It can be hard to sift through just all the songs that come out in a given year. Here below, we culled through the list of Billboard No. 1 songs in 2023 to find the best of the best. So, let’s dive in.
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1. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Brenda Lee
This Christmas classic just hit No. 1 this December, spending several weeks on top. Whether you remember it from movies like Home Alone or are just rediscovering it, Brenda Lee is getting her time in the sun some 65 years after it originally released. It’s a Christmas miracle!
2. “Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift actually boasts three songs on the 2023 Billboard No. 1 list—”Anti-Hero,” “Is It Over Now?” and “Cruel Summer.” But “Anti-Hero,” which spent two weeks at No. 1, is the best of the trio, and perhaps her best song ever. Self-referential and sticky as glue, it’s a hit amongst hits.
3. “Paint the Town Red,” Doja Cat
What an earworm. From Doja Cat’s 2023 LP Scarlet, this song samples Dionne Warwick sublimely. It’s a song worth listening to over and over again, rich with attitude and pop-star prowess. It’s so good that it spent three weeks in the top spot.
4. “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Oliver Anthony
No one had a bigger rise to world fame this year than Oliver Anthony. Interestingly, though, his whole vibe seems to flout fame in terms of hard-earned truth. His song about rich, obnoxious politicians made a huge splash and was on top for two weeks in August and September.
5. “Vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo
This song hit No. 1 in July and then again in September, marking the latest triumph for the 20-year-old sensation. From Rodrigo’s 2023 album Guts, this track is about those who suck us dry. Delivered by the lovely, insightful icon she is.
6. “Kill Bill,” SZA
In many ways, it was SZA’s year in 2023. Releasing her first album in a handful of years, she made a giant impact in the culture thanks to her LP, SOS, and the highlight track, “Kill Bill,” which is all about taking righteous revenge.
7. “Die for You (Remix),” The Weeknd and Ariana Grande
This remix song sticks in your ears as much as it does your soul. Bringing two pop giants together, “Die For You” is one to lose yourself in like a pool of neon water.
8. “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus
A triumphant song if there ever was one. Miley Cyrus owned the early portion of 2023 with her record Endless Summer Vacation, and this hit single. It’s all about being fine on your own—a message many of us need to hear more of in this too-connected social media landscape. That’s why this song spent eight weeks at No. 1.
9. “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey
Ah, the favorite holiday track from the bodacious Mariah. This song hit No. 1 early in 2023 and though Brenda Lee seems to be the Queen of Christmas this year, Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” will be in our lives for years and years to come.
10. “I Remember Everything,” Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves
A duet from country stars Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves, this somber acoustic-driven song is heartfelt and sobering. Something to sit and stew in like a pool of warm, cleansing water.
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