# The best albums of 2023

Metacritic's best-reviewed albums of 2023, from Amaarae and Caroline Polachek to boygenius and Olivia Rodrigo.

- 151 votes · 12 items
- Jan 11, 2024 · Millie Ashworth
- https://even.best/en/l/544/the-best-albums-of-2023

## Top 12

1. **Fountain Baby — Amaarae** (20 · ▲23 ▼3) — The Ghanaian-American singer's Afropop and R&B; Metascore 95, the year's top score.
2. **Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) — Jaimie Branch** (14 · ▲14 ▼0) — The posthumous album by the late jazz trumpeter; Metascore 95.
3. **Desire, I Want to Turn Into You — Caroline Polachek** (10 · ▲14 ▼4) — Inventive art-pop with 'Welcome to My Island'; Metascore 94.
4. **The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We — Mitski** (10 · ▲11 ▼1) — Orchestral country-tinged ballads, including 'My Love Mine All Mine'; Metascore 90.
5. **Guts — Olivia Rodrigo** (9 · ▲12 ▼3) — Pop-punk and ballads with 'Vampire'; Metascore 91.
6. **the record — boygenius** (9 · ▲10 ▼1) — Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus' debut album; Metascore 90.
7. **That! Feels Good! — Jessie Ware** (7 · ▲9 ▼2) — Disco and house for the dance floor; Metascore 89.
8. **Maps — billy woods & Kenny Segal** (7 · ▲8 ▼1) — Hip-hop about life on the road; Metascore 90.
9. **Black Rainbows — Corinne Bailey Rae** (6 · ▲8 ▼2) — A bold experimental turn inspired by a Chicago archive of Black history; Metascore 91.
10. **Rat Saw God — Wednesday** (4 · ▲8 ▼4) — Southern indie rock with shoegaze noise; Metascore 89.
11. **False Lankum — Lankum** (4 · ▲5 ▼1) — Dark, droning Irish folk; Metascore 89.
12. **The Greater Wings — Julie Byrne** (-1 · ▲3 ▼4) — Ethereal folk shaped by grief; Metascore 91.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.