Among these gems, billy woods and Kenny Segal’s “Soft Landing” stood out, weaving a sonic tale with a lighter, mellow tone that cunningly transitioned into gut-punching lyrics. It’s a paradoxical journey, where the tranquility of the melody collides with the intensity of the narrative, leaving listeners immersed in a hauntingly beautiful experience that lingers long after the last note fades.

On the stadium-sized stage of 2023, Boygenius made a resounding impact with their single “Cool About It.” This musical triumvirate, composed of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, delivered a beautifully crafted song that explores the intricacies of love. The track is a poignant testament to their ability to transform personal narratives into universal ballads, filling arenas with the resonance of shared emotions. “Cool About It” not only showcased their individual talents but also solidified Boygenius as a force to be reckoned with in the evolving landscape of contemporary music.

Amidst the tidal wave of new hits that was 2023, Militarie Gun’s “Do It Faster” emerged as a sonic blitz, inviting listeners into a high-energy punk sound reminiscent of the iconic Ramones. This track wasn’t just a song; it was a headlong plunge into a whirlwind of relentless beats and electrifying guitar riffs. A musical adrenaline shot, “Do It Faster” became a cathartic release in a year filled with turbulence, proving that sometimes, the remedy for the soul lies in the raw power of sound.

As the final notes of 2023 reverberate, the singles of the year act as musical time capsules, capturing the essence of a transformative period in the industry. These tracks, each with its unique melody and narrative, have paved the way for an exciting future in music. Whether it’s the enchanting journey of “Soft Landing,” the soul-baring honesty of “Cool About It,” or the sonic blitz of “Do It Faster,” these singles are just a few that have etched their place in the collective musical memory, check out the rest below.

Northern Transmissions Best Songs of 2023 

Position 11-51

11. Bel – Are You Ok
12. Bully – Days Move Slow
13. Slowdive – Kisses
14. Lana Del Rey/ Father John Misty – Let The Light In
15. Faye Webster – But Not Kiss
16. bar italia – punkt
17. Jenny lewis – Psychos
18. billy woods/Kenny Segal – Soft Landing
19. Jungle – Back on 74
20. Sufjan Stevens – Shit Talk
21. King Krule – seaforth
22. M83 – Amnesia
23. Yves Tumor – Echolalia
24. Youth lagoon – Prizefighter
25. Water from Your Eyes – Barley
26. Feeble Little Horse – Steamroller
27. Young Fathers – I Saw
28. Yo La Tengo – Fallout
29. Samia – Honey
30. Shame – Fingers Of Steel
31. PJ Harvey – A Child’s Question, August
31. Arlo Parks – Devotion
32. UMO – Meshuggah
33. Slow Pulp – Slugs
34. Militairie Gun – Do it Faster
35. MJ Lenderman – Rudolph
36. Lankum – Newcastle
37. Jockstrap – Greatest Hits
38. Blondshell -Salad
39. Mandy, Idiana – Pinking Shears
40. The Last Dinner Party – Nothing Matters
41. Momma – Bang Bang
42. Debby Friday – So Hard To Tell
43. Deeper – Build A Bridge
44. Squid – The Blades
45. Jpeg Mafia and Danny Brown – Steppa Pig
46. MS Paint/Militaire Gun – Delete
47. The Armed – Everything’s Glitter
48. The Jesus and Mary Chain – Jamcod
49. Yard Act – Petroleum
50. IDLES – Dancer ft: LCD Soundsystem
51. Munya – Un Deux Trois

Northern Transmissions Top Ten Songs Of 2023

10. The National – Tropic Morning News

We should all think ourselves lucky The National didn’t call it a day when they hit that creative break wall. ‘First Two Pages of Frankenstein’ is an album of low-key brilliance, one that doesn’t immediately vie for your attention but will seduce you with its emotional subtlety. A delicate masterpiece.

9. Nation Of Language – Strange Disciple

Can there be any originality anymore or are we destined to hear just warmed over versions of the classics everyone has already heard? If it’s up to Nation Of Language then the future is in good hands. The Brooklyn based trio, Richard Devaney (lead vocals, guitar, synthesizer, percussion), Aidan Noell (synthesizer, backing vocals), and Alex MacKay (bass guitar), trade in the kind of neon nostalgia of their predecessors but there is nothing here that feels like simple imitation

8. Ratboys – It’s Alive

The Window sees Julia Steiner at her most personal, reflecting on love and grief with occasional humor and levity. She frequently leans on windows as a theme—the idea of an interrupted connection, the feeling of being near someone without being fully present—like on the pounding lead single, “It’s Alive!” Opening with Steiner’s honeyed vocals, “Outside my window the birds dance alone // I sit back and take it in // Like some sort of medicine,” it’s a bright and vivacious track that, in Steiner’s words, captures “the overarching feeling of the world spinning on beneath you while you’re stuck in one place.” In the video, directed by John TerEick, Ratboys play in an empty house, as its owners slowly start to move in.

7. Mitski – Bug Like An Angel

This is a really fascinating shift in Mitski’s output, one that already makes you even more intrigued to see where she’ll go next. What she has to say and how that will sound. The land and a lot of the people inhabiting it may be inhospitable, but it’s nice to have something – a walk out in nature, the company of loved ones, a good album – to present some kind of alternative existence.

6. Beach House – Holiday House

“The Become EP is a collection of 5 songs from the Once Twice Melody sessions. We didn’t think “Holiday House” fit in the world of OTM, but later realized they all fit in a little world of their own. To us, they are all kind of scuzzy and spacious, and live in the spirit realm. It’s not really where we are currently going, but it’s definitely somewhere we have been. We hope you enjoy these tunes,” Alex and Victoria/Beach House.

5. boygenius – Not Strong Enough

boygenius have released “Not Strong Enough,” a single from their debut album the record. “The song is about paradoxically experiencing self-hatred while having a God complex.” The accompanying video, which was self-shot by the band and edited by Jackson Bridgers, feels like a home video reel, offering a glimpse into their close bond as they spend a carefree day together.

4. Beach Fossils – Don’t Fade Away

“Don’t Fade Away,” is about missing old friends, being on tour, self-medicating, longing, anxiety, love, being an idiot, having fun, embracing your mistakes and keeping your spark.”

3. Thundercat and Tame Impala – “No More Lies”

“I’ve wanted to work with Kevin since the very first Tame Impala album,” shares Thundercat. “I feel that I knew that us working together would be special. I’ve been excited about this song for a long time and hope to create more with Kevin in the future.”

2. Caroline Polachek – Welcome To My Island

Desire, I Want To Turn Into You is Polocheks best collection thus far and that is saying a lot as her last release Pang is almost pure pop perfection. With this album, Polochek’s constant desire to dig deeper adds more depth to the songs than some of her precious work and it’s really revelatory stuff. Whatever your level of needs or desires are, listening to Polachek’s latest should satiate you, elate you and make you feel like at least one other person in the world understands.

1. Wednesday – Quarry

“Quarry,” of Wednesday’s Rat Saw God is an album about the circles of being and cooking in the same cauldron with your own inner demons, about the experienced traumas and about their regular attacks on conscience, about the confusion and speed of passing random memories and thoughts in the head and about how this whole nightmare can sound, transferred into the guitar effects, rumbling drums and exhaled vocals.

intro by David Saxum

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