AllMusic Loves 2023

Chief among those was Yo La Tengo, whose This Stupid World showed up on more AllMusic lists than any other artist this year. Then, there were the returns of Blur and Peter Gabriel, who both offered moody meditations on the passing of time, not to mention a second strong album from the reunited shoegaze powerhouse Slowdive. Such indie-rock veterans as the Clientele and Sufjan Stevens continue to deliver exploratory records, while relatively recent acts like Mitski and Protomartyr are building upon their strong bodies of work.

That's not to say our editors ignored emerging artists. The provocative folk of Lankum and the adventurous Australian singer/songwriter Genesis Owusu captured the attention of many of our staffers this year. Peruse these individual lists and you'll find all of these, plus dozens of other records, all giving AllMusic reason enough to love 2023.

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Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Blur - The Ballad of Darren
Turnpike Troubadours - A Cat in the Rain
Paul Simon - Seven Psalms
Queens of the Stone Age - In Times New Roman
Olivia Rodrigo - GUTS
PJ Harvey - I Inside the Old I Dying
Jenny Lewis - Joy'all
Tyler Childers - Rustin in the Rain
Low Cut Connie - Art Dealers
Peter Gabriel - i/o
Bethany Cosentino - Natural Disaster
The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds
Megan Moroney - Lucky
The Kills - God Games
Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
Speedy Ortiz - Rabbit Rabbit
Blondshell - Blondshell
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - Weathervanes
Brit Taylor - Kentucky Blue
Renee Rapp - Snow Angel

Heather Phares
Algiers - Shook
bar italia - Tracey Denim
Billy Nomates - Cacti
Clark - Sus Dog
Cloth - Secret Measure
Colleen - Jour et la nuit du réel
Facs - Still Life in Decay
Fever Ray - Radical Romantics
Katie Gately - Fawn/Brute
The Kills - God Games
Loscil / Lawrence English - Colours of Air
Miss Grit - Follow the Cyborg
Oneohtrix Point Never - Again
PJ Harvey - I Inside the Old I Dying
Olivia Rodrigo - GUTS
Sparklehorse - Bird Machine
Sweeping Promises - Good Living Is Coming for You
Timber Timbre - Lovage
Vanishing Twin - Afternoon X
Water from Your Eyes - Everyone's Crushed

Tim Sendra
The Clientele - I Am Not There Anymore
The Coral - Sea of Mirrors
Death & Vanilla - Flicker
Embassy - E-Numbers
The Go! Team - Get Up Sequences, Part II
Goat - Medicine
King Tuff - Smalltown Stardust
The Lost Days - Sea of Mirrors
April March / Staplin - April March Meets Staplin
Charif Megarbane - In the Store
Melenas - Ahora
Metric - Formentera II
Mozart Estate - Pop-up! Ker-ching! And the Possibilities of Modern Shopping
Pearl & the Oysters - Coast 2 Coast
Rat Columns - Baby Doll
Shonen Knife - Our Best Place
Special Friend - Wait Until the Flames Come Rushing In
Swansea Sound - Twentieth Century
TERRY - Call Me Terry
Vanishing Twin - Afternoon X

John Bush
Cleo Sol - Heaven
Oracle Sisters - Hydranism
Susanne Sundfør - Blómi
Shana Cleveland - Manzanita
Clark - Sus Dog
Say She She - Silver
Melati ESP - hipernatural
Sampha - Lahai
Protomartyr - Formal Growth in the Desert
Róisín Murphy - Hit Parade

