Tony's Top Hits and Albums of 2023 (Complete)

[blondini]

TONY'S TOP HITS AND ALBUMS OF 2023

HITS

Just missing out

78 Concrete Castles - Jealousy
77 Concrete Castles - Smile
76 Du Blonde - It's Christmas and I'm Crying

75 Taylor Swift (ft Ice Spice) - Karma YOUTUBE

I charted the superior album version at first but the actual single version means it ends up lower than it would have been.
This dilemma also affected Jessie Ware's Freak Me Now which made #1 as the album version but the remix with Roisin only made #11 and so it does not make this YE! (i know the album version is on the single but i don't want to chart it as just a lyric vid)

74 Jessie Murph ft Maren Morris - Texas YOUTUBE

Murph is an exciting new country crossover artist. I was surprised that other 'Mixers didn't love this, especially with that guest.

73 Maneskin - Honey (Are U Coming?) YOUTUBE


72 Jessie Ware - Hello Love YOUTUBE

She's been too busy doing TV shows to do a video for this!

71 Voyager - Promise YOUTUBE

The standout of a great Eurovision.

70 Baby Queen - Dream Girl YOUTUBE / YT (video edit removing dialogue)



69 First To Eleven - Over The Rainbow YOUTUBE

I discovered both this group and their original song incarnation Concrete Castles this year (more from them to come). This is the best of their rocked-up covers they release every week.

68 SebastiAn and London Grammar - Dancing By Night YOUTUBE


67 Jain - Night Heights YOUTUBE


66 Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer YOUTUBE

Another odd case. It is lower than it would have been 4 years ago.

65 The Beaches - Blame Brett YOUTUBE

Great Canadian guitar pop with attitude and a singer who looks like Britney! Should have been huge.

64 Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Breaking The Circle YOUTUBE


63 Olivia Jean - Trouble YOUTUBE

Her best yet - on Jack White's Third Man label. The other Olivia - Rodrigo - hasn't made my YEs but was good.

62 Chappell Roan - Red Wine Supernova YOUTUBE

Only peaked at #9 but had a few runs on chart!

61 Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club YOUTUBE

Only peaked at #8 but had a few runs on chart! Charted late as i discovered her late.

Tomorrow we'll commence the top 60 Albums as well as Hits...

[blondini]

ALBUMS

Just missing out
65 Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loveliest Time
64 Carr - The Carr Show
63 Slowdive - Everything's Alive
62 Angie McMahon - Light, Dark, Light Again
61 Everything But The Girl - Fuse

60 Agar Agar - Player Non Player SPOTIFY
59 The National - Laugh Track SPOTIFY
58 Kate Rusby - Light Years SPOTIFY
57 Foo Fighters - But Here We Are SPOTIFY
56 Moya Brennan - Nollaig Gaelach SPOTIFY
55 King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn Of Eternal Night: An Annihilation Of Planet Earth and The Beginning Of Merciless Damnation SPOTIFY
54 Goat - Medicine SPOTIFY
53 NF - Hope SPOTIFY
52 Ami Alex - Exile SPOTIFY
51 Various Artists - Barbie The Album (OST) SPOTIFY
I bought this on CD (mainly for Charli and Ryan).

HITS

60 Selena Gomez - Single Soon YOUTUBE


59 Furious Monkey House - Mesmerism YOUTUBE

First of several by hot young Spanish band.

58 Let's Eat Grandma - From The Morning YOUTUBE

Lovely Nick Drake cover.

57 Jain - Heads Up YOUTUBE


56 Holly Humberstone - Antichrist YOUTUBE


55 Kylie - Story YOUTUBE

Her only appearance - Padam Padam and Tension didn't quite make it.

54 Sarah Reeves - Wanna Be Here YOUTUBE

Lovely ballad about belonging. Reeves is a CCM artist and this was out when i returned to the church i'd left for ten years. For a short time, i did want to be there and with people there. But it didn't work out - i'm in a new church now.

53 Danielle Haim - Till We Meet Again YOUTUBE

A shame more people didn't love this. From the excellent Anne Frank related drama series A Small Light, a modern dreampop take on an old standard with production by Rostam and Este Haim.

52 Hannah Diamond - Perfect Picture YOUTUBE

With regular collaborator David Gamson (Scritti Politti) and joined by AG Cook (Charli XCX).

