Hello, everyone! Welcome back to my website! Today I’m counting down The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2023!

Well, really, I’m counting down my top 10 favourite hit songs of 2023. Music is subjective, and these are just my personal favourites. But calling them ‘the best’ makes for a catchier title.

Just like with the worst list, the song must have debuted on the 2023 Billboard Year-End Hot 100 to be eligible for this list. It doesn’t matter when the song was released, as long as it never made the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 until this year. So, that leaves 87 eligible songs.

If you want to read the worst list, I’d recommend reading that before reading this post. It’s not essential to read the worst list before reading this one, but this post may feature spoilers for the worst list.

Alright, I think it’s time to start with some honourable mentions. There are 7 of them, in no particular order, starting with …

“Going, Going, Gone” by Luke Combs

I remember listening to and reviewing Luke Combs’ 2022 album, Growin’ Up, after my cousin requested that review … and I didn’t like that album at all. I’m not sure if my cousin is reading this or not, but if you are, I hope putting this here will allow you to forgive me for that review!

But jokes aside, while I did really end up liking Luke Combs’ album from this year, that doesn’t change the fact that I kind of found Growin’ Up to be a chore to get through. Most of it to me feels like generic and uninteresting to outright bad country music that just didn’t appeal to me at all—and the low points are awful, one of which ended up pretty high on my worst hits list for last year, and I stand by that.

And I don’t think there’s a song on the album that comes anywhere close to the best songs on his new album … but at least my favourite song on the album became a hit. Yes, Luke Combs put out many better songs this year, but I like how this song embraces change and that sometimes opportunities are missed, and that’s okay. And the imagery feels pretty creative comparing this missed relationship to bunch of other things—I especially like the ‘whiskey shot at last call’ line.

I wouldn’t say I love the production here, but it’s still better produced than most of the album, and I remember really liking this as an album closer. Really good song.

“Bloody Mary” by Lady Gaga

I mentioned the trend of songs from years ago becoming hits this year in my worst list, and as much as I don’t like “Sure Thing” by Miguel, I did find some positives with that trend, too. Now, it’s worth mentioning that I haven’t listened to a full Lady Gaga album, but so far I don’t think I’ve ever loved a Lady Gaga song out of the handful that I have heard—don’t get me wrong, I’ve liked a lot of them, but even classics like “Bad Romance” and “Poker Face” have always felt like they were missing something.

And I don’t love this song, either, but it’s probably the closest a Lady Gaga song has come to really clicking for me! The synths add some nice flashiness to the chorus, there are some good melodies, and while I don’t really know much about the folklore of Bloody Mary, I do still mostly like the lyrics which seem to be using a lot of relationship metaphors.

I do wish the vocal production fit more with this sound, and I don’t find the verses super strong, but again, it is probably my favourite Lady Gaga song of all the ones I know. I think it’s a pretty damn good song, even if not quite a great one.

“Snooze” by SZA

Even though “Kill Bill” made my worst list, I do still think SOS is a really good album with some great songs on it, and while this isn’t among my absolute favourites on the album, it does have a nice, chill vibe to the instrumental, and it’s quite well produced. I don’t think it’s really doing anything all that interesting lyrically, but it just feels nice and soothing to listen to, especially because SZA is a great singer. Again, I’ve heard better songs from her, but this is still quite good.

“Bebe Dame” by Fuerza Regida & Grupo Frontera

I still haven’t heard Grupo Frontera’s album from this year … and we’ll see if I get around to doing that or not, but this at least makes me curious. Because this is a pretty great song that was very close to making the top 10!

The accordion sounds great in the mix, and the vocal melodies are pretty good, too! Overall, the production and mixing as a whole sounds really good!

It does kind of feel like it could use a little bit more detail in the instrumentation to really add more texture, but I’m still a fan of this! Great song!

“Religiously” by Bailey Zimmerman

Looking back at my honourable mentions from last year, I was surprised to see that I didn’t mention Bailey Zimmerman’s hit song, “Fall In Love”, especially considering just how many honourable mentions I had … looking back at it now, I think it would make a much shorter list of honourable mentions for last year’s list if I remade it. But anyway, this song falls into a similar category as “Fall In Love” for me, where I can’t help but think, ‘Yes, it’s a good song … but it feels like it should be excellent.’