Susanne Sundfør - "Leikara Ljóð"
Georgia - "It's Euphoric"
Oracle Sisters - "Hot Summer"
Say She She - "Astral Plane"
Cleo Sol - "There Will Be No Crying"
Shana Cleveland - "Mayonnaise"
bar italia - "my little tony"
ERNIE - "Hold Yr Horses"
Róisín Murphy - "What Not to Do"
DJ Koze - "Blissda"
Peverelist - "Pulse VIII"
Sampha - "Spirit 2.0"
Yaeji - "For Granted"
Head High - "Break Away"
Intr0beatz - "Dream Status"
Heavenchord - "Fractal Forest, Pt. 3"
Loscil / Lawrence English - "Cyan"
Jessie Ware - "Lightning"
The Arcs - "Eyez"
Avey Tare - "Invisible Darlings"

Matt Collar
Paramore - This Is Why
Bethany Cosentino - Natural Disaster
Brandee Younger - Brand New Life
Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band - Kings Highway
Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn into You
Cécile McLorin Salvant - Melusine
Christian Dillingham - Cascades
The Church - The Hypnogogue
Depeche Mode - Memento Mori
FIZZ - The Secret to Life
Rudy Royston - Day
Jessie Ware - That! Feels! Good!
The Hives - The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
The Rose - Dual
Raze Regal & White Denim, Inc. - Raze Regal & White Denim, Inc.
Teenage Fanclub - Nothing Lasts Forever
SLUGish Ensemble - In Solitude
Kaisa's Machine - Taking Shape
Lakecia Benjamin - Phoenix
Artemis - In Real Time

The Beaches - "Blame Brett"
Paramore - "This Is Why
Boys Like Girls - "Blood and Sugar"
Caroline Polachek - "Welcome to My Island"
FIZZ - "Close One"
The Hives - "Bogus Operandi"
The Rose - "You're Beautiful"
Olivia Rodrigo - "get him back!"
Bass Drum of Death - "Head Change"
Depeche Mode - "Ghosts Again"
Chapelle Roan - "Hot to Go"
Hotline TNT - "Protocol"
Bethany Cosentino - "For the Moment"
Jessie Ware - "Free Yourself"
Jorja Smith - "Feelings"
The Driver Era - "Rumors"
Teenage Fanclub - "Foreign Land"
Rick Astley - "Dippin' My Feet"
Tanlines - "The Big Mess"
Brian May - "Starfleet [2023 Mix Single Edit]"

Mark Deming
Wednesday - Rat Saw God
Lydia Loveless - Nothing's Gonna Stand in My Way Again
Sufjan Stevens - Javelin
Cable Ties - All Her Plans
Screaming Females - Desire Pathway
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - Weathervanes
Caroline Rose - The Art of Forgetting
Teke::Teke - Hagata
Andy Shauf - Norm
Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
John Cale - Mercy
Wilco - Cousin
Protomartyr - Formal Growth in the Desert
Iggy Pop - Every Loser
Rodney Crowell - The Chicago Sessions
Lifeguard - Crowd Can Talk/Dressed in Trenches
CMAT - Crazymad, For Me
Jeff Rosenstock - HELLMODE
The Baseball Project - Grand Salami Time
Dorothy Moskowitz & the United States of Alchemy - Under an Endless Sky

Marcy Donelson [Spotify albums/singles]
Kara Jackson - Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
Bonnie Prince Billy - Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You
Tony Allen / Adrian Younge - Tony Allen JID018
Julie Byrne - The Greater Wings
Feist - Multitudes
Kacey Johansing - Year Away
Nation of Language - Strange Disciple
Mitski - The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
Sufjan Stevens - Javelin
Mary Lattimore - Goodbye Hotel Arkada
Luluc - Diamonds
Faten Kanaan - Afterpoem
Orions Belte - Women
Andy Shauf - Norm
Robert Forster - The Candle and the Flame
Hollie Kenniff - We All Have Places That We Miss
Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Anya Baghina - Anya Baghina
Palehound - Eye on the Bat
The National Honor Society - To All the Distance Between Us

Mitski - "My Love Mine All Mine"
Anya Baghina - "It's Clear to Me"
The Garment District - "The Starfish Song"
Annie Hart - "Stop Staring at You"
Andy Shauf - "Telephone"
Lana Del Rey - "A&W"
Kimbra f/ Ryan Lott - "foolish thinking"
Panic Pocket - "Mad Half Hour"
Tough Age - "Give It a Day"
Timothy Monger - "Luna Pier"

