With our recent countdown of Albumism’s overall 50 Best Albums of 2023 complete, it’s now time to celebrate the wonderful records that our writers have deemed their personal favorites of the year. Even the most cursory scan of our staff’s selections below reveals just how unique and varied our musical tastes are, which certainly shines through all of our articles throughout the year.

Check out our personal picks and let us know what your favorite albums of 2023 are in the comments below!

#1 | Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds | Council Skies

Nearly thirty years on from the arrival of Oasis’ landmark debut album Definitely Maybe (1994), fourteen years since the band officially called it a day in 2009, and four albums into his creative reincarnation under the High Flying Birds group moniker, the elder Gallagher brother has conjured yet another musical triumph in the form of Council Skies.

Equal parts wistful and world-weary, the thematic thrust of the LP’s ten foundational compositions is rooted in navigating life’s vicissitudes and embracing the lessons inherited through experience. All of Noel Gallagher’s signature strengths are illuminated here—evocative lyrics, soaring vocals, absorbing choruses, and of course, meticulously orchestrated melodies. From the first note to the last, Council Skies presents the consummate songwriter doggedly refusing to rest upon his artistic laurels and continuing to propel his ever-sterling songcraft forward.

“It’s uplifting in the right places, and it’s melancholy in the right places,” Gallagher explains to SPIN. “I think it’s quite an honest record.” True indeed, and I, for one, honestly love it.

#1 | Janelle Monáe | The Age of Pleasure

Since its cleverly chosen 6/9 release date, I suspected Janelle Monáe’s aimed-below-the-waist The Age of Pleasure would be my #1 album of 2023. And what do you know? I was right. Beyond the initial listens to this sexually inclusive thumper, the island-style thrill ride has continued to elicit spontaneous dance parties. It’s as if it soaked up the summer and can wring it out at will in these days that have spent their daylight savings.

Among other things, Monae’s national Age of Pleasure tour offered opportunities to stretch out the experience of “ Black Sugar Beach,” “Phenomenal,” “Haute,” “Know Better,” and “Paid in Pleasure” that flash by quickly in their studio presentations.

Previously, I heaped praise on projects from Beyonce, Lucky Daye, Robert Glasper, Jacob Collier and Jazmine Sullivan—all won GRAMMY awards. So I’d like to believe I have some kind of Midas touch. Monáe is up for Album of the Year and Best Progressive R&B Album. She is deserving, and I hope I’m right about that too.

#1 | Corinne Bailey Rae | Black Rainbows

My favorite album of the year could quite easily have been Meshell Ndegeocello’s amazing album for Blue Note, but there was something so gloriously unexpected about the twists and turns on Corinne Bailey Rae’s glorious Black Rainbows. It covers enormous ground over its 10 tracks and 45 minutes. From the house inspired “Put It Down” to the delicate beauty of “Peach Velvet Sky” via the crunching punky rock of “New York Transit,” she dazzles and bewilders at every turn.

Inspired by the Stoney Island Arts Bank on the south side of Chicago, she unfurls a panoply of reflections on Black Life, culminating in the split personality of “He Will Follow You With His Eyes” that begins with swooning demure femininity before a moment of realization brings about a vehement assertion of Black beauty—all in less than 4 minutes.

Black Rainbows is grand in scope and ambition, and it realizes them all admirably, accompanied by her angelic voice, powerful lyrics and melodic prowess. A journey that promises much and delivers with aplomb.

#1 | El Michels Affair & Black Thought | Glorious Game

The early lockdown days of the pandemic may have been a slog, but time has established that it led to some great music. Glorious Game, a collaborative project between Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Leon Michels a.k.a. El Michels Affair, had its genesis while the world was sheltering in place. As restrictions eased, the pair recorded in the studio together, leading to Glorious Game.

Even though he’s on the other side of 50 and already arguably the GOAT emcee, Black Thought continues to find ways to get even better as an artist. He has never shied away from capturing the pain, despair, and violence that can run through the streets of South Philly, but on Glorious Game, he’s become an even stronger street reporter, creating vivid scenes within the confines of each song.

Glorious Game may be Black Thought’s most intimate and personal project. He spends a lot of time considering his upbringing in South Philly and reflecting on the highs and lows that shaped his life. He says a lot in a limited amount of time, his approach to the subject matter making the undertaking sound epic.