Now, this song is held back for very different reasons than “Fall In Love”, because while the biggest flaw in that song for me was the production, here I actually quite like how the instruments all sound together, with good mixing and the drums having the right amount of punch.

But as much as I hate to say this about a song this emotional, if I’m being honest this feels overdramatic … I mean, that’s easy for me to say as someone who’s never been in a romantic relationship (and thus I haven’t experienced a breakup), but the ‘now everything means nothing’ attitude does feel like it’s going a bit too far … it’s the kind of ‘wallowing in sadness’ song that just doesn’t do as much for me as I feel like it should.

But still, there is a part of me that kind of feels like I relate to certain emotions in the song, and I do get the appeal. It’s a good song, I just wouldn’t call it great.

“Tennessee Orange” by Megan Moroney

If you can’t tell, I’ve warmed up to country music a lot over the past few years. And this is a really good country song in which the narrator is a Georgia Bulldogs fan, and her new partner is a fan of their rival, the Tennessee Volunteers, and this person is so special to her that she’s wearing Tennessee Volunteers colours … I mean, I get how this could come across as cheesy, but there are so many details that make this work, like how she’s thinking about her parents, hoping they’ll be okay with this. And I also really like the part at the end when she admits she still wants Georgia to win … and I think this song really highlights how complicated us humans are. And I also quite like the production here, too.

So, while the vocal melodies aren’t super gripping to me, and the instrumentation feels kind of generic, there’s enough about this that stands out to me to give it a spot here, even though it’s not on the list itself.

“Bury Me in Georgia” by Kane Brown

And speaking of Georgia … and funnily enough, this song even mentions the Georgia Bulldogs!

Anyway, while I could totally understand someone hearing this as just another generic country song, and I kind of think it is, I’ll say this: it’s well produced, and it’s really catchy! I mean, I don’t have that much to say outside of that, but hey, I guess that’s enough to land it a spot here.

…

Alright, those are some good songs, but now it’s time for the absolute best! Here are my top 10 favourite hit songs of 2023!

#10 …

I just want to make it clear that I didn’t plan it out this way … but this artist also had the #10 song on my best list last year. I guess it’s a tradition now?

#10: “Shirt” by SZA

So, once again, I think SOS is a good album, despite some low points and being longer than I would have liked. And it’s got some great songs on it, including “Shirt”, which has a great-sounding bass which combines with the percussion really well, and SZA’s vocals sound great as well!

But really what makes this song stand out to me the most is that chorus. It’s so catchy with that awesome melody and rhythm, with that great synth in the background that adds a ton to the track!

It’s not really a song that gives me a ton to say, and there are better songs on SOS, but this is still a nice album highlight for me! Great song!

#9 …

I feel like every year there’s at least one song that feels really out of place on the Year-End Hot 100—the kind of song where you think, ‘How did this become a hit?’ And if there’s one song like that in 2023, it might be this one. I mean, yes, both artists have collaborated with a lot of big-name artists, but this is both of their first (and as of right now, only) song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at all, and this sort of experimental music doesn’t usually make it onto the pop charts. And yet somehow …

#9: “Escapism.” by RAYE & 070 Shake

I feel like calling this a ‘club anthem’ feels a little awkward, but it’s got the feeling of one—it kind of feels like a dance song, despite the heartbreaking lyrics full of toxicity, where the narrator is in a very dark place post-breakup and then starts trying to do whatever she can to escape those feelings, even though it’s inevitably temporary before an even worse low to come afterward—or in this case, if the narrator even gets out of it alive.

And this is the kind of song that is easy to screw up, because with so much toxicity, as soon as it starts to frame the narrator as being in the right, it can become a really unpleasant listen. This song doesn’t do that, but it also doesn’t show the narrator really fully acknowledging the consequences of her actions—and as heartbreaking as it is, it makes for a fascinating song, with the dramatic instrumentation fitting really well.

To me, 070 Shake’s verse represents the fact that the narrator isn’t alone. And which character she’s playing in the story is open to interpretation, but in this case the inclusion of a guest feature doesn’t really bug me, even though the story is mostly following one character. In fact, I think 070 Shake’s verse is really good and adds a lot to the track!

This isn’t an easy listen, nor is RAYE’s debut studio album from this year (although that album is really good in my opinion), but I’m really happy this became a hit!