Keith Finke
Peter Gabriel - i/o
Gustavo Dudamel / Los Angeles Master Chorale / Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra - Thomas Adès: Dante
Nathaniel Hackmann / Sierra Boggess / John Wilson / Sinfonia of London - Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! [World Premiere Complete Recording] [Chandos]
Bob Dylan - Shadow Kingdom
Paul Simon - Seven Psalms
Willie Nelson - Bluegrass
Dave Matthews Band - Walk Around the Moon
The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds
Daniel Hope - Music for a New Century
Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose - Corigliano, Adamo: The Lord of Cries
Old Crow Medicine Show - Jubilee
Julie Cherrier-Hoffmann - Poulenc: La Voix humaine; Fiançailles pour rire
Various Artists - A Song for Leon: A Tribute to Leon Russell
The Blind Boys of Alabama - Echoes of the South
Joshua Bell - Butterfly Lovers
Neil Young - Chrome Dreams
Joni Mitchell - Joni Mitchell at Newport
Yusuf - King of a Land
Foo Fighters - But Here We Are
Weird Al Yankovic - Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Thom Jurek
Idris Ackamoor & the Pyramids - Afro Futuristic Dreams
JD Allen - This
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson - Les Jardins Mystiques, Vol. 1
Lakecia Benjamin - Phoenix
Johnathan Blake - Passage
Jaimie Branch - Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music
Bokani Dyer - Radio Sechaba
Asher Gamedze - Turbulence and Pulse
Irreversible Entanglements - Protect Your Light
James Brandon Lewis / Red Lily Quintet - For Mahalia, with Love
London Brew - London Brew
Ed Motta - Behind the Tea Chronicles
Mthunzi Mvubu - The 1st Gospel
Rebecca Nash - Redefining Element 78
Natural Information Society - Since Time Is Gravity
Meshell Ndegeocello - The Omnichord Real Book
Matana Roberts - Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden
Walter Smith III - Return to Casual
Tyshawn Sorey Trio - Continuing

Andy Kellman [Spotify]
Meshell Ndegeocello - The Omnichord Real Book
Sampha - Lahai
Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music
Laura Groves - Radio Red
Me:You - Field Tapes in der Trash
Corinne Bailey Rae - Black Rainbows
Kelela - Raven
Yazmin Lacey - Voice Notes
Baby Rose - Through and Through
Niecy Blues - Exit Simulation
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson - Les Jardins Mystiques, Vol. 1
Laurel Halo - Atlas
Jessy Lanza - Love Hallucination
Rezzett - Meant Like This
Eddie Chacon - Sundown
Nondi_ - Flood City Trax
Say She She - Silver
Madison McFerrin - I Hope You Can Forgive Me
Actress - LXXXVIII
Leon Thomas - Electric Dusk

Genevieve Artadi - "Visionary"
Meshell Ndegeocello - "Virgo"
Say She She - "C'est Si Bon"
Onipa - "No Commando"
Muva of Earth - "Your Intuition Is Your Friend"
Sampha - "Spirit 2.0"
K S R - "Drop In"
Special Interest - "LA Blues [Marie Davidson Remix]"
L'Rain - "New Year's UnResolution"
Essosa - "Waste My Time"
Starchild & the New Romantic - "Lover Letdown"
Jessy Lanza - "Don't Leave Me Now"
Payfone & Kyd Nereida - "I Feel You"
Madison McFerrin - "(Please Don't) Leave Me Now"
Durand Jones - "Lord Have Mercy"
Mourning [A] BLKstar - "Catch 22"
Wacław Zimpel - "Train Spotter"
Mandy, Indiana - "Pinking Shears"
Cruza - "Hypnotherapy"
Yaya Bey - "The Evidence"

