The Top 50 Songs of 2023: 40 - 31

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.

40. Jeon Somi - Fast Forward

Somi releases are still rare as ever, but their quality has been on a slow and steady increase since her debut. Surprisingly, it is the DJ-led EDM sound that has proven to be her strongest suit, as shown in Fast Forward. While far from original, it is hard not to feel ready to dance when that chorus hits.

39. X Japan - Angel

The first X Japan song in eight years, and the last to be released before member Heath's passing, Angel's tender emotions are fully on display. Building from a beautiful piano ballad to a classic X Japan rock ballad, Toshi provides his all with his performance, and Yoshiki's composition is as incredible as ever.

38. Manaka Kataoka, Maasa Miyoshi, Masato Ohashi, Tsukasa Usui - Wind Temple

If grand builds are what one seeks, Nintendo's Tears of the Kingdom soundtrack provides exactly that with Wind Temple. The orchestral production here is the immaculate and memorable, especially as the song crescendos in its climax.

37. Lankum - Go Dig My Grave

Go Dig My Grave is certainly a classic folk song, but Lankum take its to its previously unseen natural conclusion. For a song about death, Lankum provide it with the paranoid, creeping, and almost Lovecraftian tinge that makes it unnervingly impressive.

36. One Love One Heart - The Witch

When one has heard the amount of music I have, they seek something bizarre and fresh. That is indeed what One Love One Heart provide with The Witch, a strange fusion of carnivalesque pop, circus-ready pop, sinister rap, and tempo changes that should be jarring, but instead are galvanizing.

35. Ali Sethi  & Nicolás Jaar - Dard

Sometimes, a silent instrumental is more effective than a loud one. A good example of this is when Ali Sethi is soulfully pouring all his heart into a small little ballad. Dard could have been a sidequest of his new album, but instead, it is a highlight.

34. PinkPantheress - Nice To Meet You Ft. Central Cee

The fact that Nice To Meet You could make it on the list despite its frankly awful rap verse just shows how fantastic the rest of the song is. PinkPantheress is both a master of production and melody, and the smooth transition from verse to chorus in Nice To Meet You is a perfect example.

33. McKinley Dixon - Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? Ft. Ms. Jaylin Brown

All singles from McKinley Dixon's Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? were fantastic, but the edge amongst them must go to the title track. The song features some of the most killer lyricism from the entire album, this time with a hopeful tinge. The refrain sung by Ms. Jaylin Brown is what really guarantees its spot on the list, however.

32. André 3000 - I Swear I Wanted To Make A "Rap" Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time

Featuring one of the longest song titles I have ever covered on this site, Andre 3000's unexpected return as a flutist was headed by this surprisingly addictive twelve-minute ambient ballad. The central melodic hook is destined to be sampled for the upcoming years with how versatile it is.

31. TXT - Back For More Ft. Anitta

There might have been more experimental, melodic, or grand songs TXT released this year, but none had quite the sheer groove Back For More provided. From its brittle funk instrumental to the theatric pre-chorus, every element of Back For More dripped of style.