51 Allie X - Girl With No Face YOUTUBE

Dark and moody and with a rock fleck, this was her true classic of 2023, not Black Eye (which is good but misses the YE).

[greendemon]

Great to see some love for 'Blame Brett'; one of my favourite indie pop tunes of the year!

[blondini]

ALBUMS

50 Ludwig Goransson - Oppenheimer (OST) SPOTIFY
49 Snow Ghosts - The Fell SPOTIFY
48 VNV Nation - Electric Sun SPOTIFY
47 Anyma - Genesys SPOTIFY
46 Sarah Reeves - Best Days SPOTIFY
45 The Jordan - Nowhere Near The Sky SPOTIFY
FKA Caro Emerald.
44 Kim Petras - Feed The Beast SPOTIFY
43 Paramore - This Is Why SPOTIFY
42 Nightbirde - It's OK SPOTIFY
41 Echosmith - Echosmith SPOTIFY

HITS

50 Harp - A Fountain YOUTUBE

First of 2 celestial sounding folk / dreampop songs from Harp.

49 Foo Fighters - Show Me How YOUTUBE

It's a shame there's no promo video for this, just lyric vids. Violet Grohl shines on backing. Their best song and first top 50 placing since My Hero (98).

48 Jain - The Fool YOUTUBE

It was through Makeba (just missed the YE) blowing up this year that i came to her properly. This was the title track to her new album and really should have been pushed globally as well. The melody, the lyric are beautiful and poignant.

47 Obey Robots - Elephant YOUTUBE

Laura Kidd (Penfriend) and Rat from Ned's Atomic Dustbin. Biting guitar pop.

46 Furious Monkey House - No Lo Ves YOUTUBE

Roughly translated as Don't You See?

45 Sugababes - Today YOUTUBE

Technically i heard this The Lost Tapes cut very late in 2022 but did not mark it as a Hit until the New Year when fans started loving/charting it. No video, sadly though there are live clips available. Much better than their actual new 2023 single.

44 Katie Melua - Golden Record YOUTUBE

She still makes great mature pop that is not bland or generic.

43 Holly Humberstone - Lauren YOUTUBE

One of two lyric vids i chose of hers to chart. This one (like the earlier Scarlett) is about friendship.

42 Alex Winston - Hot One YOUTUBE

A hot one indeed! And the anti-Satan lyric was what i needed at the time.

41 Voyager - Runaway YOUTUBE

I got into all their old material and this song was the best - a stunning synth rocker that sounds like Bon Jovi meets Gary Numan! Sadly their 2023 album was a disappointment (my Spotify Wrapped has them as my most listened to act after i caught up with all their albums).

[blondini]

ALBUMS

40 Silver Moth - Black Bay SPOTIFY
39 Babaganouj - Jumbo Pets SPOTIFY
38 Ellie Goulding - Higher Than Heaven SPOTIFY
37 Queens Of The Stone Age - In Times New Roman... SPOTIFY
36 Jake Shears - Last Man Dancing SPOTIFY
35 Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Hana SPOTIFY
34 Riders Of The Canyon - Riders Of The Canyon SPOTIFY

HITS

40 Holly Humberstone - Girl YOUTUBE
[/SIZE]
The best thing she's done - sensual song about sapphic love.

39 Meg Myers - A New Society YOUTUBE


38 Chappell Roan - Femininomenon YOUTUBE / YT (fan lyric vid)


37 Jessie Ware - Begin Again YOUTUBE


36 Concrete Castles - Disappear (Like Magic) YOUTUBE

The best of the pop rockers' new singles this year.

35 Daughter - Be On Your Way YOUTUBE

Their best yet. A real slowburn Hit and full of poignant atmosphere.

34 Ellur - Free YOUTUBE

It was seeing her do this live in Middlesbrough that finally got this a #4 peak after an original #9.

