The 10 Best Albums of 2023
Editor’s Note: Find all of The Atlantic’s “Best of 2023” coverage here.
Narrowing the options down to a list of 10 favorite albums was, in 2023, a tougher task than ever. The music industry has been beset by concerns about market saturation, caused by an ever-rising flood of new songs onto streaming services, overwhelming artists and consumers alike. But looking back over a year of great albums offers a reminder that more really can be more: more melodies, more breakthroughs, more art.
This list could have been filled up with just rock and roll, an allegedly dying genre that coughs up triumphs of noise and heart every week (please check out , , and ). It could, ) and middle-aged vitality (, ). And in a year when , a crop of mini Madonnas offered smart takes on silly fun (, , , ).
