The best albums of 2023
The top 3 according to 151 votes from people: Fountain Baby — Amaarae · Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) — Jaimie Branch · Desire, I Want to Turn Into You — Caroline Polachek. (Updated May 22, 2024.)
Metacritic's best-reviewed albums of 2023, from Amaarae and Caroline Polachek to boygenius and Olivia Rodrigo.
Top 12
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1
Fountain Baby — Amaarae
The Ghanaian-American singer's Afropop and R&B; Metascore 95, the year's top score.
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2
Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) — Jaimie Branch
The posthumous album by the late jazz trumpeter; Metascore 95.
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3
Desire, I Want to Turn Into You — Caroline Polachek
Inventive art-pop with 'Welcome to My Island'; Metascore 94.
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4
The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We — Mitski
Orchestral country-tinged ballads, including 'My Love Mine All Mine'; Metascore 90.
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5
Guts — Olivia Rodrigo
Pop-punk and ballads with 'Vampire'; Metascore 91.
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6
the record — boygenius
Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus' debut album; Metascore 90.
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7
That! Feels Good! — Jessie Ware
Disco and house for the dance floor; Metascore 89.
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8
Maps — billy woods & Kenny Segal
Hip-hop about life on the road; Metascore 90.
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9
Black Rainbows — Corinne Bailey Rae
A bold experimental turn inspired by a Chicago archive of Black history; Metascore 91.
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10
Rat Saw God — Wednesday
Southern indie rock with shoegaze noise; Metascore 89.
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11
False Lankum — Lankum
Dark, droning Irish folk; Metascore 89.
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12
The Greater Wings — Julie Byrne
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.
Is something missing?
Comments (7)
boygenius' the record still on repeat.
Caroline Polachek's album is a masterpiece, glad it's here.
Lankum's False Lankum is haunting, the best folk album in years.
the record by boygenius on repeat all year, 'Not Strong Enough' is perfect
Fountain Baby at #1, bold pick, but deserved.
Mitski's album is gorgeous, 'My Love Mine All Mine' 💜
Guts by Olivia Rodrigo was so much fun