The Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2023
Added 2024-01-21 22:34:25 +0000 UTC/edit ugh sorry, didn't realize it was private, it's fixed now
/2nd edit made some alterations based on your feedback
I'm so exhausted. It's done. I'm never working again. I'm going to start working on my retirement video. No, I'm going to retire before I can even make a retirement video. God.
Anyway, if you see any errors, let me know.
Oh, and please please vote in the Song v.s Song poll. We're finally doing "Baby One More Time" vs. "Genie in a Bottle."
https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-poll-baby-vs-96267022
Comments
oh wow no escapism is WILD
Arbor Rainier
2024-04-07 05:48:00 +0000 UTCW2NTWN
Irfan
2024-02-01 21:43:09 +0000 UTCI thought that hashtag was about the whole Kanye thing in 2016
MikeVG
2024-01-26 22:43:38 +0000 UTCAnother year where I only know 5 out of the Top 10 🥲
Nadine
2024-01-24 09:53:44 +0000 UTCPedantic, but "Cruel Summer" isn't a breakup song. The Bananarama one is, but this is a flip on that concept - it's about falling in love at an inconvenient time. It's a cruel summer for her in general (the year of the #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty), but it's a cruel summer with him, not without him.
Allison Driskill
2024-01-23 23:02:26 +0000 UTCKinda curious, what are your thoughts on Zach Bryan?
Charles Kieser
2024-01-23 22:09:09 +0000 UTCI always hated that band and after WinstolnMarshall turned out to be a right-wing wackjob(he promoted fascist Andy Ngo's godawful book)i'm eternally grateful that I never liked them.
RedBedroomRecords
2024-01-23 19:50:28 +0000 UTCshe's alright but as far as Disney stars-turned singers go she does not stand out much for me.
RedBedroomRecords
2024-01-23 19:49:22 +0000 UTCDial Drunk just bores the shit out of me, can't recall ever hearing that one on many of my local stations. Personally I would've put that Selena Gomez song on the list over that crappy song.
RedBedroomRecords
2024-01-23 19:48:56 +0000 UTCI completely fell for the Billie fakeout, btw. You fuckin goblin.
Shiny Skunk
2024-01-23 18:07:08 +0000 UTCTodd, for whatever it is worth, you are really fucking good at making these videos. This was funny, smart, well-written, and entertaining the whole way through. Also HELL YEAH, VICTORIA!
Shiny Skunk
2024-01-23 18:03:40 +0000 UTCNo Zach Bryan just feels wrong
Joseph Hart-Winks
2024-01-23 11:10:18 +0000 UTCsurprised boys a liar or escapism wasn't on here but other than that taste
Tristan Shelby
2024-01-23 00:20:15 +0000 UTCYeah, Dial Drunk and Stick Season were big hits. Not to mention great songs.
Leo Prince
2024-01-22 21:47:06 +0000 UTCI’ve seen that #1 coming from a mile away, pretty much since it came out and Todd wouldn’t shut up about it on twitter. But I’m not complaining — it’s the most I’ve agreed with a #1 on the best list since probably Green Light by Lorde.
Will Seamon
2024-01-22 20:37:23 +0000 UTCwhoa, never seen anyone else talk about her! Highly agree with this
Will Seamon
2024-01-22 20:34:27 +0000 UTCI still don't get the Sabrina Carpenter appeal
Jackson S.
2024-01-22 19:51:01 +0000 UTCNot gonna lie, the fake out upset me.
Jeremy Hanna
2024-01-22 19:16:09 +0000 UTCAlso, just realized "Todd in the Shadows" as an acronym is tits. Well.
Jeremy Hanna
2024-01-22 18:22:29 +0000 UTCI assume I'm not the only person with a TitS Best Song playlist? I'm excited to see the new additions
Jeremy Hanna
2024-01-22 18:22:06 +0000 UTCThat #1...I forgive you Todd.
Juhani Aho
2024-01-22 17:48:59 +0000 UTCr/popheads is gonna eat this list up
Kim P.
