So here we are! Wrapping up the Top 50 Songs of 2023! Songs must have been released after 1/1/23, and only one entry per artist allowed!
50. Käärija – Cha Cha Cha
Victory in 2023’s Eurovision Song Contest was cruelly snatched from the Finnish rapper after his adrenaline rush of a song failed to scoop up enough jury votes. Regardless, ‘Cha Cha Cha’ has gone on to become an instant classic with its thumping techno beat and rock-tinged choruses.
49. NEONshe feat. Jey Cordz – Ride The Tide
The latest single from bubblegum pop princess NEONshe acts as a love letter to her past, and a wishful prayer to the future as she moves to Japan from Manchester. Production from Jey Cordz brings her most confidence performance to date to new levels of vibrancy.
48. nightlife – face2face
The latest entry to this list arrives from one of the best upcoming alternative bands around, and may well find itself retrospectively higher next year. nightlife’s new track melds chunky metalcore styled riffing with glittering 90’s RnB and boyband pop to produce a phenomenally creative experience that is like nothing else out there. Their mini-album dropping next year is definitely one to watch.
47. Sun Spot feat. Adoring – Dead In The Water
Eclectic electronic act Sun Spot dropped their ‘Working Memory’ EP earlier this year, and whilst it was packed with electrifying performances, it’s this moody collaboration with Adoring that stands out as the highlight, with it’s fascinating and complex multifaceted nature and stellar guest performance.
46. Mina My – I Miss Your Dog
Norwegian-born and Liverpool-based, Mina My released her charming debut single this year. A punchy indie track that deals with heartbreak in a way that is packed with character and humanity, with a free-spirited vocal delivery that is impossible to dislike.
45. Dead Poet Society – I hope you hate me.
A slick, swaggering banger from Dead Poet Society that will be featuring on their upcoming third album. There’s an undeniable ferocity to the whole affair, buoyed by the killer rhythm section that is the sonic equivalent of the coolest leather jacket you’ve ever seen.
44. Redwood – Oh Love
The lead single from their 2023 EP, ‘The Offering’, this joyous offering is the perfect summer anthem, with a simple pop core that is layered atop of with complex little musical moments, huge choruses, and a beautiful vocal performance. That ‘oh love’ hook is guaranteed to be stuck in your head for the rest of eternity.
43. Crawlers – Would You Come To My Funeral?
The single that kicked off the debut album era for the Liverpool-based rising stars of alternative rock. From the danceable rhythms, to Holly Minto’s particularly phenomenal lyricism (‘Did my wisdom hurt a little much?/Is their innocence the reason you stay?’), this is a fantastically cathartic experience from start to finish.
42. Architects – Seeing Red
Enough is enough for England’s modern metal titans; Architects returned recently with a killer track that called-out the barrage of toxic behaviour they have experienced across the span of their last two albums. Ferocious in every aspect, it’s an importantly defiant moment from these legends.
41. Farseek – Thanks For Saving My House From Burning Down
The politically charged folk-punk musical collective that is Farseek put out an excellent little EP earlier this year, and this track is the highlight of that project for certain. A whimsical and heartwarming track that embodies the importance of platonic friendships, whilst losing none of the band’s raw punk edge.
40. Followship – Halved At Birth
Consistently one of the most exciting upcoming post-hardcore acts, Followship released a superb EP earlier this year that was packed with phenomenal vocal performances, incredible riffs, and tremendous groove. ‘Halved At Birth’ is quite simply the best at all of the above, truly showcasing just why Followship are ones to watch.
39. MAYBANK – Hitlist
Punchy riffs collide with incredibly catchy melodies on this gritty emo anthem from upcoming post-hardcore outfit MAYBANK. The choruses in particular are a hugely rewarding experience, with those aforementioned melodies truly coming through to create a hook that is guaranteed to get you singing along.
38. The Callous Daoboys feat. pulses. – Designer Shroud of Turin
The chaotic fury of The Callous Daoboys collided with the slick swagger of pulses. on this fiesta for the senses. An utterly bizarre song in all of the right ways, packed with noodling riffs, killer vocals, wailing saxophones, bossa nova rhythms, and at least fifteen different genres. There’s nothing like this out there.
37. Buds. – Medicinal Cathedral
The opening track of Buds.’s latest EP is one of the most killer punk releases of the year, perfectly balancing gritty emo-fuelled verses with huge choruses packed with brilliantly catchy hooks. An adrenaline rush of DIY punk goodness.
36. Kerosene Heights – Kathryn
Coming off of the debut LP from emo punk outfit Kerosene Heights is a beautifully melancholy yet electrifyingly catchy track that is begging to be blasted at top volume on a summer drive. The dual melodies and dancing percussion on the second verse is musical fireworks.
35. Oakwood Grove – Breakdown
The opening track of Oakwood Grove’s ‘Idle Hands’ EP is a genuinely beautifully written ode to the destructive nature of mental illness. The tremendously powerful lyricism is brought to life by the way the track shifts between ambient verses and raucous choruses, punctuated by a gut-punch of a musical breakdown.
34. Enter Shikari – ~goldfish
The Shikari boys returned with a brand new album earlier this year, with a sound that took them closer to their roots than they have sounded in a long time. In the midst of it all is the bizarre little cut of ‘~goldfish’, which sees vocalist Rou Reynolds deliver one of his most theatrical vocal performances in a good while, against a thunderous, bass heavy background.
33. Void Of Vision – Angel of Darkness
After their triple EP ‘CHRONICLES’ project elevated the band to new heights, Void Of Vision closed off this era of their career with this thumping dance-infused anthem. Bringing together all of the genre-blending antics that have made them so compelling across the past few years into one final statement piece, the band have made it clear they are here to defy any and all expectations.
32. Origami Angel – Few And Far Between
This year saw the release of Origami Angel’s melancholy mixtape ‘The Brightest Days’, which details one particularly terrible east coast summer. ‘Few And Far Between’ brings together the mixtape’s themes of existential dread, loss of innocence, and politics into a fantastically punchy closing statement that sits up there with the very best of this band’s discography.
31. Bella Wright – Ashtray
One of a handful of singles released by the Montana born singer-songwriter this year, ‘Ashtray’ is a visceral look at a poisonous love that refuses to let you go. Wright’s penchant for 90’s grunge and pop really shines on this gritty and cathartic guitar-driven anthem, especially during the furious closing minute of the track.
Part II (30-11) will be arriving tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that! What did you think of this year? Have you heard any of these tracks, and what would you include in your list? Let me know!
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