Best Albums of 2023

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1.

Javelin 

 Sufjan Stevens

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"Having listened to it thrice today, and knowing the impetus for the record, Javelin stands as Sufjan Stevens's most open-hearted and devastating work to date, even more so than the thorny beauty of his magnificent Carrie & Lowell. Elegiac, wounded, and life-affirming through and through, Javelin ...""Having listened to it thrice today, and knowing the impetus for the record, Javelin stands as Sufjan Stevens's most open-hearted and devastating work to date, even more so than the thorny beauty of his magnificent Carrie & Lowell. Elegiac, wounded, and life-affirming through and through, Javelin is characteristically meditative and soulful, while crystalizing the folktronica sensibilities that he's wrestled with over the years into its most moving configurations yet, and that, despite its weight, is still so warm and inviting. One of the best from one of the best ever to do it."  [+]  Reply

- HoldenM | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (13 helpful | 5 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2023

Appears in:

388 charts

Rank Score:

2,424

Rank in 2023:

1

Rank in 2020s:

13

Overall Rank:

712

Average Rating:

 81 (298 votes)

Comments:

12

2.

Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd 

 Lana Del Rey

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"This surprised me a lot, after following up her critical breakthrough Norman Fucking Rockwell with a couple of substantially weaker albums I figured that Lana's music had peaked and that the still quite decent standard of Chemtrails and Blue Banisters would be the new normal. I think I was about ...""This surprised me a lot, after following up her critical breakthrough Norman Fucking Rockwell with a couple of substantially weaker albums I figured that Lana's music had peaked and that the still quite decent standard of Chemtrails and Blue Banisters would be the new normal. I think I was about a couple of tracks into this record when I realised that wasn't the case, Ocean Boulevard isn't just a great piece of work but one that elevates the rest of Lana's discography. The opening run of tracks is just as good as on NFR, the effortless emotional build of The Grants, the full production of the title track and the lyrical directness of the second half of Sweet work incredibly together. They also set the stage for Lana's most contemplative and thoughtful album, breaking into new ground while drawing on the fear of being left in the past. This is most successful on A&W which mirrors the lyrical themes of her earliest records but adds some depth to them with its downbeat frustration as she tries to trace the roots of the unfulfilling and demeaning relationships that she used to only cover at a surface level. For me Ocean Boulevard matches NFR in its earlier tracks but it's deeper into the tracklist that it starts to pull away from it, it stays compelling to the end. There are some especially strong melodies on tracks like Paris Texas and Candy Necklace and a warmth to others like Let the Light In. Each of the tracks I've highlighted has a really effective feature on it, Lana's sense for collaboration is at its best here, we're a long way from unnecessary rap features being stuffed into dull tracks. Only Bleachers doesn't quite pull his weight vocally, but his involvement in Margaret feels fair considering his personal connection to the track. It sets up a great finale as things come full circle with the looseness of the first few seconds of the album being mirrored by the almost conversational conclusion to Margaret. Except the album just keeps on going and this is still what really confuses me. Fishtail, Peppers and Taco Truck are all really good but they feel like bonus tracks within the structure of the album. I really enjoy the switch up in sound towards something more hip hop influenced, Peppers especially is one of the catchiest tracks of the past year, it's a shame that it just doesn't fit. I think these songs could have made for a really good EP instead of being grafted onto the end of the record, it's a bit annoying though the fact that it stands out so clearly as an issue shows how well the rest of Ocean Boulevard is structured."  [+]  Reply

- JamesMowbray | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (5 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2023

Appears in:

313 charts

Rank Score:

2,173

Rank in 2023:

2

Rank in 2020s:

18

Overall Rank:

799

Average Rating:

 77 (291 votes)

Comments:

18

3.

Scaring The Hoes 

 JPEGMAFIA x Danny Brown

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"Easily one of the most interesting and exciting albums this year so far."  Reply

- ExTeaSea | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (10 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2023

Appears in:

255 charts

Rank Score:

1,640

Rank in 2023:

3

Rank in 2020s:

33

Overall Rank:

1,069

Average Rating:

 80 (262 votes)

Comments:

17

4.

Desire, I Want To Turn Into You 

 Caroline Polachek

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"Very quirky and playful. Polachek excitedly ruffles around in her toy box of production tricks. Those whistles, chirps and finger snaps gilding the beat of “Bunny is a Rider” dropping right into the flamenco strings of “Sunset”, then the echoing quartz crystal pops of “Crude Drawing of An Angel”,...""Very quirky and playful. Polachek excitedly ruffles around in her toy box of production tricks. Those whistles, chirps and finger snaps gilding the beat of “Bunny is a Rider” dropping right into the flamenco strings of “Sunset”, then the echoing quartz crystal pops of “Crude Drawing of An Angel”, then the dazzling synth sparks of “I Believe”. It’s like after every track she does a little spin in the air and switches costume. It is a boisterous plunge of a record."  [+]  Reply

- viquel | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2023

Appears in:

301 charts

Rank Score:

1,502

Rank in 2023:

4

Rank in 2020s:

39

Overall Rank:

1,158

Average Rating:

 76 (246 votes)

Comments:

17

5.