2024-01-22 17:32:17 +0000 UTCWe don't care if it's late, we love it! Thanks for your service Todd.
stolitzsilas
2024-01-22 16:49:43 +0000 UTCHow could you snooze on "Snooze"? That was my number one tune. Way better than Olivia Roderigo's predictably rehashed 90s alt-rock.
Moizza Khan
2024-01-22 16:35:26 +0000 UTCAgreed I wouldve replaced in your Mama with Rush personally
Jack Levis
2024-01-22 13:30:33 +0000 UTCI think there's a mixing error at the end when Olivia's music is too loud. Also, ever think of doing some sort of "Ask Todd in the Shadows" episode? A quick video where you reply to questions from social media (or just Patrons or whatever works). It could be something that'll take much less effort than having to research a new video to recover after doing the top 10s.
Adequately Sized Dog
2024-01-22 10:58:46 +0000 UTCTime to update my playlist
Alx
2024-01-22 10:40:26 +0000 UTCI think this is the first year in a while that I stood up and cheered for more than half the picks on this list
The Hand Of The People
2024-01-22 09:44:46 +0000 UTCInteresting... no Troye Sivan "Rush" in the top 10?
Joseph Petersen
2024-01-22 09:00:50 +0000 UTCI've just resigned myself at this point - the extended eligibility criteria makes it near impossible to predict what's going to be on here.
Judgesaturn507
2024-01-22 08:32:50 +0000 UTCA thing that has been true for me from the very first concert i attended is that even mid bands and music can be boosted a whole lot by being Good In Concert. I like a lot of bands and songs only because they were great live... i had like 7 concerts scheduled for 2019 because i assumed the world was ending from buu
Katastrophe
2024-01-22 08:29:18 +0000 UTCI loved Mumford and Sons back in the day and had somehow never heard Noah Kahan before, so I'm really excited to check him out. Always here for more banjos in pop music.
Sadie S
2024-01-22 05:13:07 +0000 UTC(a) I am so here for the Usher Renaissance (b) Where tf is Paint the Town Red
Shosh
2024-01-22 04:52:05 +0000 UTCAs much as I LOVE “bad idea, right?”, “get him back”is easily the standout from GUTS for me. Initially I was apprehensive about Olivia continuing in the rock influenced pop lane that she was in for SOUR but after hearing bad idea, right and get him back.. she can make all the rock influenced songs she wants cause they kick ass
Erik Danielson
2024-01-22 04:50:54 +0000 UTCYeah, if you wanna keep enjoying NewJeans, I highly recommend NOT listening to Cookie...
Matt Evans
2024-01-22 04:48:22 +0000 UTCSAME
Erik Danielson
2024-01-22 04:46:46 +0000 UTCThis list has 4 artists sho absolutely dominated my 2023 (Taylor, Lizzy McAlpine, Olivia, Sabrina), so therefore I am obligated to say 10/10, 0 notes on this list
Erik Danielson
2024-01-22 04:42:35 +0000 UTCAs someone who has been on Team Lizzy McAlpine since I first heard her album five seconds flat, when you started talking about the surge of slower songs blowing up on Tik Tok, I was like “oh god, PLEASE tell me he’s gonna talk about ceilings”, and words can not describe the size of the smile that spread across my face when you revealed it as your #8. I saw Lizzy live in 2023, while obviously, the Eras Tour was the best concert I saw last year, I’d actually make the argument that I enjoyed the Lizzy Mcalpine show *more*. The Eras Tour is pure pop specticle and I love it for that, but I went into Lizzy’s show a fairly big fan and left a stan. It gave me such an appreciation for her as an artist and a performer
Erik Danielson
2024-01-22 04:41:36 +0000 UTCI had a feeling you’d love Dial Drunk! I didn’t get into Noah till like October of this year, but that album is so damn good.
