Life
    Joy Oladokun
16. The Weakness
    Ruston Kelly
17. Something to Give Each Other
    Troye Sivan
18. Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good)
    Kelsea Ballerini
19. Joy'All
    Jenny Lewis
20. Austin
    Post Malone