Best Music 🎵 of 2023!

Hollywood said:
This AOTY list is out of order!
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(n)(n)(n) to their number 1 pick. I like the SZA album, but it's not a 2023 album, and it's not even a number 1 of either year album. Kind of a random list overall in terms of placement, but it hits all the big ones that are on basically on the other lists. billy woods being up high is nice, but I guess I'm one of the few who prefer Armand Hammer's album this year over that one.
 
Bennnnn said:
(n)(n)(n) to their number 1 pick. I like the SZA album, but it's not a 2023 album, and it's not even a number 1 of either year album. Kind of a random list overall in terms of placement, but it hits all the big ones that are on basically on the other lists. billy woods being up high is nice, but I guess I'm one of the few who prefer Armand Hammer's album this year over that one.
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someone on r/indieheads said it best. This is basically how P4K operates right now

 
Lee Newman said:
But a list by a big publication like pitchfork is put together by a board? I’m not sure I understand the criticism.
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The criticism is that the individual scoring data that albums recieve during the year doesn't match up with how the albums of the year list is ranked. Albums that recieve lower ratings are sometimes higher than others with higher ratings, and sometimes albums that are highly rated are missing from the list completely. The album rating might be something that the individual reviewer assigns when they review, and then the year end list is probably workshopped as a whole editorial team rather than just going off the scores alone. Since it's owned by Conde Nast now people think that the larger org wants them to include certain albums. I don't know if that last part is true, but P4K definitely doesn't take risks anymore with what they promote.
 
wokeupnew said:
The criticism is that the individual scoring data that albums recieve during the year doesn't match up with how the albums of the year list is ranked. Albums that recieve lower ratings are sometimes higher than others with higher ratings, and sometimes albums that are highly rated are missing from the list completely. The album rating might be something that the individual reviewer assigns when they review, and then the year end list is probably workshopped as a whole editorial team rather than just going off the scores alone. Since it's owned by Conde Nast now people think that the larger org wants them to include certain albums. I don't know if that last part is true, but P4K definitely doesn't take risks anymore with what they promote.
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I imagine that is just a side effect of their platform as much as it is Condé Nast. Same thing happened with Rolling Stone. I mean look at VMP, they were certainly took more risks 8 years ago compared to today. All a side effect of a larger audience/larger staff.

My understanding is that the reviewers as a whole come up with the score and an assignment is given for the review. I’ve read reviews that didn’t match the scores for years.

Of course they workshop the list, it is Pitchfork’s list not sally sue reviewer’s list.

It’s an asinine argument.
 
Lee Newman said:
I imagine that is just a side effect of their platform as much as it is Condé Nast. Same thing happened with Rolling Stone. I mean look at VMP, they were certainly took more risks 8 years ago compared to today. All a side effect of a larger audience/larger staff.

My understanding is that the reviewers as a whole come up with the score and an assignment is given for the review. I’ve read reviews that didn’t match the scores for years.

Of course they workshop the list, it is Pitchfork’s list not sally sue reviewer’s list.

It’s an asinine argument.
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It's not my argument 🤷‍♂️ just providing insight into what others think elsewhere about their list, why the list placement is super random, why people used to care about P4K and still do care. Plus, I think we both agree that the scores don't match because it's not each individual writers opinion, it's the publication's as a whole.
 
wokeupnew said:
It's not my argument 🤷‍♂️ just providing insight into what others think elsewhere about their list, why the list placement is super random, why people used to care about P4K and still do care. Plus, I think we both agree that the scores don't match because it's not each individual writers opinion, it's the publication's as a whole.
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I know it’s not. It’s just a dumb easily refuted argument that takes about 30 seconds of rational thought to explain.

People put a lot of effort into explaining why reviewer x or y is a bad reviewer.

All reviews are biased. You just need to understand the bias and make your own judgements about their statements based on your understanding of the bias.

Hell I very rarely agree with needle drop guy. However, he is entertaining so I watch him from time to time as a result.
 
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I'll say the same thing I say each year when these lists come out. I don't particularly care for the order of the records and what was or wasn't omitted in whoever's opinion. Lists are opinions of the publisher(s) and that's that. Just like I have my opinion.