Anirien
2024-01-22 04:14:51 +0000 UTCThank you for not putting that Ken song on the list. Overrated for 3/4, only good part is the ending
CarlWheezer24
2024-01-22 03:56:15 +0000 UTCis there a list of all the songs that stop on the word stop you have already?
Thryn
2024-01-22 03:29:07 +0000 UTCevery year the ateez jumpscare gets longer and if the end up on a list one year I will have a mental collapse
Will E.
2024-01-22 03:25:21 +0000 UTCLove it! Thank you for continuing these! I thought your voiceover during the honorable mentions part was very soft and harder to hear.
Janel Brown
2024-01-22 03:07:02 +0000 UTCLITERALLY punched the air on number one.
Noah Ramon
2024-01-22 02:46:16 +0000 UTChonestly, man, if there's one thing I hope you can take away from the whole thing a couple of months ago, it's that if you wanted to branch out and do non-music stuff for a bit, people would turn up. The thoroughness of your work is what gets people coming back, although also #4 was _very_ funny and that also helps a lot. I imagine it's the thoroughness that gets to you, though, and that's, uh, hard.
Matt Cramp
2024-01-22 02:34:26 +0000 UTCThe way I went "thank god" after the #4 reveal 😅 Will never doubt you again
Kristen Boyer
2024-01-22 01:46:53 +0000 UTChttps://ih1.redbubble.net/image.3832185657.7946/bg,f8f8f8-flat,750x,075,f-pad,750x1000,f8f8f8.jpg
Andrew Behm
2024-01-22 01:24:29 +0000 UTCNooo pls don’t retire you’re so sexy aha
Andrew Behm
2024-01-22 01:23:14 +0000 UTCSubtitle at 28:50 needs an update- it misses the lyric change to "I'll die a drunk"
Zachary Grizzle
2024-01-22 01:11:09 +0000 UTCGood list. Hadn’t heard of Noah Kahan until his SNL performance, which was really good.
Joe Moyer
2024-01-22 00:55:58 +0000 UTCsurprised by the lack of boy's a liar pt 2 on the list and for non hits that should be honorable mentions, rush by troye sivan or psychedelic switch by carly rae jepsen
duke86fan
2024-01-22 00:53:10 +0000 UTCOn a positive note: I had heard Stick Season and thought it was acceptable. But Dial Drunk is REALLY good!
David Claiborne
2024-01-22 00:44:56 +0000 UTC"An Usher comeback is gonna happen." Damn it, Todd, don't use your reverse-card powers for evil!
Herbieguy98
2024-01-22 00:37:47 +0000 UTCWeird audio mix at 35:35. Otherwise, great list. The aughts alt-rock influence is part of it, but I don't think I've ever seen an artist express what it's actually like inside the head of an 18-20 year old better than Olivia Rodrigo -- trapped and thrashing but not in that artificial way of the people who influenced her.
David L. Lebovitz
2024-01-22 00:35:45 +0000 UTCSurprised by a couple but appreciate your take on each selection, and I always learn something. Hoping once your energy returns you will take some chances and branch out on other subjects... Always look forward to the Best and Worst list; thanks for your hard work.
nursermk
2024-01-22 00:35:01 +0000 UTCEvery year you keep pushing me with this Morgan Wallen business. I'm still hanging on though.
Jamie Pfent
2024-01-22 00:32:26 +0000 UTCFantastic video. One of your most thoughtful and uplifting video. Just the right balance of funny and thoughtful. All picks were great to be remminded of or introduced to. Absolutly nailed it with this one Todd!
Omri Gropper
2024-01-22 00:25:11 +0000 UTClast year todd announced he was using some other list because Billboard's list "is full of Christmas songs and songs from last year"
Jonathan P
2024-01-22 00:24:33 +0000 UTCAlso Todd, if you like Olivia Rodrigo, you need to check out Sydney Sprague. She’s excellent and I’d argue does this sound better and for longer.
NB
2024-01-22 00:24:23 +0000 UTCNoah Kohan, while good, is for people too scared to listen to Jason Isbell.