#8 …

I recently did a mini review of this album, and while I wasn’t as huge a fan of it as a lot of critics are, it does have its moments for me … such as:

#8: “Boy’s a liar, Pt. 2” by PinkPantheress & Ice Spice

I think this is one of the rare cases where I actually prefer the remix over the original. Don’t get me wrong, I like the original “Boy’s a liar”—it’s got flashy production that fits well with the keyboard and the unique, catchy chorus … but even as someone who’s not really an Ice Spice fan, I think she killed it with this guest verse!

This still has pretty much all of what I like about the original, and Ice Spice’s personality really fits here, potentially playing the character of another one of the boy’s exes, and her flow sounds awesome!

It’s another song that doesn’t give me a lot to say, but it’s a nice, short song that is very replayable, with one of the catchiest choruses of any mainstream hit from this year!

#7 …

I know some might argue this shouldn’t be eligible considering it came out decades ago, but based on my rules it’s eligible, so here it is.

But before I reveal it … well, this may be a controversial opinion, but I’m not a huge fan of Christmas music. I’m not sure what it is, but something about it just doesn’t really make me want to listen to it that much. There are exceptions to that, but a lot of the Christmas classics just don’t do a whole lot for me. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” both are ineligible for this list, but even if they were eligible they wouldn’t be on it, nor would they be in the honourable mentions. If I’m being honest, I’m really tired of hearing those songs nonstop every year, mostly because I don’t think they’re all that good.

But if you want to know one of the Christmas classics that I do really like …

#7: “Last Christmas” by Wham!

First of all, I’m not sure which version is credited on Billboard’s list, the shorter version or the longer version … but I’m going with the longer version, even though the shorter version is probably more popular. I usually make these lists based on the album versions of songs. And honestly, I think I prefer the longer version, especially with the inclusion of the bridge!

But either way, this is one of my favourite Christmas songs … I mean, yeah, you could argue it’s cheesy, but I think that’s the point. Although I want to specify I’m only talking about the Wham! version of this song, not all the awful covers of it that I’ve heard over the years. And a big part of that is the production, with those glossy staccato synths that are the driving force of the song, with the super crisp percussion that gives the airy sound some stability to help support those awesome synths!

But there’s also George Michael’s vocal performance, which I think is excellent, especially with how fitting the vocal production is with the rest of the instruments, and the whispers fit really well, too!

And this is such a great sing-along song, too! It’s the second year in a row that a Christmas song has made my favourite hit songs of the year, and while I kind of doubt the same thing will happen next year, this year I gave this spot to a special song!

#6 …

“Last Christmas” isn’t necessarily a super happy song, but it still gives the feeling of holiday joy whenever it comes on … but as the seasons change and we move into Winter, with the coldness there’s also a metaphorically cold feeling in the air that I can’t quite describe. But while the changing of seasons may have helped this song click for me, I also can’t really deny that personal experiences were what really made me like this song … and I’m not sure what that says about me, but if you want to know what’s probably the hit song from this year that grew on me the most …

#6: “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift

If you read and remember my review of Midnights from last year, this pick will probably surprise you, because I didn’t like “Anti-Hero” at first. I didn’t dislike it, but I found the chorus kind of awkward, and it felt like a song that was trying too hard … and then I became an adult and realized I relate to this song more than I really wanted to admit to myself.

This song shows Taylor feeling disconnected from the rest of the world—at least that’s how I interpret it—and when you’re that famous, I’ve got to think it’s hard not to feel that way. I mean, I think we probably all struggle with that to some extent, and it’s hard not to be hard on yourself when the mistakes you’ve made linger in your head … and like Taylor says, it sure is exhausting.

There are so many great lines in this song, all of which relate back to that same mindset that she has in this song. Really, it feels like a self-pity anthem, and that’s because it probably is one, and it’s so hard to know when you’re really the problem and when you’re not.

And with so many great production choices and small details that feel so fitting for this song … while there are other songs from this year that evoke similar feelings for me but hit even harder—we’ll get to those in my list of my favourite songs of the year—this grew on me to the point where I think it’s my favourite song on the album, probably including the 3AM tracks! And while I do still consider Midnights to be one of the weaker Taylor Swift albums, this is an absolute gem! It’s a really great song that I’m glad ruled 2023!