[blondini]

ALBUMS

33 Kim Petras - Problematique SPOTIFY
32 Conquer Divide - Slow Burn SPOTIFY[/SIZE]
All female alt-metal.
31 Samia - Honey SPOTIFY
Indie-pop with a band named after the singer.
30 Rebecca Black - Let Her Burn SPOTIFY
29 Avalon Emerson and The Charm - And The Charm SPOTIFY
Great quirky pop.
28 Kylie - Tension SPOTIFY
27 Jesus Culture - Why Not Right Now? (live) SPOTIFY

HITS

33 Another Sky - Aimee Caught A Moth YOUTUBE

Best yet from emotive indie band (they are listed as progressive rock but i wouldn't call them that) with the stunning deep voice of Catrin Vincent.

32 Charli XCX - Speed Drive YOUTUBE

This surprised everyone by becoming a big hit off the Barbie film. With clear use of Toni Basil's Mickey and Robyn / Tedddybears' Cobrastyle, it's a short sharp blast of nonsense-pop!

31 Ryan Gosling - I'm Just Ken YOUTUBE

...and this was possibly THE surprise song of the year! Evoking 80s power ballads and doing what the film does so well. Sends up and delivers true emotion at the same time. All the Kens around the world shouted "I'm Kenough!" in unison!

30 Riders Of The Canyon - Master Of My Lonely Time YOUTUBE

Joana Serrat's collective. Dreampop Americana for those who like The War On Drugs and similar. I did have to master my lonely time for the period this first came out. You get used to it and then things come to you.

29 Silver Moth - The Eternal YOUTUBE

The actual released version is longer than the video but i love the vid. The band features Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite and his wife Elisabeth Elektra.

28 Mckenna Grace - Casual Kisser YOUTUBE

I was annoyed that nobody on UKMix loved this apart from me. There is so much more to her than animated movies and Ghostbusters. This is mature Americana / dreampop like Lana Del Rey but much better (those last seven words just appear on my charts all the time!).

27 Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Layla YOUTUBE

This group are critics' faves and i came to this a bit late when it was a song on one of Uncut magazine's free CDs. Nothing to do with Clapton, the kind of thing rock radio would have loved in the 70s though. It does sound a bit Steely Dan.

[blondini]

ALBUMS

26 Katie Melua - Love and Money SPOTIFY
25 Daughter - Stereo Mind Game SPOTIFY
24 Tennis - Pollen SPOTIFY
23 Romy - Mid Air SPOTIFY
22 Lankum - False Lankum SPOTIFY
21 Øxn - Cyrm SPOTIFY
Everyone (critics and music fans in the know) is raving about False Lankum being one of the albums of the year but slipping under the radar and only getting my attention at the last minute was the Lankum spin-off group Øxn with the similar doom folk sound of Cyrm (pronounced Sy-rum).

HITS

26 Ella Vos - Mindreader YOUTUBE

I discovered this alt-popper early in 23 and this dance-pop track is a stunner. Her previous album is brilliant but the new album this came from turned out to be a disappointment. As my YE Albums chart only includes 2023 releases she does not make that cut.

25 Kiana Lede - Deeper YOUTUBE

This basically sounds like Rihanna at her sexiest - guitar-based r and b like Ri's Kiss It Better and with visuals to match.

24 Caroline Polachek - Smoke YOUTUBE

Not as great/complex as Welcome To My Island, this is a brill pop song.

23 Furious Monkey House - Echoes YOUTUBE

One of their older singles - and you can see how well they are named from this. Teenagers thrashing it out.

22 Concrete Castles - Thrill YOUTUBE

An early song by CC - more on the pop side. If you like Against The Current (coming up...) or Paramore.

21 Harp - Throne Of Amber YOUTUBE

The standout single. Folk music that has the sounds of early 80s goth and dreampop (Cocteau Twins / The Cure).

[blondini]

ALBUMS

20 Jain - The Fool SPOTIFY

19 Maneskin - Rush! SPOTIFY

18 Brooke Ligertwood - Eight SPOTIFY

17 Brad - In The Moment That You're Born SPOTIFY

Final album from the band of Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard and the late Shawn Smith.

16 Meg Myers - Tzia SPOTIFY

It's not perfect but her new direction grew on me.

HITS

20 Cory Asbury - Reckless Love YOUTUBE

I dismissed this Bethel Music clip 6 years ago but came to it again when our church (the one i joined in the summer) played this in practice. At that time, the band didn't have a keyboardist but i was surprised at how easy it was to follow on the conga drum (i've been sitting in and learning). The keyboard is actually what lifts the song from good to great. It is similar to fellow Americana CCM artist John Mark McMillan. It even caused a bit of a stir among conservative Christians for daring to suggest God does anything recklessly. Our church band cut it out of the final service in the end but i'm sure it will get an airing!

