Welcome to the Today I Heard Top 25 ( plus five runner-up, so I guess top thirty?) songs of 2023. Can I say with certainty that these were the top songs this year? Absolutely not. I have not been tracking or thinking about the top songs throughout the year. If a song really tickled my fancy in April, but fell off the radar by now, then it probably won’t get due credit. However, I do think that by the end of the year, simply scrolling through all of my liked albums and songs and taking a quick gander at my writing should be able to come up with a decent picture of what resonated with me throughout the year 2023. Perhaps consider this a 2023 Favorites List rather than a “2023 Best Songs List™️”.
Something interesting is that what attracts me to music is mostly the sound. Something that I feel I struggle with in my writing is being able to interpret and give over the message of the song. Analyzing lyrical content is an especial difficulty. I will often listen to an album and greatly enjoy it, but also have no clue what it is even talking about. I am reminded of Andrew Leahy's album American Static part 1, which has one of the most gorgeous soundscapes of an album I’ve ever heard. It is a heartland rock project with a lot of Tom Petty influence and it is plainly exquisite. I’ve listened to the album probably half a dozen times over the past couple years whenever it tickles my fancy (often in the car, rock music shines on the road) and I still have no clue what the album is even about because it sounds so darn good and that’s what I end up focusing on.
When assembling a favorite or best of list, what typically happens is that all the songs have a pre- requisite of sounding incredible and being essentially perfectly designed for the concept of the song. Once you grant the A+ for sonic execution, what separates these songs from a pack of similarly near perfect sounding songs is what they have to say. In spite of my taste, these all managed to permeate and resonate. Although, a few are here just because they just sound awesome.
Let's jump into things! Thanks for joining the ride. 2023 has been a great year for country music and we are celebrating!
-Joe
Juuuuuuust A Bit Outside- The Runner-Ups
Different Kind Of Simple Life- JD Clayton
Infectious and jangly. Clayton shows the universality of the simple life and details his aspirations to find his niche. The whole album exemplifies the upbeat neotrad meets country rock style and this is the stand out.
Tim and Faith- Madeline Merlo
Usually this kind of synthetic pop production isn’t my cup of tea, especially for ballads. However, this song stuck with me mostly for reasons unrelated to the execution, and instead purely related to its concept. Recently, Tim McGraw has been elevated to the level of the kind of legend who gets shouted out in songs. Unlike Alan Jackson or George Strait, his career is still in full swing! This is the most overt manifestation and it got me pondering. Now, it can do the same to you.
Float- Tim and The Glory Boys
Float is a clear guilty pleasure. It is a rhythmic tune with bopping, punchy energy and it is utterly hedonistic. The entire purpose of the song is to extoll just having a good ol day out on the water. I usually don’t go for that sort of thing but that’s heavily because the presentation tends to be mediocre or generic. This stands out. Some of the best pop country this year.
Sleep, My Mind, And You- Palmer Anthony
This was an early favorite of mine back in Q1 2023. It stuck out because of the unique phrasing in the chorus. The unexpected melodic twists brings a smile to the jaded music critics face
Don’t Cry Daddy- The Mallpass Brothers
In a year with so many excellent neovintage albums, (I find the albums to be better than the individual songs so lower representation on the list then you might think). This tearjerker demonstrates that there is no need to subvert the style to connect to the modern heart.
Here We Go!
25.
We Should Get Married- Dan and Shay
Love songs for artists are kind of like dirty jokes for comedians. Low bar for entry and listeners easily enjoy. The downside is that it is especially tough to elevate the material and make it memorable. In this instance, Dan and Shay (now self producing) utilize their tremendous vocal talents and natural charisma to make an infectious ear catching tribute to intense romance. It is not good merely in comparison to prior material, but in fact it is one of the most creative, enjoyable, and imaginative pop country tracks of the year. If you don't bust out into an impromptu line dance in the kitchen when the fiddle hits, I'm not sure you understand music.
24.
