The best songs that dominated 2023.
Billboard’s 2023 Year End Hot 100 chart, ranked.
artwork by Sally North.
Billboard’s weekly Hot 100 chart tracks the most popular songs of any given week based on streaming, radio, and sales data. Naturally, the cumulative Year End Hot 100 reflects the biggest singles throughout an entire chart year. Importantly, that year is not January 1st to December 31st. Instead, this year’s chart tracked overall song consumption from November 19th, 2022 to October 21st, 2023. You’ll notice that this isn’t even a full 52-week year: only Billboard knows why. (I suppose they do need a chance to finalize the list in time for their final print issue of each calendar year.) Another important note: the chart is not exclusive to songs released in 2023, which has become especially important in recent years, as it accommodates older songs revived by TikTok trends or other media.
You can take a look at 2023’s Year End charts yourself, but I’m here to rank my ten favorites from this year’s most undeniable hits. Before we get to the best, though, we have to address the worst. Dishonorable mentions are due for the following five songs:
Jason Aldean, “Try That In a Small Town”
Jung Kook & Latto, “Seven”
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)”
Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
Taylor Swift & Ice Spice, “Karma (Remix)”
It’s impressive that someone as calculated as Swift managed to make the half-asleep “Karma” even worse by adding a comatose Ice Spice verse. And how in the world did “Last Night,” not much more than country radio bait entirely devoid of personality, spend four whole months atop the Hot 100? Yikes.
As for great songs that couldn’t make my list, the Barbie movie gave us Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?,” which soundtracks the film’s emotional climax. The track works surprisingly well within Barbie and on its own. I also have to shout out “CUFF IT” from Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE, a single that finally got promoted to radio in 2023. Queen Bey’s vocals are perfectly sensual and playful, and the disco-inspired instrumentation is tailor made for dance floors everywhere. Consider these two honorable mentions.
Without further ado, here are my top ten songs on Billboard’s 2023 Year End Hot 100 chart.
10. The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Die For You (Remix)”
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This Starboy re-release should remind you of the “Save Your Tears” remix. In both instances, Ariana Grande adds a verse and sings a cover of The Weeknd’s chorus, drifting in and out of her signature falsetto. Their vocal chemistry is clear as day. Neither song particularly needed Grande, but this pair works well enough together that nothing from the original is lost. A cash grab remix that doesn’t suck! I guess there is a first time for everything.
9. Olivia Rodrigo, “Vampire”
How do you follow up one of the biggest debut eras ever? Olivia Rodrigo answered the call on GUTS. Comeback single “Vampire” doubled down on what made Rodrigo easy to root for after SOUR: accessible lyrics that are oh-so-specific and earnest sung performances that straddle the lines between pop, punk, and rock. Rodrigo graduated from the Taylor Swift school of relatable songwriting, and she has a bright future.
8. Gunna, “fukumean”
“Eeyah!”
“QP-SKI!!”
An undeniable anthem that has turned into Gunna’s biggest solo song to date, “Fukumean” quickly found TikTok virality due to those inescapable background vocals. I didn’t even like this song on first listen: if you still don’t, you’ve gotta hear it at an outside function. With that said, I must admit this isn’t even the best track on A Gift & A Curse: the hype around “Fukumean” should’ve gone to the ultra-smooth “Rodeo Dr.” Still, the former is a standout on the album and shows that Gunna is here to stay.
7. Miguel, “Sure Thing”
Yes, “Sure Thing” came out in 2010. But you can thank TikTok for the revival of this wholesome love song. Many contemporary R&B acts—Brent Faiyaz, for example—have sold mainstream audiences on emotionally distant, “toxic” music. This Miguel single is reminiscent of a bygone era in R&B, when our most popular singers weren’t afraid to put their emotions (and vocals!) front and center. No one cries in the rain anymore!
6. RAYE & 070 Shake, “Escapism”
I’m not even sure what genre I’d classify “Escapism” into. Alt pop? Pop rap? Alt R&B? The only thing I do know is that this song is a certified banger. Drowning herself in unhealthy habits over a downright cinematic instrumental, RAYE attempts to flee from the throes of heartbreak with cathartic lines like: “You’re asking me my symptoms, doctor, I don’t wanna feel.” You, on the other hand, will most certainly feel this track.
5. Metro Boomin, “Superhero” (with Future & Chris Brown)
One of many incredible tracks on the instant trap classic HEROES & VILLAINS, “Superhero” sees Metro Boomin & Future paired precisely in their element. Haunting horns and unrelenting 808s give Future the perfect runway for his trademark braggadocio. Feel free to skip Chris Brown’s verse, though: it’s conveniently at the end of the song.
4. Drake & 21 Savage, “Rich Flex”
Drake’s discography post-Views is…not great. That said, “Rich Flex” was an immediate highlight on Her Loss, with 21 Savage bringing Drizzy some much needed energy. You get everything you can ask for on this blockbuster trap cut: a meme-inducing intro; a self-assured lead verse from 21 backed by an ominous instrumental; and headbanging flows from Drake after a beat switch. Drake asked if 21 could do something for him, and he delivered on “Rich Flex.”
3. Future, “WAIT FOR U” (feat. Drake & Tems)
Lifting vocal lines from the chorus of “Higher” by Tems for this moody I NEVER LIKED YOU single was pure genius. That angelic interpolation of the young Nigerian star is the backbone of “WAIT FOR U,” and Future and Drake are sure to not waste the atmosphere she creates. The prolific duo offers one brutally honest bar after another: “I got a career that takes my time away from women / I cannot convince you that I love you for a living.” Dare I say this is one of their best collabs ever?
2. Zach Bryan, “Something In The Orange”
2023 was a huge year for Zach Bryan. His self-titled record netted him his first #1 album as well as his first #1 song, “I Remember Everything.” But his best offering might still be 2022’s “Something in the Orange,” which logged an astounding 66 weeks on the Hot 100: its chart run bled deep into summer 2023. I appreciate its rare vulnerability, highlighted by these repeated lyrics: “To you, I’m just a man / To me, you’re all I am.” Play this at sunset and look to the sky: a tear might come to your eye.
1. SZA, “Snooze”
Another 2022 album cut that became a single the following year, “Snooze” was my favorite song on SZA’s blockbuster SOS after one listen. It still is. Always wearing her heart on her sleeve, “Snooze” shows the superstar songstress at her most affectionate with an unapologetic devotion to a partner. The result is one of the warmest songs on SOS. Plus, the track’s case was bolstered in September with an acoustic version featuring a fantastic guest verse from Justin Bieber. You shouldn’t snooze on SZA’s one-of-a-kind songwriting and delivery.
edited by Alexander Oder.
artwork by Sally North.