19 Venus - Borrowed Breath YOUTUBE

Sophie Durdant-Hollamby is a singer songwriter who built a following on YouTube and Twitch. This lovely pop ballad reminds of Phildel or Kate Bush.

18 Rebecca Black - Sick To My Stomach YOUTUBE

Her maturity as an artist was fulfilled with this Janet Jackson esque urban pop number.

17 Brooke Ligertwood - Fear Of God YOUTUBE

Musically a stunning blues rock inspired track that calls to mind Johnny Cash's God's Gonna Cut You Down or The Blind Boys Of Alabama's hard gospel (or a much better take on what Rag'n'Bone Man did). The pounding drums are what make the song. It should be used on a Peaky Blinders type TV drama. This came out just at the point when my comeback at my old church was coming to a shuddering stop after being persuaded to return after a ten year break. That didn't work out and i joined a better, more inclusive and more personal (because it's smaller) church straight away. This is the best thing Brooke has done since the immortal Hosanna. Now it would be quite tricky for our little band to replicate the sound of this but i'd be willing to help try! I've been "drumming" it at home (no kit but i have borrowed sticks to practice on)!

16 Hannah Diamond - Affirmations YOUTUBE

One of Hannah and David Gamson's best. Believe in yourself! (this is a big theme of songs in my top 20)

[blondini]

ALBUMS

15 Concrete Castles - Brand New Me SPOTIFY

14 Art School Girlfriend - Soft Landing SPOTIFY
Polly Mackey's emotive indie dance music was far more impressive overall than the EBTG album (#61) that everyone fawned over.

13 Sleaford Mods - UK Grim SPOTIFY

12 Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want To Turn Into You SPOTIFY

11 Hannah Diamond - Perfect Picture SPOTIFY

HITS

15 Allison Ponthier - Character Development YOUTUBE

Still waiting for an album! Just a great song with a great video.

14 VNV Nation - Before The Rain YOUTUBE

Great track by industrial veteran.

13 Ellur - The Woman YOUTUBE

A ballad about what it is to be female. Has some guts to it.

12 Chappell Roan - Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl YOUTUBE

Her best. Katy Perry could never and has never done pop as good as this (apart from Unconditional and a few others album tracks).

11 Jessie Ware - Pearls YOUTUBE

Only got to #2 but it's another Jessie classic.

[blondini]

ALBUMS

10 Obey Robots - One In A Thousand SPOTIFY

9 Harp - Albion SPOTIFY
Harp is the project of former Midlake vocalist Tim Smith. It is inspired by eighties goth and alternative music and so it is ethereal, dark folk infused with The Cure, Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, All About Eve etc. This came late in the year and surprised me. The CD and vinyl are both sold out so hopefully they'll be repressed.

8 Gracie Abrams - Good Riddance SPOTIFY
The daughter of filmmaker/producer JJ Abrams has made an entire album with The National's Aaron Dessner (her second such release after This Is What It Feels Like in 21). Also featuring Bryce and Bryan from the band, this far outstrips their other album Laugh Track (#59). It also made a brief but high appearance on the UK albums chart. Gorgeous aching vocals and a lot of introspective musing.

7 Baby Queen - Quarter Life Crisis SPOTIFY
More woe-is-me! But with bounce! This was her proper debut after a mini-album and mixtape and she finally delivered. The set also had a second disc of songs featured in the hit series Heartstopper (along with a limited edition HS artwork CD that i bought). This set was almost a Best Of and ensured an avalanche of returning Hits on my chart.

6 Furious Monkey House - Oneiric SPOTIFY
I wish i had this on CD but it's still not available on that format (and there's only limited vinyl!). Spanish teens turned 20somethings with vibrant indie pop.

HITS

10 Alison Goldfrapp - In Electric Blue YOUTUBE

Her album was great but was not well served by the singles, apart from this. A gorgeous pop song that Kylie could have done.