#1 | Jungle | Volcano

From the first listen, Jungle's Volcano took me on a sonic journey with its retro-future blend of soul and dance. It captivates, eases, and transports you, instantly lifting spirits and moving feet. If you haven't delved beyond TikTok sensation "Back on 74," I strongly encourage you to tune in and let Volcano erupt around you.

#1 | Noname | Sundial

It’s been an intense year, full of the usual abuses of power, and the only album that addresses it with clear eyes and a full throat is Noname’s Sundial. Despite the searing truths, Noname’s melodic voice and wry sense of humor make Sundial a fun, light listen, just one with a lot of depth. She shies away from being the voice of reason by creating fun party tracks with sly jokes and self-deprecation. She embraces her inconsistency and messiness in tracks like “Namesake” and “Beauty Supply,” but doesn’t let it steal her power, demonstrating a level of self-understanding we should all aspire to.

#1 | The National | Laugh Track

It was unthinkable really, but a few months ago, I found myself deliberating whether I'd catch The National's first San Francisco appearance since 2019. An avid fan for nearly 20 years, I've seen the Cincinnati-bred quintet some 50 times, often successively and always insatiably. My swelling passion growing ever-grandiose, not unlike the band's supernova swell following Boxer (2007).

Mesmerizing in myriad ways since inception, and consistently delivering from day one, The National could do no wrong. For eight straight albums, I was spellbound, wholly captivated by their seemingly effortless instrumentation and addictively offbeat lyrics, not to mention singer Matt Berninger's chardonnay-charmed delivery.

But out trudged Berninger's solo debut in October 2020, and its bland adult rock vibe led me to wonder. The spate of collaborations with Taylor Swift only added might to this unwanted spite. Was my band now traveling a more commercial path? Where once roughed whimsy and grit now oozed innocuousness—or so it seemed.

The National's first release of the year, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, offered a few standout tracks frustratingly tempered by almost as many cringeworthy moments. But then ambled Laugh Track, the band's tenth studio LP. Boasting brilliance all the way through (see "Turn Off the House," "Space Invader," and "Coat on a Hook" for shining examples), the surprise release is a beautiful return to form. It made me realize I was crazy to ever doubt. And so I went to the show in November, had the best time, and won't ever look back. Yes, truly perish the thought.

#1 | Beverly Glenn-Copeland | The Ones Ahead

I first heard singer, songwriter and composer Beverly Glenn-Copeland on the title track to Romy’s debut solo album Mid Air. His regal, parental and longing vocal on that track (and also sampled on Mid Air’s “Enjoy Your Life”) thankfully led me to Glenn-Copeland's new album The Ones Ahead.

Painted with brush strokes of theatrical West African percussion, nimble jazz, vulnerable piano balladry and a few gospel flourishes, the songs on The Ones Ahead feel divinely generated. A cosmic pulse throughout the album highlights our modern societal and ecological anxieties—while presenting love and interconnectedness as crucial tools to help us avert impending disaster.

Glenn-Copeland delivers these hefty themes with an oracular and gracious vocal flair—simultaneously grand and gentle. It’s the voice of “home”—egoless and emboldened with empathy, experience…and acceptance that life is finite.

The entire album is a gift. Open it.

#1 | Terrace Martin & Alex Isley | I Left My Heart in Ladera

2023 was a year of relief in many ways. As the first full year without most COVID restrictions, many people returned to full work schedules. Full work requires a nice vacation, and that’s what Terrace Martin and Alex Isley provided us with I Left My Heart in Ladera. The smooth and sultry LP provides a break from the musical norm, for a relaxing getaway. Renowned producer and musician Martin leads us on this musical journey, with vocal assistance from Alex Isley, and GRAMMY award-winning Robert Glasper who drops in to add pedigree to the album for the title song. Perhaps more than any project in any other genre, Ladera offers promise for R&B/ Soul, that if the artistry veers from the normal routine, we’ll all see brighter days moving forward.

#1 | Wednesday | Rat Saw God

Combining twangy alt-country, fuzzy indie rock, and dissolving walls of shoegaze, Wednesday’s Rat Saw God captures the melancholy of tepid bathwater, the hyperactivity of a round of Mortal Kombat on New Year’s Eve, and the metal-squeal of taking weird drugs with your friends.

From the Superchunk-reminiscent “Hot Rotten Grass Smell” to the lap steel-studded “Chosen To Deserve” to the sublime noise-fest “Bull Believer” to the road-trip ode “Bath County,” Rat Saw God will make you want to sip neon Fanta, roll down the windows, and let the wind whip your hair through a surreally cool and buzzingly electric rural South.