#5 …

So, remember earlier on this list when I mentioned that “Boy’s a liar, Pt. 2” is one of the rare examples of a song where I prefer the remix? Well … believe it or not, there’s another one of those on this list!

#5: “Tomorrow 2” by GloRilla & Cardi B

First of all, “Tomorrow” by GloRilla is a total banger which is full of great lines, and despite the angry lyrics and the fact that I don’t think the song is really meant to be taken all that seriously, it does also have a positive message about looking at each day as a new day and not worrying too much about the past.

And that awesome piano melody sounds great behind that awesome trap beat that sounds just loud enough without overpowering the mix!

But then Cardi B shows up in the remix … and this is coming from someone who hasn’t liked most of the Cardi B songs that I’ve heard—I think Cardi B absolutely killed it here! Her guest verse is phenomenal!

Both rappers sound great with this production, and there are a lot of great lines, such as ‘They say they don’t fuck with me, but I say they can’t fuck with me.’ And I also love the line, ‘Cut everybody off, lately been feelin’ like the lumberjack’—I get how that line might seem corny/cheesy, but I think it fits for whatever reason.

There’s so much personality and energy brought to this track by both rappers, and this is an excellent rap banger that feels funny and kind of motivational at the same time, even though, once again, I think a lot of it isn’t meant seriously at all!

And after hearing this as well as Cardi B’s guest verse on “Put It On Da Floor Again” with Latto, a song that almost made the honourable mentions … I don’t know, I might be kind of curious to listen to more Cardi B music now. Either way, this song rules!

#4 …

Alright, so I’m going to give you a little bit of a spoiler for the top 3 right now … I’ve mentioned before that the only language I speak is English, and while I can end up liking music in other languages, it is often harder for me to get into, because even if I find translated lyrics online I don’t know how accurate the translations are, and it also just doesn’t usually connect for me as much emotionally because of the language barrier. But there’s once again another unintentional coincidence between this year and last year, just like with SZA being at #10. Because last year all of the songs in the top 10 were in English except for #4 which was in Spanish, and this year as well all the songs in the top 10 are in English with the exception of #4, which is, once again, in Spanish.

#4: “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” by Bizarrap & Shakira

So, as much as I do like the lyrics based on the translations I’ve seen online—it’s a breakup song and a female empowerment anthem that has some really good disses—again, it’s hard for me to like the lyrics as much as I should, and that’s because of the language barrier—and that’s a me thing, it’s nothing against the song.

But I can say I absolutely love how this song sounds! The instruments blend really well together in the production, and there are some really strong vocal melodies, too! And for what the song is doing lyrically, I think the music fits really well with the carefree attitude of the lyrics, and Shakira’s vocals are excellent!

It’s kind of a hard song for me to really say a lot about, but I think this is a total banger! Great stuff!

#3 …

Well, here’s yet another song that came out years ago but never made the year-end chart until 2023 … and after years of pretty much every music critic begging for this to be a single so it could blow up on the charts, it finally happened!

#3: “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift

I mean … what needs to be said at this point? It’s “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift! Whether or not you agree with this being on the list—and I’m guessing about 99% of people do agree—you’ve probably already heard so many people talk about how awesome it is! What can I add?

There’s the buzzing synths, the sort of clicking percussion that really helps with the groove that is the driving force of this song, as well as that kick drum which sounds pretty much perfect in the mix!

And I love how this song just explodes in the chorus with some of the best vocal production on all of Lover, which I think is a criminally underrated album!

I’m not going to pretend I find the lyrics super deep or anything, but the phrasing, rhymes, and cadences are timed super well, especially with so many great vocal melodies, and for a love song with such strong Summer vibes, the production fits incredibly well!

I know it’s a cliché pick for this list, but I try to be honest with these lists, and sometimes my honest answer is cliché. Because not only is this easily one of my favourite tracks on Lover … but it might just be one of my favourite Taylor Swift songs of her entire career! That’s high praise!

#2 …

I’m not quite sure what it is about this song that I find so magical … I mean, it doesn’t feel like the most perfect song here, but it’s just so nice and chill, with such a calming vibe to it … and sometimes that can be enough.

#2: “Watermelon Moonshine” by Lainey Wilson

A few years ago, Lainey Wilson had her big breakout hit, “Things a Man Oughta Know”, a song that I could never really get into. And then there was “Never Say Never” with Cole Swindell which was a hit last year, and which I also couldn’t really get into. And I also don’t really like neither “Heart Like A Truck” nor “wait in the truck” with HARDY. I still haven’t listened to a Lainey Wilson album, but most of the songs of hers that I know just haven’t done much for me at all.