Where I find utility in them is in discovering albums I may have missed or overlooked over the year. In that respect, my favorite lists are those that tread new grounds and don't just rehash the same indie/established artist albums that seem to be the flavor of the year on most lists. I've probably already seen those during the year and already have an opinion. I like lists that bring forward different albums. I might like them, I might not. But I respect those sites for going out on a limb (or maybe just digging harder for hidden gems). I might discover only two or three albums I like this way, but that's good in my book.
 
wokeupnew said:
The criticism is that the individual scoring data that albums recieve during the year doesn't match up with how the albums of the year list is ranked. Albums that recieve lower ratings are sometimes higher than others with higher ratings, and sometimes albums that are highly rated are missing from the list completely. The album rating might be something that the individual reviewer assigns when they review, and then the year end list is probably workshopped as a whole editorial team rather than just going off the scores alone. Since it's owned by Conde Nast now people think that the larger org wants them to include certain albums. I don't know if that last part is true, but P4K definitely doesn't take risks anymore with what they promote.
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Yeah, I remember when Pitchfork and; another publication I used to enjoy before the hedge fund bros destroyed it, The AV Club used to have actual staff writers instead of a bunch of freelance reviewers and the staff writers would all vote for their faves and after the AOTY lists were published they would then release the Staffs individual lists.

Rolling Stone has actually gotten better with their list back in the 90s early 00s, when I regularly read the magazine, their top 10 would be full of the latest albums by Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Etc… basically if you did coke with Jan Wenner in the late 70s and put out an album that given year you were guaranteed to top their year end list.
 
wokeupnew said:
At the end of the year I'll cull this a bit and just have a top 50 list. The top 15 feel like they can swap around in any sort of way except for the top 3 which I think are solid. This year has been good, but not great for albums compared to last year. Looking at my favorite albums from 2022, there are 6 or 7 that would easily top this list and be the best album from 2023, had they came out this year.


Updates in bold

* = own on LP


Best of 2023:
  1. The Lemon Twigs - Everything Harmony*
  2. Cut Worms - Cut Worms*
  3. Sigur Rós - Átta*
  4. Wild Nothing - Hold*
  5. Molly Burch - Daydreamer*
  6. The National - Laugh Track*
  7. Tennis - Pollen
  8. Sufjan Stevens - Javelin*
  9. Beirut - Hadsel*
  10. Bodywash - I Held The Shape While I Could*
  11. Beach Fossils - Bunny*
  12. The Tallest Man on Earth - Henry St.*
  13. Slowdive - Everything is Alive*
  14. Wednesday - Rat Saw God*
  15. Anna St. Louis - In The Air*
  16. Kacey Johansing - Year Away*
  17. Narrow Head - Moments of Clarity
  18. Hotline TNT - Cartwheel
  19. Cathedral Bells - Everything at Once
  20. Jess Williamson - Time Ain't Accidental*
  21. Julie Byrne - The Greater Wings*
  22. Eluvium - (Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality*
  23. The National - The First Two Pages of Frankenstien*
  24. Explosions in the Sky - End
  25. The Mountain Goats - Jenny From Thebes
  26. boygenius - the record*
  27. Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
  28. Slow Pulp - Yard
  29. The Muder Capital - Gigi's Recovery
  30. Jedu Heart - Derealised
  31. Bully - Lucky For You
  32. Tim Hecker - No Highs*
  33. Nation of Language - Strange Disciple
  34. White Reaper - Asking For A Ride
  35. Protomartyr - Formal Growth in the Desert*
  36. Pure Bathing Culture - Challice
  37. Ratboys - The Window
  38. Jenny Lewis - Joy'All*
  39. Sufjan Stevens - Reflections
  40. Belle and Sebastian - Late Developers
  41. Mitski - The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We
  42. Daughter - Stereo Mind Game*
  43. Youth Lagoon - Heaven Is a Junkyard
  44. Caroline Rose - The Art of Forgetting
  45. The New Pornographers - Continue As Guest
  46. Blur - The Ballad of Darren
  47. bdrmm - I Don't Know
  48. Trillion - So Soon Now
  49. Parannoul - After the Magic
  50. Speedy Ortiz - Rabbit Rabbit
  51. Black Belt Eagle Scout - The Land, The Water, The Sky
  52. Steady Holiday - Newfound Oxygen
  53. Black Country, New Road - Live at Bush Hall
  54. M. Ward - Supernatural Thing
  55. Yves Tumor - Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
  56. Shame - Food For Worms
  57. Italia 90 - Living Human Treasure
  58. Do Nothing - Snake Sideways
  59. Dream Wife - Social Lubrication
  60. CIVIC - Taken By Force
  61. Fucked Up - One Day
  62. M83 - Fantasy
  63. Vagabon - Sorry I Haven't Called
  64. Squid - O Monolith
  65. Andy Shauf - Norm
  66. The Men - New York City
  67. Swans - The Beggar
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Yeah this is my final list I think. I'll have to finally buy the new Tennis album on LP because I need to have all my top 10 on vinyl for my annual 'gram post.

