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‘Perfect song for all the time’: Readers share their top songs of 2023
See who made the playlist.
This year was a big year for music. From dozens of new releases to concerts at many Boston venues, as well as the introduction of the “Fans First Act,” a recent bill intended to protect ticket buyers, the music industry made many headlines this year.
For many individual listeners, their year of music might’ve been summarized by one of many yearly music roundups, such as Spotify Wrapped or Apple Rewind.
For Spotify Wrapped specifically, the music streaming service shows users their top songs, artists and genres, as well as how many minutes they used the app — this year in particular, Spotify introduced “Sound Towns” where the city’s music taste matched the user’s (with two New England cities being particularly popular on social media).
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After Spotify Wrapped was released Nov. 29, we asked readers for their top song of 2023. Dozens of readers responded to our poll and on our social media platforms who shared their top songs.
One of the most popular artists, particularly on social media, was Taylor Swift, with readers naming some of her hit songs, such as “Cruel Summer” and “Anti-Hero,” as their top songs of 2023. Her 2019 album “Lover” was also a fan favorite among readers, with two songs from the album, “Daylight” and “Paper Rings,” joining the list.
A special shoutout goes to the Instagram user who named “Not Strong Enough” by boygenius as their top song of 2023 — it was my top song as well.
Readers also named songs from other immensely famous artists, such as reader Gwen G. from Nantucket, whose top song was “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” by the Rolling Stones, featuring Lady Gaga.
“The best rock and roll band in the world. The best there ever was and the best that will ever be,” Gwen G. said of the band.
Read below to see what some readers who responded had to say about their top songs of 2023. We also included a Spotify playlist of readers’ responses so you can see what others listened to this year. Songs that could not be found on Spotify were not included on the playlist.
Some responses have been lightly edited for length clarity.
“Frankie Please” by Rodney Crowell
“It’s not new but it slaps. Top artist: Charley Crockett.”
— Jay, Springfield
“Halloween” by Novo Amor
“I love this whole album. It’s not from this year (it’s from 2020) but I just discovered this song & album. Highly recommend.”
— Andrew A., Brighton
“Human” by Cody Johnson
“To be patient with the process of life and not rush into things.”
— Jay, West Roxbury
“New Rules” by Dua Lipa
“Ever since the very late timing that I discovered this song (Sept. 3) it instantly became my favorite and that clearly didn’t change. I played it roughly 18 times a day in September and October and in November still played it quite a lot. It was just a song that I could listen to so many times and it never got old and boring. ‘New Rules’ is such an amazing, perfect song for all the time. I knew right from the day I discovered ‘New Rules’ by Dua Lipa that it would be my 1st most streamed on my Spotify Wrapped.”
— Reader who identified as “Dua Lipa lover 4.0”
“Run” by Niki Darling
“Niki Darling is actually my niece, but that’s not why I chose the song. She wrote ‘Run’ during the pandemic and it resonates with so many people who are struggling, including our own family members. It’s a very catchy tune, but then you listen to the words. The subject matter is very important!”
— Gina, Brevard County, Fl.
“Sometimes” by MUNA
“It hits on all levels — 1. It’s a cover of an awesome Britney Spears song; 2. I love MUNA; 3. It’s featured in the movie ‘Fire Island,’ which is a retelling of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ written by and starring awesome comedian Joel Kim Booster.”
— Cat K., Malden
“Sometime After This” by Brian Dunne
“A song about the promises that we make to ourselves, but inevitably fail to follow up on. Combine it with a catchy tune? Not surprised it ended up as my top listen (even if it wasn’t even my favorite song on the album).”
— JL, Shrewsbury
“Sweet Sounds of Heaven” by The Rolling Stones (feat. Lady Gaga)
“The Rolling Stones — the best rock and roll band in the world. The best there ever was and the best that will ever be.”
— Gwen G., Nantucket
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