James Christopher Monger [Spotify]
Kvelertak - Endling
Lankum - False Lankum
Timothy Monger - Timothy Monger
Poppy - Zig
The Clientele - I Am Not There Anymore
BIG|BRAVE - Nature Morte
Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy
Skyway Man - Flight of the Long Distance Healer
Queens of the Stone Age - In Times New Roman
Timbre Timbre - Lovage
boygenius - the record
Mysty Lyn & the Big Beautiful - Narrows
Genesis Owusu - Struggler
Tomb Mold - Enduring Spirit
Penguin Cafe - Rain Before Seven…
John Southworth - When You're This, This in Love
Dina Ögon - Oas
Bonnie Prince Billy - Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You
Altin Gün - Ask
Mitski - The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We

The 3 Clubmen - "Aviatrix"
Blur - "The Narcissist"
Mary Lattimore - "And Then He Wrapped His Wings Around Me"
Algiers - "I Can't Stand It"
Trevor Rabin - "Big Mistakes"
Nickel Creek - "Celebrants"
Luluc - "Diamonds"
SZA - "Kill Bill"
Jungle - "Dominoes"
The High Strung - "Address Unknown"
King Creosote - "Susie Mullen"
Borislav Slavov - "Raphael's Final Act"
Ghost - "Jesus He Knows Me"
This Is the Kit - "More Change"
Sparks - "It Doesn't Have to Be This Way"
Little Simz - "Gorilla"
Gregory Dean McIntosh - "You Shall See the Beautiful Things"
Beirut - "Hadsel"
Steve Mason - "No More"
Makushin - "More Easily"

Timothy Monger
The Clientele - I Am Not There Anymore
John Southworth - When You're This, This in Love
Jenny Lewis - Joy'All
Faten Kanaan - Afterpoem
Genesis Owusu - Struggler
Sleaford Mods - UK Grim
En Attendant Ana - Principia
@ - Letters
Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy
Hayden Pedigo - The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored
Fran - Leaving
The Streets - The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light
Dina Ögon - Oas
Lankum - False Lankum
Marlody - I'm Not Sure at All
Susanne Sundfør - Blómi
Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn into You
Kvelertak - Endling
Sissoko Segal Parisien Peirani - Les Egarés
Jenny O. - Spectra

Bernice - "No Effort to Exist"
Brian Protheroe - "Over Your Love"
Sabina Sciubba - "Jimmy in Saigon"
Iris DeMent - "Workin' on a World"
Craig Fortnam - "Ruins in Time"
Gregory Dean McIntosh - "You Shall See the Beautiful Things"
Maps - "Witchy Feel"
Steve Mason - "No More"
Stephen Steinbrink - "Opalescent Ribbon"
Misty Lyn & the Big Beautiful - "Baptized"
Blur - "St. Charles Square"
Bandeau - "This Is How It Ends"
Luluc - "Diamonds"
Jobi Riccio & Erin Rae - "Green Flash"
Gina Birch - "I Play My Bass Loud"
Annie Bacon & Her Oshen - "California Heat"
Coro Qom Chelaalapi & Lagartijeando - "Cancion de Cuna"
Rozi Plain - "Agreeing for Two"
Kara Jackson - "Lily"
Charlotte Cornfield - "Cut and Dry"

Paul Simpson [Spotify]
Kelela - Raven
Kate Gentile - Find Letter X
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma - Poverty
Lauren Bousfield - Salesforce
Liv.e - Girl in the Half Pearl
DJ Black Low - Impumelelo
PinkPantheress - Heaven Knows
Arlo Parks - My Soft Machine
Hannah Jadagu - Aperture
Nondi_ - Flood City Trax
Parannoul - After the Magic
Slauson Malone 1 - Excelsior
Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
DJ K - Panico No Submundo
James Holden - Imagine This Is a High Dimensional Space of All Possibilities
Mukqs - Stonewasher
MC Yallah - Yallah Beibe
billy woods / Kenny Segal - Maps
Desire Marea - On the Romance of Being
Oneohtrix Point Never - Again