The Record 

 Boygenius

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"Remarkable how these three idiosyncratic songwriters consciously decide to subsume their quirks within a group voice. Individual traits haven't been erased so much as they've been sanded so they can fit neatly together. Boygenius feels heftier and hookier than Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus do on the...""Remarkable how these three idiosyncratic songwriters consciously decide to subsume their quirks within a group voice. Individual traits haven't been erased so much as they've been sanded so they can fit neatly together. Boygenius feels heftier and hookier than Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus do on their own and I love it."  [+]  Reply

- shanelovesyou1111 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2023

Appears in:

290 charts

Rank Score:

1,168

Rank in 2023:

5

Rank in 2020s:

60

Overall Rank:

1,465

Average Rating:

 76 (231 votes)

Comments:

12

6.

Everything Is Alive 

 Slowdive

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"For a band that was releasing brilliant music 30 years ago to come out with something as good as this in 2023 is remarkable. Its albums and artists like these that reminds us of why we all love music so much , certainly one of years best albums and possibly the most pleasing return by a band last...""For a band that was releasing brilliant music 30 years ago to come out with something as good as this in 2023 is remarkable. Its albums and artists like these that reminds us of why we all love music so much , certainly one of years best albums and possibly the most pleasing return by a band last year 8/10 for me "  [+]  Reply

- | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2023

Appears in:

236 charts

Rank Score:

1,155

Rank in 2023:

6

Rank in 2020s:

63

Overall Rank:

1,481

Average Rating:

 77 (191 votes)

Comments:

6

7.

That! Feels Good! 

 Jessie Ware

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"Enjoyably listenable pop. Tons of disco and soul influence on the writing and sound. Just a good modern take on that whole genre. Not innovative or avant garde, just really listenable."  Reply

- meltchett | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2023

Appears in:

221 charts

Rank Score:

1,017

Rank in 2023:

7

Rank in 2020s:

81

Overall Rank:

1,681

Average Rating:

 77 (196 votes)

Comments:

11

8.

Live At Bush Hall 
Live soundtrack

 Black Country, New Road

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"Any doubts that they wouldn't recover from Isaac Woods departure are quickly squished with this fantastic live album. Definitely prefer the tracks with Mae Kershaw as the lead vocalist over the male vocalists. Not that Tyler Hyde's and Lewis Evan's vocals are inherently bad, just that with Mae sh...""Any doubts that they wouldn't recover from Isaac Woods departure are quickly squished with this fantastic live album. Definitely prefer the tracks with Mae Kershaw as the lead vocalist over the male vocalists. Not that Tyler Hyde's and Lewis Evan's vocals are inherently bad, just that with Mae she seems to have a fragility to her vocals in the same way that Isaac had. The obvious standout is "Turbines/Pigs" which is a gorgeous piano ballad, but "The Boy" and "Dancers" are fantastic as well. I was very worried about how BC/NR would move into their next full length album but this has very much put my mind at ease. Cannot wait for future releases from them. "  [+]  Reply

- Rm12398 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2023

Appears in:

151 charts

Rank Score:

990

Rank in 2023:

8

Rank in 2020s:

84

Overall Rank:

1,724

Average Rating:

 82 (193 votes)

Comments:

11

9.

Maps 

 Billy Woods & Kenny Segal

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"Pure poetry from Woods, matched by the illest beats cooked up by Segal"  Reply

- jbentley3997 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2023

Appears in:

176 charts

Rank Score:

830

Rank in 2023:

9

Rank in 2020s:

106

Overall Rank:

2,024

Average Rating:

 76 (133 votes)

Comments:

3

10.

3D Country 

 Geese

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"what a big surprise, I didn't know this band. I'll have to listen to it more times to be sure, but I think this album really is a masterpiece. It goes straight into my top five in 2023."  Reply

- StreakyNuno | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2023

Appears in:

134 charts

Rank Score:

818

Rank in 2023:

10

Rank in 2020s:

108

Overall Rank:

2,048

Average Rating:

 77 (129 votes)

Comments:

5

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of 2023 composition

Top 1,000 Top 500 Top 250 Top 100

Artist	Albums	%
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard	4	0%
Patricia Taxxon	4	0%
Tha God Fahim	4	0%
Various Artists	3	0%
Guided By Voices	3	0%
Bob Dylan	2	0%
Betcover!!	2	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	468	47%
	201	20%
	47	5%
	39	4%
	29	3%
	21	2%
	19	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	988	99%
Yes	12	1%

Live?	Albums	%
No	974	97%
Yes	26	3%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	989	99%
Yes	11	1%