NB
2024-01-22 00:19:24 +0000 UTCNoah Kahan!!!! OMG what a jump scare. I didn't realize his new album was popular enough to count for the list :D
PuzzleTea
2024-01-22 00:17:15 +0000 UTCThe Lizzy McAlpine song peaked at #54 and didn't make the YE list. How does it qualify?
David Claiborne
2024-01-22 00:14:00 +0000 UTCI feel it's important to mention that Olivia Rodrigo's "get him back" is a sideways cover of "Pepper" by the Butthole Surfers.
Jason Schneiderman
2024-01-22 00:09:52 +0000 UTCmaybe the only year i didnt feel really any picks on this list (aside from billie ellish, of course. and supershy on the honoroble mentions) Then again, its getting way harder to even know what music is of the current year.
Jay Dee
2024-01-22 00:03:59 +0000 UTCNonsense and Cupid are both such simple and unpretentious but perfectly crafted pop earworms. Never got sick of either of them!
Sarah, the Creator
2024-01-22 00:03:28 +0000 UTCMatchbox Twenty appears on a Todd in the Shadows Best of 2023 list? Matchbox Twenty is still making new music?!?
Jonathan P
2024-01-22 00:03:11 +0000 UTCI gasped and said "no Todd!" out loud at the number 5. I love how more off the wall this list gets every year though, I have a whole bunch of stuff to look up now.
Lanth
2024-01-21 23:59:16 +0000 UTCThank you for your hard work Todd.
Gemini Man
2024-01-21 23:48:33 +0000 UTCBeyond that, take care of yourself, follow your bliss. You are not a slave to being a music critic if you don't want to be, or a slave to the drink. I'd say we're as much here for the music as we are for you, it won't all fall apart if you try new things this year that excite you.
Taylor Abrahamse
2024-01-21 23:48:23 +0000 UTCEdit suggestions - just a few! Little sound pop at 21:48, 22:01 could maybe use an audio fade cos of the cutoff breath. 22:35 audio pop. 34:45, music missing a fade and overlapping your speaking too much. Also, would be cool if the music disappeared on your 'fuck it its fine' and comes back again, just like the song. 34:47 audio pop. ... Lastly, maybe its youtubes encoder, but the video resolution seems a bit lower quality somehow that usual, even at 1080p? Especially in some of the music videos. Maybe export at a higher bitrate? idk.
Taylor Abrahamse
2024-01-21 23:46:26 +0000 UTCAt 16:47 is the intention of that quick cut to come back to you already halfway through the word "genius"? Also I'm surprised that you had that and "Cupid" back to back without mentioning Sabrina was on a remix of "Cupid" for idiots like me who want all our songs in English.
Jonathan P
2024-01-21 23:42:15 +0000 UTCExcellent list, only right answers
Lizzy Gravelle
2024-01-21 23:38:35 +0000 UTCI admit I haven't heard any of the songs on this list that weren't on the year end, but you've convinced me to check them out, including your #1. I saw #10 coming and yeah it's nothing special, but it is one of her best hits in her catalog. An Usher comeback definitely needs to happen. Just don't do something like OMG ever again. #7 was a great song, it was great to see a K-Pop song blew up organically. #4 is the best song from that soundtrack (though not my favorite). And #2 is an incredible song and I missed that sound getting popular. Also loved the honorable mentions as well as the song from the piano intro and the outro song. Great list, worth the wait.
Leo Prince
2024-01-21 23:32:36 +0000 UTCnumber 1 is missing the number on the title card, otherwise great work! i appreciate all the stuff you make for us
wassupmolly
2024-01-21 23:30:40 +0000 UTCYou deserve your rest... after fixing errors, I guess? When subtitling Noah Kahan, you have "I'll dial drunk" for both that line and "I'll die a drunk". And at 34:35, right after you say "Olivia can curse", the music goes back to full volume while you're still talking. Ok, that's out of the way - Cupid? Nooooo. Maybe I'm just sick of it, because I swear, if I click on one more video or walk into one more store and some remix of Cupid is playing, I will shoot myself.
