The AllMusic 2023

Year
In
Review

Every year some under-informed person claims that "Rock Is Dead" but 2023 was a particularly strong year for rockers, including brash heartfelt anthems from Low Cut Connie, Paramore, and The Armed (pictured), long-awaited comebacks from The Hives and Blur, and strong releases old familiar faces like Iggy Pop, The Pretenders, and The Rolling Stones.

Mommy

Be Your Own Pet

Mommy

The Nashville band's first album in 15 years skewers sexism and right-wing politics with strutting garage rock.

The Ballad of Darren

Blur

The Ballad of Darren

An unexpected, understated Blur reunion album colored by hints of loungey melancholy and middle-aged regret.

Walk Around the Moon

Dave Matthews / Dave Matthews Band

Walk Around the Moon

The veteran jam band matures in a weighty, weathered way on this unusually satisfying album.

Memento Mori

Depeche Mode

Memento Mori

Rocked by a pandemic and a founding member's death, the now-duo forge ahead with one of their most heartfelt and engaging albums yet.

Social Lubrication

Dream Wife

Social Lubrication

The trio's third album balances fiery takedowns of injustice and indifference with sweetly scuzzy love songs that pack an equal punch.

Lighthouse

Duff McKagan

Lighthouse

The ex-Guns N' Roses bassist continues his run of solidly composed, surprisingly deep solo material that ranges from tender Americana to narrative, socially conscious punk.

But Here We Are

Foo Fighters

But Here We Are

Dave Grohl processes the loss of bandmate Taylor Hawkins on this cathartic album.

One Day

Fucked Up

One Day

Working within a self-imposed 24-hour deadline, the Canadian art-punks streamline their sound without losing their power or smarts.

Every Loser

Iggy Pop

Every Loser

At the age of 75, the World's Forgotten Boy makes a tough rock & roll album that's angry, opinionated, and full of joyous life.

Weathervanes

Jason Isbell / Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

Weathervanes

The talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist adds producer to his list of duties on a superb, emotionally powerful album.

HELLMODE

Jeff Rosenstock

HELLMODE

The prolific and thoughtful pop-punk hero speaks his mind and boosts his production values on one of his best works to date.

Art Dealers

Low Cut Connie

Art Dealers

A powerful understated statement of political solidarity that also rocks hard.

Sticks and Stones

Lukas Nelson / Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real

Sticks and Stones

The shaggy Americana rockers get loose and earthy on this funny, freewheeling album.

The Valley of Vision

Manchester Orchestra

The Valley of Vision

A deeply textural and cathartic EP from the Atlanta band.

Formentera II

Metric

Formentera II

The group dive back into the gloom of the previous album with the same bruised tenderness and desperation, this time occasionally letting in some sunshine.

Rush!

Måneskin

Rush!

Italy's flamboyant Eurovision rockers deliver their third album and international debut.

Council Skies

Noel Gallagher / Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Council Skies

The former Oasis leader demonstrates some subtle new tricks on this unusually satisfying album.

This Is Why

Paramore

This Is Why

An artfully raw post-punk vibe and candidly straightforward lyrics mark the Nashville group's sixth album.

i/o [Bright-Side Mix/Dark-Side Mix/In-Side Mix]

Peter Gabriel

i/o [Bright-Side Mix/Dark-Side Mix/In-Side Mix]

The art rocker returns with his first album of original material in 20 years: a probing collection filled with empathetic new beginnings.

Zig

Poppy

Zig

Fifth LP from the genre-defying game changer balances sonic aggression with lyrical vulnerability.

Relentless

Pretenders

Relentless

Another potent, though more varied late-career highlight from Chrissie Hynde and her collaborators.

Formal Growth in the Desert

Protomartyr

Formal Growth in the Desert

Detroit's most brilliant malcontents go marching on, musically and editorially, on their excellent sixth album.

Evergreen

PVRIS

Evergreen

Vibrant, focused fourth set from the alt-rock hybrid project helmed by Lyndsey Gunnulfsen.

In Times New Roman...

Queens of the Stone Age

In Times New Roman...

QOTSA strip down to their essence, sometimes sounding vulnerable underneath their roar.

Desire Pathway

Screaming Females

Desire Pathway

A smart, impactful breakup album from a band who mix hard rock chops with punk rock honesty and sense of purpose.

Our Best Place

Shonen Knife

Our Best Place

Into their fifth decade, the Japanese trio sound as happily hooky as ever as they tackle punky pop and poppy punk with joyous abandon.

The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte

Sparks

The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte

The venerable duo continue their 2020s winning streak with songs that combine cinematic flair and witty historical perspectives.

Nothing Lasts Forever

Teenage Fanclub

Nothing Lasts Forever

The Scottish group's 12th album is a poetic rumination on the passing of time and the eternal promise of love.

Hagata

Teke::Teke

Hagata

The Montreal-based ensemble makes more memorable discoveries in their second fusion of Japanese and North American influences.

Perfect Saviors

The Armed

Perfect Saviors

A near-perfect distillation of the Detroit art-punk collective's maximalist pop that swaps discord for fist-pumping arena rock.

Migrant Returned

The Dear Hunter

Migrant Returned

A reimagined version of the band's 2013 LP that features re-recorded tracks in rearranged order.

The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons

The Hives

The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons

The Swedish garage-punks return from a lengthy hiatus with a concentrated dose of their brash, snarky rock.

The Price of Progress

The Hold Steady

The Price of Progress

Ten stories of lives in flux, set to emphatic, heartfelt music from a band at the top of their game.

God Games

The Kills

God Games

Combining apocalyptic love songs and pleas for salvation with dub, disco, and plenty of guitars, the duo delivers some of their most exciting music.

Hackney Diamonds

The Rolling Stones

Hackney Diamonds

After a nearly two-decade wait, the Rolling Stones return with a clean, efficient old-fashioned rock & roll album.

MTV Unplugged

Twenty One Pilots

MTV Unplugged

This live recording of the duo's MTV Unplugged session breathes new life into their biggest singles.

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Be Your Own Pet