Mornings With You- Flatland Cavalry (ft. Kaitlin Butts)
IRL husband and wife combo reflect on real love. Not Disney stars in your eyes, fireworks in the air, Celine Dion playing on the soundtrack, but instead reflection on the simple beauty of quiet morning spent in the company of the one that you love. Oozes the peace, quiet, and contentment of a life lived in love.
23.
How I Learned To Pray- Charlie Worsham (ft. Luke Combs)
A wholesome reflection on spirituality and religion. It doesn’t feel cloying or shallow. Warsham is a fantastic interpreter and meshes well with Luke Combs. The song powerfully achieves its goal of reflecting deeply in Worsham's life and his relationship with religion, God, and spirituality. It can be enjoyed by believers and nonbelievers alike.
22.
Sarah- Darius Rucker
It is quite rare that a song attempts a realistic gaze of life. It is far easier to reduce commercially aspiring music to shallow fantasy or wish fulfillment. Instead of a rekindling of a youthful romance, this song remarks on the simple desire for friendship, which is surprisingly not talked too much about outside of romantic context. Startlingly relatable.
21.
Southern Star- Brent Cobb
I mean, everyone is raving about it.... It's pretty simple why. It embodies an ethos entirely. Shades of Campbell's Southern Nights but so much more. An entire life and mentality is compressed into three minutes. And he makes it so clear and aspirational as well! The entire concept of the "Southern Star" as a mapping device akin to the North Star is just next level.
20.
Prairie Evening, Sagebrush Waltz- Colter Wall
Colter Wall songs range from levity to deathly seriousness. Praire Evening/Sagebrush Waltz is on the deeply romantic side and proves Wall's ability to insert emotion into the harsh landscapes he so evocatively paints. You don’t need a tuxedo and pop glaze on the song to be romantic. Just feelings.
19.
More Than Friends- Lukas Nelson and The Promise Of the Real (ft. Lainey Wilson)
This song is all about the voices. Lainey's voice soars over the groove that is much thicker than it has any right to be and offers a surprisingly enjoyable contrast with Nelson’s gravelly delivery. Their voices swoop all about, taking their turns on verses and merging together for the chorus. The second half of the song is a master class in harmonies as the two lilt and belt and dance across this funky country rock melody together with nuanced grace.
18.
The Rut- Turnpike Troubadours
In essential Turnpike fashion the song reflects deep internal conflict. Journey and resolution is discussed in near parable form using country music tropes but they are advanced heavily via metaphor. The image of backcountry cattle working which is used as a means of discussing addiction and the path forward is a masterclass of songwriting execution.
17.
Cut The Grass- The Steel Woods
Muscular tribute to bootstraps style inspiration. Metaphor is a powerful tool and when flexed as handily as the superb electric guitar work here, adds up to a classic and memorable piece of southern country rock.
16.
Old Kanawha- Phillip Bowen ft. Charles Wesley Godwin
The idea of one’s life being centered so strongly around a sense of place, especially a natural place that one has to bend towards is in strong contrast to the experience of the modern cosmopolitan experience. In the cities, the entirety of the place is bent towards the human experience. The story of human progress is one of continuously lessening nature's impact on our day to day. So much so, that this song, reflecting on the fact that the humans living in this valley all must bend and contort their lives around the river, seems foreign and emblematic of the past and/or foreign lifestyles. That is what gives this song its homespun charm.
15.
Love Is Not A Rock- Jon Randall
Love Is Not A Rock is the perfect example of how Randall takes a standard topic, and turns it on its head. Not just for subversions sake, but instead to portray a realistic and meaningful take on that most evergreen topic; love. Randall's world weary subdued vocal tells more than any lyric could.
14.