* = own on LP

Best of 2023:
  1. The Lemon Twigs - Everything Harmony*
  2. Cut Worms - Cut Worms*
  3. Sigur Rós - Átta*
  4. Wild Nothing - Hold*
  5. The National - Laugh Track*
  6. Molly Burch - Daydreamer*
  7. Tennis - Pollen
  8. Beirut - Hadsel*
  9. Bodywash - I Held The Shape While I Could*
  10. Sufjan Stevens - Javelin*
  11. Beach Fossils - Bunny*
  12. The Tallest Man on Earth - Henry St.*
  13. Slowdive - Everything is Alive*
  14. Wednesday - Rat Saw God*
  15. Anna St. Louis - In The Air*
  16. Kacey Johansing - Year Away*
  17. Narrow Head - Moments of Clarity
  18. Hotline TNT - Cartwheel
  19. Cathedral Bells - Everything at Once
  20. Jess Williamson - Time Ain't Accidental*
  21. Julie Byrne - The Greater Wings*
  22. Eluvium - (Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality*
  23. The National - The First Two Pages of Frankenstien*
  24. Explosions in the Sky - End
  25. The Mountain Goats - Jenny From Thebes
  26. boygenius - the record*
  27. Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
  28. Slow Pulp - Yard
  29. The Muder Capital - Gigi's Recovery
  30. Jedu Heart - Derealised
  31. Bully - Lucky For You
  32. Tim Hecker - No Highs*
  33. Nation of Language - Strange Disciple
  34. White Reaper - Asking For A Ride
  35. Protomartyr - Formal Growth in the Desert*
  36. Pure Bathing Culture - Challice
  37. Ratboys - The Window
  38. Jenny Lewis - Joy'All*
  39. Sufjan Stevens - Reflections
  40. Belle and Sebastian - Late Developers
  41. Mitski - The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We
  42. Daughter - Stereo Mind Game*
  43. Youth Lagoon - Heaven Is a Junkyard
  44. Caroline Rose - The Art of Forgetting
  45. The New Pornographers - Continue As Guest
  46. Blur - The Ballad of Darren
  47. bdrmm - I Don't Know
  48. Trillion - So Soon Now
  49. Parannoul - After the Magic
  50. Speedy Ortiz - Rabbit Rabbit
 
wokeupnew said:
Yeah this is my final list I think. I'll have to finally buy the new Tennis album on LP because I need to have all my top 10 on vinyl for my annual 'gram post.

* = own on LP

Best of 2023:
  1. The Lemon Twigs - Everything Harmony*
  2. Cut Worms - Cut Worms*
  3. Sigur Rós - Átta*
  4. Wild Nothing - Hold*
  5. The National - Laugh Track*
  6. Molly Burch - Daydreamer*
  7. Tennis - Pollen
  8. Beirut - Hadsel*
  9. Bodywash - I Held The Shape While I Could*
  10. Sufjan Stevens - Javelin*
  11. Beach Fossils - Bunny*
  12. The Tallest Man on Earth - Henry St.*
  13. Slowdive - Everything is Alive*
  14. Wednesday - Rat Saw God*
  15. Anna St. Louis - In The Air*
  16. Kacey Johansing - Year Away*
  17. Narrow Head - Moments of Clarity
  18. Hotline TNT - Cartwheel
  19. Cathedral Bells - Everything at Once
  20. Jess Williamson - Time Ain't Accidental*
  21. Julie Byrne - The Greater Wings*
  22. Eluvium - (Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality*
  23. The National - The First Two Pages of Frankenstien*
  24. Explosions in the Sky - End
  25. The Mountain Goats - Jenny From Thebes
  26. boygenius - the record*
  27. Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
  28. Slow Pulp - Yard
  29. The Muder Capital - Gigi's Recovery
  30. Jedu Heart - Derealised
  31. Bully - Lucky For You
  32. Tim Hecker - No Highs*
  33. Nation of Language - Strange Disciple
  34. White Reaper - Asking For A Ride
  35. Protomartyr - Formal Growth in the Desert*
  36. Pure Bathing Culture - Challice
  37. Ratboys - The Window
  38. Jenny Lewis - Joy'All*
  39. Sufjan Stevens - Reflections
  40. Belle and Sebastian - Late Developers
  41. Mitski - The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We
  42. Daughter - Stereo Mind Game*
  43. Youth Lagoon - Heaven Is a Junkyard
  44. Caroline Rose - The Art of Forgetting
  45. The New Pornographers - Continue As Guest
  46. Blur - The Ballad of Darren
  47. bdrmm - I Don't Know
  48. Trillion - So Soon Now
  49. Parannoul - After the Magic
  50. Speedy Ortiz - Rabbit Rabbit
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Dont forget to add your rankings to the YEAR END MEGA THREAD 2023!!!
 
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