But this song, which just barely made the year-end chart (landing at #100), is absolutely excellent! And I don’t even think there’s a whole lot to the song, but it does exactly what it needs to incredibly well!

It’s a song full of nostalgia for the past, with Lainey Wilson telling a story of being young and in love, and having her first drink, and knowing that while she thought the relationship would last forever and it didn’t, she still appreciates it as a memory.

And there’s nothing about the production that feels particularly exceptional, but it just feels so fitting for the song. When you put it all together, the melodies, the vocals, the lyrics, the instrumentation, and the production all just sound so excellent!

This is an absolutely phenomenal country song that I love! It’s not the most experimental song out there or anything … but for what it is, I think it’s amazingly well done, and only one hit song from 2023 managed to top it on this list.

#1 …

Like I said earlier, I have warmed up a lot to country music over the past few years. And my #1 pick is a country song from an album I reviewed earlier this year. And while I wasn’t super crazy about the album, my favourite song from it ended up on the year-end chart, and I think it has to be one of the best mainstream country songs in recent years …

#1: “I Remember Everything” by Zach Bryan (ft. Kacey Musgraves)

Some songs just hit in a different way so much that I have to wonder, ‘How did this even become a hit?’ And with this song that makes sense to wonder, because it doesn’t even sound like the kind of country music you’d expect to be huge in the mainstream.

But either way, in my opinion while Zach Bryan’s self-titled album from this year isn’t a great album—and I’ve heard much better country albums this year—it is a very good album, and this is such a phenomenal song! It’s got a somewhat similar vibe to it as “Something in the Orange”, which made my honourable mentions for last year … but as much as I do really like “Something in the Orange” and it would make my honourable mentions of that year even with a shorter list of them, it doesn’t hit nearly as hard as this track.

Both this and “Something in the Orange” seem to be about a failed relationship and constantly being reminded of it. They’re very similar in a lot of ways, but again, even as someone who really likes that song a lot, I just don’t feel the same listening to it, and it doesn’t have quite the same atmosphere, nor the amazing Kacey Musgraves feature.

The song starts off with a very sombre combination of guitar and strings, and it sounds absolutely beautiful. And Zach Bryan’s verse is incredibly emotional, with haunting vocal melodies and incredible vocals, and every lyric is important, as he’s describing trying to cope with this breakup but constantly being reminded of the relationship … and Kacey Musgraves’ verse is also phenomenal, and I interpret it to be the other side of the story … but there’s one detail I really want to mention that makes this song so much more powerful: Zach Bryan’s verse doesn’t frame either person as being in the wrong at all, whereas in Kacey Musgraves’ verse, the narrator seems to be implying that her ex has done some very bad things, with the line, ‘You’ll never be the man that you always swore’ … and yet in the second chorus, which is sung by Kacey Musgraves, not one word is changed from the first chorus. And to me, that implies that both the narrators feel the same longing for the past despite the differences between the two of them—one sees a failed relationship, and the other sees both a failed relationship and failed potential for the other person to be who she thought he’d be … and yet in some ways it haunts them both the same.

Of course this is all just my interpretation, but I think this is an incredibly emotional song with so many lyrical complexities and details that add so much! And it’s also amazingly well produced, and the mixing sounds fantastic, with the instrumentation being so effective despite being so simple … and both singers give some of the best vocal performances in any mainstream hit I’ve heard from this year! This is a goddamn phenomenal country song, and if you’re looking for a gateway into the genre, I think this is an excellent place to start! I’m amazed this became a hit, but I’m so happy it did! Because this fucking rules! 

As always, thanks for reading this post. I’ve got four more year-end lists to go, with the worst songs of the year being next up, and then the worst albums of the year … and then we get into the two lists I’m probably most excited about: The Top 50 Best Albums of 2023 and The Top 100 Best Songs of 2023!

I do also have at least one more mini review post coming up before I finish my year-end lists, and potentially some individual album reviews—although I’m not sure about the latter—but for now … once again, thanks for reading, and feel free to let me know your favourite hit songs of the year in the comments! And I’ll be back with more posts soon!