The Guitar Slinger- Kip Moore
Moore has long detailed the depths of his relationship with music in a number of different ways over the years. The Guitar Slinger is clear spiritual sequel to The Guitar Man. It is most appreciated in contrast between those two songs. Unlike The Guitar Man which a celebration of the fulfillment of an optimistic dream, The Guitar Slinger take the polar opposite approach and focuses on the world weary disillusionment of the touring musician. It is brooding, brimming with emotion, muscular, operatic. And yet it still stands as an ode to the perseverance and identity that comes with being a bard in the modern age. Truly a modern masterpiece of rock music. For more, please read this fantastic analysis. I struggled with properly interpreting the song until I read this fantastic deep dive. An illuminating piece. https://medium.com/shore2shore-country/from-guitar-man-to-the-guitar-slinger-kip-moores-odyssey-9f29ff153ff8
13.
20 For 30- Tim McGraw
An unusual storytelling device that taps intimately into the psyche of the artist, reflects deeply on the nature of youth and maturity, doubles as a lovely and relatable love song AND it's enjoyable to listen to? Yeah this deserves its spot.
12.
Jealous Of The Birds- Alyssa Micaela
Micaela brings poetic picture drawing, splashes colorful metaphors for dramatic effect and wraps it in parable and meaning. Enough said.
11.
Beneath Oak Trees- Dylan Gossett
Gossett’s plainspoken way of reflecting beautifully on serenity, love, and all that really matters in life is remarkably relatable. Not the expected choice off of his EP. I feel most found Coal to be more grandiose, but the understated simplicity of Beneath Oak Trees really resonated deeply with me.
The Top Ten
10.
To The Airport- Nickel Creek
An eclectic project with, to paraphrase Anton Ego, “a dash of fresh perspective”. This song zeroes in on the beleaguered tsa agent and via the setting of the airport attempts an act of solidarity and sympathy to all those who are ensconced in thankless tasks and who get no credit. Everything about the song is pure creativity. Unique progressive bluegrass instrumentals, one of a kind harmonies, and of course, the topic choice.
9.
Drink The River- Gabe Lee
A crucial part of Gabe Lee’s masterpiece of an album (just dropped out of my top five albums through no faultl of its own. Still easy top ten), it is the key to unlocking the twisted strands of faith, hope, love, darkness, despondency and reality that makes up the key thematic ideas underpinning the album. Acknowledging the brokenness of man, whilst maintaining a belief in the transcendence of love and faith. It works on its own, but really shines as the Rosetta Stone of the album. The accompaniment is perfect. The ghostly, spare, and ethereal come to life.
8.
Red Dirt Cinderella- Kylie Frey
Oftentimes you get songs that talk about a place or attach themselves to a particular subculture. Far less commonly does the song make any effort to sonically attach itself to the selfsame concepts it’s attempting to identify with. That is very much not the case here. Fiddle infused and with a surprising amount of tejano/ranchero flair, Frey ties the song deeply into the regional and personal identity she is grappling with in the song. Deep connections abound in all the ways you can view and think about the song.
7.
Another Leaf- Charles Wesley Godwin
I appreciate when artists go beyond the scope of the standard. Whether that be in topic choice or presentation. This song is detailing a not unusual idea for a song. Love, family, time, etc. However, what seperate Another Leaf from the pack is the way this song pulsates and oscillates back-and-forth between various tempos and emotions like a flowing current. Doing so in a way that wholly encapsulates the protagonist's perspective and emotion throughout the story and via meticulous metaphor additionally elevates.
6.
Joe- Luke Combs
Maybe not the song that has gotten the highest buzz off the album, but one of many on the record that easily could have qualified for this list. The choice for this song is that it most personifies the positive steps that Luke Combs has taken. The most substantive of these steps being his strengthened ability to stretch beyond the self, and instead occupy someone else’s shoes and tell their story. There is no loss of emotional resonance, the story is delivered with an equivalent emotion and connection to what he had previously done with his own stories. In fact, I consider it more emotional and more relatable because here, the character that is built by the end of the song becomes someone that you deeply sympathize for. More tension arises then you get in an autobiographical story where we all know the ending- quite literally, the ending is standing on stage wildly successful with throngs of adulation. Instead the payoff brings relief to the listener, with emotion erupting in your chest following the journey and reveling in the successes.
