The 50 Best Songs of 2023

The greatest tracks from the past twelve months.

I don’t think there has ever been a bad year for music.

Even when the world went into complete lockdown three years ago — really?! — we still had colossal comebacks (Fiona Apple, The Strokes); new career highs (Phoebe Bridgers, Yves Tumor); touching send offs (Mac Miller); and big chart hits (The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa) that all successfully soundtracked the weirdest twelve months of the 21st century.

So far, at least. *touch wood*

And 2023 has shown why this strong-held belief of mine is worth protecting. As you’ll see via the very piece you’re reading, this year has been a delight on so many fronts: despite its title, this list could have easily been a Top 100 without sacrificing any quality.

Nothing complicated rule-wise: if a song was released in 2023 then it’s eligible and only one song per artist to keep it fresh (though features do not count).

And if you want to check out all these songs — and *70* honourable mentions — then you can check out my Spotify playlist here!