Alina
2024-01-21 23:26:25 +0000 UTCGreat video, but you wrote "i dial drunk" twice instead of once. You also forgot the title card on 1.
Zack
2024-01-21 23:24:56 +0000 UTCI think 'Cupid' has legs. Its too simple and universal not to, and the circular chord progression too familiar. Even just the three words 'I'm feelin lonely' have never been so clearly said in such an instantly grabbing way in a hit before. And the 'lonely' lands on the one, which gives it more umph, and thats certainly the word you'd want on the one in that sentence fragment. The group - yeah, I can see them not having staying power, absolutely... but the song will.
Taylor Abrahamse
2024-01-21 23:19:21 +0000 UTCIts officially been 20 years since Confessions, which was his Thriller in terms of success, and the law is whatever was cool 20 years ago gets recycled... so its prime Usher time. I feel like we're going to get all sorts of late 90's-mid00's throwbacks on the charts. But it won't last as long as our fixation on bringing back the 80's, cos the late 90's to mid 00's were also a fucking bloated bipolar mess for the music industry.
Taylor Abrahamse
2024-01-21 23:10:43 +0000 UTCThank you Todd!
nostalgiatrip1
2024-01-21 23:07:42 +0000 UTCthank you todd for your hard work!!
Kamu
2024-01-21 23:02:00 +0000 UTCBest birthday present 🥳
Deanna Banana
2024-01-21 22:58:04 +0000 UTCThanks for not going to sleep yet and pushing the button Todd ;p
Jaszon Alexzander
2024-01-21 22:50:01 +0000 UTCI think the video got privated
Lilrq loves anime
2024-01-21 22:46:42 +0000 UTCfixitfixitfixit
Juliane Davis
2024-01-21 22:44:48 +0000 UTCTODD YOUR STICKS
Henry Kiley
2024-01-21 22:43:55 +0000 UTCGotta be 3 right? Going over.
Jaszon Alexzander
2024-01-21 22:42:06 +0000 UTCAlright gang, over or under 2 country songs??
Sarah, the Creator
2024-01-21 22:40:55 +0000 UTCTodd is intentionally torturing the people who instantly click on the link... hope it's not private soon.
Charlie Lawton
2024-01-21 22:40:52 +0000 UTCCan't wait to watch it! Video is marked as Private though so I can't
Julian
2024-01-21 22:40:45 +0000 UTCI respect your commitment to the bit by having numbers 10-8, 6-4 and 2-1 all being 'Bitch I'm a Cow'.
The Dopefish
2024-01-21 22:40:01 +0000 UTCTodd you ninny! The video is private! …you’re not a ninny. I apologize. I just need your opinion otherwise how do I know what to think about pop music?
Joshua Ambrose
2024-01-21 22:39:57 +0000 UTCYeah same hope that is fixed soon.
Neo Ultra Mike
2024-01-21 22:38:43 +0000 UTCTodd, I just want you to know that I genuinely screamed when I saw this. Thank you for your hard work as always. <3 (Also, the video's still on private.)
Paul Looney
2024-01-21 22:37:46 +0000 UTCTick tock my friends
Ryan Massey
2024-01-21 22:37:37 +0000 UTCBest of 2023? I'm happy! Wait, video is private? I'm sad.
Dana Bates
2024-01-21 22:37:34 +0000 UTCVid's private but I'm sure it's great
the purple shaman
2024-01-21 22:37:26 +0000 UTCVideo is private.
Evan & Isabelle
2024-01-21 22:36:37 +0000 UTCSame! Can't wait.
Erin Lavitt
2024-01-21 22:36:36 +0000 UTCIt’s heeeeerrrreeeee
Alicia Kahre
2024-01-21 22:36:21 +0000 UTCDamn, so early the video is still private :p
Jaszon Alexzander
2024-01-21 22:36:00 +0000 UTC