5.
Grief Is Just Love- Stephen Wilson Jr.
“Grief is just love that has got no place to go”
Now, perhaps this is just a one liner that the entire song is built off of.... But man is it a one liner! And man is it delivered with a feel that is absolutely gripping and unforgettable.
4.
The Building- Emily Ann Roberts
Now, I am sure those of you listening to this song with only one ear are maybe confused what differentiates this from any other religiously themed inspirational song. True that is the baseline level of what the song is about. The building in the song is a church after all! However, what I was particularly struck with was the particular descriptions given.
"I know the stained glass never saved a soul, And these pews ain't on the roll that's called up yonder, I know the pulpit's just a wooden stand..."
In these lines, Roberts shows a keen understanding of how the power of place is nearly often not due to the intrinsic realities of the place. Meaning instead occurs because of human action and our relationships we develop with the place. This holds true in nearly any instance. In this particular instance, it is faith and the many years spent in worship that gives such a deep amount of meaning to a building, which is otherwise nondescript unless investigated. The same holds true with this very song which easily could be brushed aside as nondescript, unless investigated.
3.
Day One- Ward Davis
There are many songs that discuss difficulties, tragedies, or obstacles in life and look back at them. The powerful context required to truly relate to the depth and difficulty of what happened is not easy, and usually the hardships are lightened in the context of the celebration of overcoming. Music is not a novel, you don't have 200 pages to set up the stakes to allow the remainder of the book to properly pay off. Thus we understand the difficulty of executing what Ward Davis did in this song. He delivers the deepest, most powerful, and especially the most visceral, reflection on overcoming addiction that I have seen from anyone. He understands this requires the steely eyed gaze of clear understanding of the depths and profundity of the task ahead, but still with the addicts somber optimism that the understanding of the path forward will lead to results. The hope that Day One will eventually become a Day Two will provide the push to make it happen.
2.
Dancing In The Sky- Sam Barber
A powerful and raw expression of grief. Grief has a similar emotional resonance to loss, but for one key distinction. By the break up, there is hope in the end. Either a reunitement, or closure, or a realization that maybe she was never the one for you. Not so much by grief. Barber attempts to deal with the emotion in a way that humans have for thousands of years, which is reflecting and hoping for something better for the passed; Heaven. Barber's raw anguished vocal cuts through and hits deep in the soul. Anyone who has experienced loss can relate to the anguish that powers the engine of the song.
Before the number one song is revealed (don't worry it won't be a Niall Horan song) I wanted to get something off my chest. There are no Wilder Blue songs on the list. Honestly, that's an oversight. Simply put, The Wilder Blue dropped very late this year and this piece was heavily under construction by the time I got to properly listen to the record. Most likely one of Bless My Bones, Roll Betty Roll, or Sometimes Forever would have made it on this list. Oh well.
Now……without further ado……the Today I Heard number one song of the year is…….
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1.
Silence In The Brandy- Dan Tyminski
There was very little doubt in my mind when I heard this song that it would feature heavily highly on this list.
It is a greatest generation tribute. In a sense. Tyminski reflects on and praises the sacrifices of the age. He also aims a realistic gaze at the realities and downsides of the intestinal fortitude and stiff upper lip that the WW2 generation put on to make it through the turbulence. The paradox of survivor guilt. The inner turmoil of feeling thankful but unworthy. The dual coping mechanisms of Silence and Brandy.
He then pivots to the modern day and shows the cultural and familial transmission of both virtue and vice. The past you can only understand, admire, emulate, and attempt to mitigate. The stark bluegrass accompaniment is very befitting the subject matter.
It isn’t easy to anoint any song as the best of the year, and certainly the heavily traditional bluegrass style will not be for most people, but I would urge you to give it a listen, and if not, then to simply read the lyrics and reflect about ourselves and our places in the world. Ultimately everything that has happened prior has led up to this moment and that is a soberingly powerful thought that should make us reflect.
Hope you enjoyed!
Thanks for reading,
Joe