The Top 50 Songs of 2023: 30 - 21

2023 was a strange year for me to rank my top songs. Additionally into being out of practice (I swear I'll eventually get to the 2022 ranking!), almost all my favorite songs this year were either from the second half or were discovered by me in the second half. Predicting how these songs would age was the biggest challenge, but the other half was combing through all the sounds. How does one compare Beabadoobee and Ninety One? It was difficult, but I think my ranking does provide a look at some of my favorite songs this year, with a top song that stands heads and shoulders over the rest. With that said, let us look at the rules.

• This ranking is my opinion.
• I will only rank my top 50 due to time constraints.
• Any song released between January 1 and December 31, 2023 is qualified.
• Instrumentals also count for this list.
• Full-fledged remakes are qualified, but remixes are excluded.
• Finally, I will not split the top 10 this year due to time constraints.

30. Lana Del Rey - The Grants

A soothing gospel ballad, The Grants sees Lana Del Rey take a break from the emotions of romantic love, and showcase familial love. From Lana's emotive performance to the regal religious references, it is hard not to feel something with the sweeping hook of The Grants.

29. XG - TGIF

Sometimes, you need an emotionally destructive magnum opus. Other times, all you need is a song that makes you want to grab your fake Gucci bag and go with your friends to the mall like you are all royalty. The latter emotion is an art too, and if so, XG are The Beatles on TGIF.

28. PinkPantheress - Mosquito

A painful love ballad? A cry for help after a sudden boost of fame? Or a prayer for financial literacy classes in the UK? There are a few ways to look at Mosquito's lyrics (with the last option being the most likely), but PinkPantheress' emotionally vulnerable performance makes the song more than a catchy drums & bass song.

27. Zhou Shen - Floating

Never underestimate Zhou Shen's ability to create a killer C-Drama OST. Floating is more dramatic than the average opening theme, and part of that is Zhou Shen's falsetto scream through the chorus, both stately and painfully detailed. Of course, it helps the snowballed build is fantastic.

26. The Scarlet Opera - I've Been Waiting For You

For those who miss a little grandeur in their vocal performances, Luka Bazullka's emotive declaration of love on I've Been Waiting For You is exactly what you've been looking for. Part of the charm is the Queen-meets-The Ark glam rock composition, but the rest is the pure euphoria of the melody.

25. Queen Bee - Violence

From Avu-Chan's theatrical vocal performance, with all growlings included, to the thundering rock riffs of the chorus, Violence is a spectacle for the ears, a race at millions of miles per hour. The song never stops and is all the better for it.

24. IVE - I Am

Perhaps the biggest pop song of the year, I Am merged Eurovision-esque EDM with flamboyant hooks. The song really thrives in its smaller moments, however, such as Liz's little half-time breakdown or the small yet dramatic vocal flairs.

23. Ali Sethi - Ghazab Kiya

All Ali Sethi had to do to guarantee a place amongst the most commercially successful artists of the year was to release a safe successor to Pasoori. Naturally, he did the exact opposite with the delightfully showmanship-esque Ghazab Kiya, and its quirky build.

22. PinkPantheress & Ice Spice - Boy's A Liar Pt. 2

Few productions this year were as nostalgic as PinkPantheress' wistful Boy's A Liar, improved even more by an excellent redux featuring Ice Spice. If there was a song that deserved its tremendous success this year, it would be this little pop ditty on a one-sided relationship.

21. ONF - Love Effect

The first thing ONF did after coming back from a one-and-a-half-year military hiatus was go back to releasing classic pop bangers as they always did. If the piano rap verse, the jazzy verses, or the brassy production doesn't do it for you, the headrush of the chorus certainly will.