Parannoul - "Into the Endless Night [Live]"
Arlo Parks - "Weightless"
Nia Archives - "Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall"
PinkPantheress & Ice Spice - "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2"
NewJeans - "Ditto"
Everything But the Girl - "Nothing Left to Lose"
Overmono - "Is U"
Pangaea - "Installation"
DJ Seinfeld & Confidence Man - "Now U Do"
Vagabon - "Do Your Worst"
Blawan f/ Monstera Black - "Dismantled into Juice"
Kode9 - "Infirmary"
Vromm - "Red Tuna"
L'Rain - "Pet Rock"
Tim Reaper / Dwarde - "Mendoza"
The Haxan Cloak - "N/Y"
Madison McFerrin - "(Please Don't) Leave Me Now"
Kali Uchis - "I Wish You Roses"
OCB - "Translate"
Cardopusher - "Unseen Terror"

Neil Z. Yeung [Spotify]
Timothy Monger - Timothy Monger
Blur - The Ballad of Darren
Ayumi Hamasaki - Remember You
Ava Max - Diamonds & Dancefloors
Duran Duran - Danse Macabre
Kylie Minogue - Tension
Kx5 - Kx5
Depeche Mode - Memento Mori
Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn into You
Ellie Goulding - Higher Than Heaven
Chappell Roan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
MisterWives - Nosebleeds
Alison Goldfrapp - The Love Invention
Slowdive - everything is alive
Poppy - Zig
Fever Ray - Radical Romance
Peter Gabriel - i/o
Paramore - This Is Why
Genesis Owusu - Struggler
Rebecca Black - Let Her Burn

Käärijä - "Cha Cha Cha"
Jessie Ware - "Free Yourself"
Linkin Park - "Lost"
Hozier - "Francesca"
Olivia Rodrigo - "bad idea right?"
Rema w/ Selena Gomez - "Calm Down"
Lewis Capaldi - "Forget Me"
Bizarrap / Shakira - "Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53"
Post Malone - "Something Real"
Louise Post - "Guilty"
Atarashii Gakko! - "Tokyo Calling"
The Killers - "Your Side of Town"
Niall Horan - "Heaven"
Jimin - "Like Crazy"
Agust D f/ Ryuichi Sakamoto and Woosung - "Snooze"
Jung Kook - "Standing Next to You"
The Beatles - "Now and Then"
Be Your Own Pet - "Worship the Whip"
Jenny Lewis - "Psychos"
Travis Scott f/ Teezo Touchdown - "Modern Jam"

James Wilkinson
The Clientele - I Am Not There Anymore
Dot Allison - Consciousology
James Yorkston, Nina Persson and the Second Hand Orchestra - The Great White Sea Eagle
Esther Rose - Safe to Run
The Coral - Sea of Mirrors
Beach Fossils - Bunny
The Reds, Pinks & Purples - The Town That Cursed Your Name
Slowdive - everything is alive
Animal Collective - Isn't it Now?
Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
Blur - The Ballad of Darren
Alfa Mist - Variables
Sufjan Stevens - Javelin
Vanishing Twin - Afternoon X
Wilco - Cousin
North Americans - Long Cool World
Vanity Mirror - Puff
Niecy Blues - Exit Simulation
Lankum - False Lankum
The Dream Machine - Thank God! It's the Dream Machine…

Rich Wilson
Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
Wanderwelle - All Hands Bury the Cliffs at Sea
The Raging Nathans - Still Spitting Blood
boygenius - the record
Samiam - Stowaway
Silver Moth - Black Bay
Overmono - Good Lies
Midwife / Vyva Melinkolya - Orbweaving
Sigur Ros - ÁTTA
Sad Park - No More Sound
Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam - Mortuary Pantomime
Slowdive - everything is alive
Fiddlehead - Death Is Nothing to Us
Spanish Love Songs - No Joy
Hurry - Don't Look Back
bdrmm - I Don't Know
Mary Lattimore - Goodbye, Hotel Arkada
Hotline TNT - Cartwheel
The Chemical Brothers - For That Beautiful Feeling
Blur - The Ballad of Darren

