Top 100 Songs of 2023 (100 – 81)

Wow! It’s been so long since I’ve done one of these!

Because I got old.

I was listening to some new music a few years back and then I just got tired. I liked less than half of what I heard and I realized “oh! I’m now that age old people get when they hear new stuff and reminisce about when music was better!”

But alas…I’ve been hanging out with The Young Persons lately and there is still good music out there — it’s just harder to find, what with music being released so chaotically, TikTok beepbeepboops, and the charts being a complete mess with 10 year old Taylor Swift songs landing at the top of the charts every 3 to 6 business months.

These are the songs I loved though.

100. Sugababes “When The Rain Comes”

I’m always excited about a new Sugababes project, and like their last (very excellent) album that was shelved for 10 years, looks like we can expect the harmonies they’re known for on this one too.

More from Drebae:
No Bars
Barbie World

96. Icebox “Lessons”

Cieleo Matias, aka ICEBOX, is a 19-year-old singer/songwriter/producer who should start gaining more attention if there’s any justice. That is a lot of emotion in his voice for someone who can barely drive (and he arguably sounds even better on the acoustic version).

More from ICEBOX:
Man With Feelings
Promises

95. The Hara “Play My Game”

The Hara didn’t really make an impression on me until I saw the lead singer thirst-trapping on the Gram. And because sex really does sell, I fell down the rabbit hole and became obsessed with this song. Blame the algorithm!

More from The Hara:
Okay That’s Me
Off This Train
Circles

94. Moderat “More Love” (Rampa &ME Remix)

German electronic group Moderat put out “More Love” in 2022, but I hadn’t heard it until DJs Rampa and &ME got hold of it and turned it into whatever genre of music this is that I’m currently into. It’s like…easy listening EDM? Light circuit music? Straight boys are always playing it at the barber shop whatever it is.

93. The Beaches “Blame Brett”

I love The Beaches. They have this throwback girlband energy that gives me The GoGos or The Bangles. From Toronto, they have a couple of Juno awards but have yet to really break in the US. Here’s hoping the latest album does that.

More from The Beaches:
Everything is Boring
Me & Me

92. Mette “Mama’s Eyes”

Mette Towley first grabbed focus as a dancer in the video for “Lemon” by Rihanna and NERD, and now she’s putting out music of her own. Like Dawn Richard, there’s a rhythmic sensibility on the track that you get from dancers like METTE and I’m here for it.

More from Mette:
For the People
Van Gogh

91. Brandy “Feels Different”

No introduction needed. The Vocal Bible released a Christmas album and “Feels Different” hooked me so much it landed in the Top 100.

(It probably hooked me because you can clearly tell this song was already written and sitting in the vault, and then she just added the word Christmas a handful of times so it would fit on a holiday album.)

More from Brandy’s Christmas album:
Shine Out Your Light
Christmas Everyday

90. Taylor Swift “Snow On The Beach” (feat. More Lana Del Rey)

Listen. I’m no Swiftie, and I think Taylor’s four Album of the Year Wins are three too many, but I just love harmony in the alto section. So basically, this is a shout out to Lana because it’s this version of “Snow on the Beach” that’s worth listening to.

89. Nothing Matters “The Last Dinner Party”

These London Ladies just got together in 2021 and they seem like the kind of people I would stay far away from on the L Train to Bushwick, because I am old and cranky, but they definitely know how to write a song.

More from The Last Dinner Party:
Sinner

88. City Girls “Fuck the D to the A”

JT and Caresha put bops on bops on bops on bopppssss into their last album. Basically, listen to every track I listed here, and then listen to the album.

More from City Girls:
Wigs
Face Down
Work For It
I Need A Thug
Show Me The Money

87. NewJeans “Super Shy”

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I can no longer keep up with all of the K-Pop groups debuting every 3 to 7 business days, but “Super Shy” (skip to 0:50 to start the song) is a lot of sounds that I like right now. You will hear a skittering backbeat pop up more than a few times in this year’s playlist. I blame PinkPantheress honestly.

86. Carrie Underwood “She Don’t Know”

Denim & Rhinestones did not grab me as hard as some of Carrie’s previous albums, but I dare anyone to listen to this chorus and not want to sing along the second go ’round. Carrie really is at her best when she’s singing about infidelity.

More from Carrie Underwood:
Burn
Ghost Story
Pink Champagne
Take Me Out
Poor Everybody Else

85. The Struts “Hands On Me”

The era of the Rock Band has long come and gone, but The Struts are still holding on to the sound and swagger of a much younger Aerosmith, and this stomping ballad is right in that vein.

The Struts:
Pretty Vicious
Better Love
Gimme Some Blood
Rockstar

84. Candiace “Affirmations” feat. Drew Sidora

Say what you want about Candiace Dillard Bassett, but she has an actual voice for real R&B and she has taste. Everything she puts out is exactly what I wanted to hear because we are contemporaries in age and sensibility.

Drew Sidora is here as well.

More from Candiace:
Benefits Pt. II
Is It Enough?

83. The Chainsmokers “My Bad” feat. Shenseea

The Chainsmokers have been around for a decade and I still know absolutely nothing about them other than you cannot walk into a straight bar in Murray Hill without hearing at least one song.

Shenseea on the other hand is a Jamaican-Korean singer who is clearly on the cusp of superstardom and they were right to pick her to add something special to a pretty generic track honestly. (I like generic tho. I just went to McDonald’s last week to be honest.)