9 Sarah Reeves - Christmas Feels Different This Year YOUTUBE

Making sure i got this in before Epiphany! Reeves is usually a CCM singer but this is from an extended edition of Christmas songs - an original done in a classic style. Written after her divorce and lamenting the person you love(d) no longer being there. I've not checked but i think this is the biggest Christmas themed Hit i've ever charted. 5 weeks at the top (in October and December) and 10 weeks on chart is very unusual for such a song.

8 Ellur - Anywhere YOUTUBE

Co-written with Kieran Shudall from Circa Waves, this is an anthemic driving song about blissful, reckless love (that again!). It evokes Fleetwood Mac actually (she probably subconsciously did so - Everywhere/Anywhere). The video has her running around to find her (real life) love.

7 Gracie Abrams - Unsteady YOUTUBE

Musically: her voice! Personal: You know when your brain plays tricks on you and you feel like you can't cope with crowds? Your self confidence goes through the floor and you hide in the toilet where no-one can see you? When you feel like you've messed up yet again and everything is your fault? I do and so do other people i met this year...

6 CamelPhat and Mathame - Believe YOUTUBE

Music: a stunning hard trance track (i think that's right?) of the kind that would have made the UK charts 30 years ago. Sadly the streaming masses go for dance music that's very basic (Tiesto doesn't even do trance now). I found this a year late on somebody-i-met's playlist. Although it was a new track on the then upcoming album by Italian duo Mathame (not on CamelPhat's, weirdly). Personal: this person along with several others changed my life this year and i was opened up to so many different people each dealing with their own mental health issues. It was an honour and a privilege to know them and learn from them and by extension learn about myself. We were all searching for that thing or things to believe in, including belief in yourself. "One day i'll believe it..." goes the lyric and it fits us perfectly. I'm not sure if i'll ever have 100% belief in me or God or other people but that doesn't mean you stop trying. But how do you convince someone life will be good to them when their brain tells them lies? You remind them how they survived! They survived the unimaginable. They are a true inspiration and they and the other "super heroes" collectively made sure my 2023 was unforgettable.

Phew!

[blondini]

ALBUMS

5 The National - First Two Pages Of Frankenstein SPOTIFY
Their first true classic. I own all the top 5 on CD...

4 Holly Humberstone - Paint My Bedroom Black SPOTIFY
Bedroom pop perfected.

3 Chappell Roan - The Rise and Fall Of A Midwest Princess SPOTIFY
New artist of the year! By the time the album came out, it was virtually a Best Of. And she joins Holly in the top 4 with another set of lesbian pop - of a more camp hue. And the sapphic nature doesn't stop there...

2 Alison Goldfrapp - The Love Invention SPOTIFY
This surprised as the pre-album singles were good but not exceptional. In the context of the album they are bangers and this solo release is her best output in years. Didn't need the remix package, though.

1 Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good! SPOTIFY
Honestly, i was struggling with the top 4 this year and there's not much between them. Jessie only made it by a sliver. The album is too short and not as great as What's Your Pleasure? but it still delivers great modern disco and urban pop in spades.

HITS

5 Tennis - Let's Make A Mistake Tonight YOUTUBE

Lush lounge disco yacht rock.

4 The National ft Taylor Swift - The Alcott YOUTUBE

Even better than Coney Island, this is a great song of regret and their harmonies are wonderful. I was stunned that the (other) Swifties largely weren't bothered about it (#90 UK??).

3 The Birthday Massacre - Precious Hearts YOUTUBE

More of the same synth rock. Their first video for a while.

2 Against The Current - Silent Stranger YOUTUBE

Music: their strongest for a while, soaring raging pop rock. Lyrically it's not new ground (see Strangers Again) but hey! Personal: this came out during a short time when i felt quite fragile. There's been a few times this year when i was made to feel like and people i knew came across like silent strangers. Facebook always glitching and people missing what you say does not help! But when you feel like a stranger to both your old church and members of your extended family it's not great. And there's your brain torturing you again ("voices" of the lyric can be literal or metaphorical).

1 Furious Monkey House - Staying In The Sun YOUTUBE

I think it was always going to be this! Even when other Hits spent more than 2 weeks at the top! Found this on Hep's chart and it's just brilliant energetic indie pop. They clearly have fun filming the vid and there's a Blondie t-shirt! Chappell is new artist of the year, this lot are new band of the year.

Thank you for following this thread and here's to another great year!