David Crone
Sufjan Stevens - Javelin
Sampha - Lahai
Mitski - The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
MIKE - Burning Desire
Gia Margaret - Romantic Piano
Ichiko Aoba - Ichiko Aoba with 12 Ensemble (Live at Milton Court)
billy woods / Kenny Segal - Maps
Aesop Rock - Integrated Tech Solutions
Parannoul - After the Magic
ALEPH - SEPULCHRE
Geese - 3D Country
Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy
Susanne Sundfør - Blómi
Gengahr - Red Sun Titans
Tainy - DATA
McKinley Dixon - Beloved! Paradise! Jazz?!
Laufey - Bewitched
Puma Blue - Holy Waters
Guvna B - The Village Is on Fire
Karol G - Mañana Será Bonito

Sufjan Stevens - "Will Anybody Ever Love Me?
Sampha - "Dancing Circles"/"Spirit 2.0"
Mitski - "The Deal"
Aesop Rock - "Black Snow"
NewJeans - "OMG"
Parannoul - "북극성 (Polaris)"
Gia Margaret - "Hinoki Wood"/"Cicadas"
MIKE - "Snake Charm"/"Plz Don't Cut My Wings"
Alice Phoebe Lou - "Shelter"
Earl Sweatshirt / The Alchemist - "Geb"/"The Caliphate"
Geese - "I See Myself"
billy woods / Kenny Segal - "NYC Tapwater"
Milo J / Taiu - "Rara Vez"
Ichiko Aoba - "Space Orphans"
LE SSERAFIM - "Blue Flame [2023 Ver.]"
Rosalía / Rauw Alejandro - "Vampiros"
TOMORROW X TOGETHER - "Farewell, Neverland (네버랜드를 떠나며)"
Puma Blue - "Dream of You"
DJ Lucas - "I-91 Corridor"
Quevedo - "Columbia"

Liam Martin [Spotify]
The Murder Capital - Gigi's Recovery
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Land of Sleeper
Death Valley Girls - Islands in the Sky
The Psychotic Monks - Pink Colour Surgery
Ulrika Spacek - Compact Trauma
Altin Gün - Ask
James Holden - Imagine This Is a High Dimensional Space of All Possibilities
Alfa Mist - Variables
Blondshell - Blondshell
bar italia - Tracey Denim
Protomartyr - Formal Growth in the Desert
Grian Chatten - Chaos for the Fly
Luje - Raving Track
The Hives - The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
Headache - The Head Hurts But the Heart Knows the Truth
Tirzah - trip9love...
Yeule - Softscars
Sofia Kourtesis - Madres
Drop Nineteens - Hard Light
Hotline TNT - Cartwheel

Kelela - "Bruises"
Yo La Tengo - "Fallout"
boygenius - "$20"
bdrmm - "It's Just a Bit of Blood"
Cory Hanson - "Housefly"
En Attendant Ana - "Principia"
Wednesday - "Hot Rotten Grass Smell"
Avalon Emerson - "Hot Evening"
SBTRKT f/ Toro y Moi - "DAYS GO BY"
BC Camplight - "The Last Rotation of Earth"
King Krule - "Seaforth"
Confidence Man / Daniel Avery - "On & On (Again)"
Blur - "The Narcissist"
Queens of the Stone Age - "Emotion Sickness"
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - "Supercell"
Nia Archives - "Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against the Wall"
PJ Harvey - "August"
Overmono - "Good Lies"
Nada Rosa - "Reversal of Fortune"
Kurt Vile - "Must Be Santa"