Listeners were treated to an embarrassment of musical riches this year, thanks to a slew of releases from some of pop's hottest stars.
Whether you were spilling your Guts with Olivia Rodrigo or giving Miley Cyrus her "Flowers," chances are you were singing along to hits from some (if not all!) of the 10 stars on this list. And come Grammys time in February, it's likely we'll be seeing several of these bold names on stage.
Here, check out PEOPLE's picks for the 10 best albums of 2023.
Olivia Rodrigo rocked out, wailing about heartbreakers and public growing pains on her exceptional second album.
Pop's queen of melancholy, Lana Del Rey, dove to still greater personal depths on her ninth offering.
Miley Cyrus sounded better than ever as she made sense of a lost love — and opened her heart to a new one.
With his gruff vocals, open heart and vivid storytelling, country rocker Zach Bryan became a Nashville mainstay.
As experimental as they were eclectic, Caroline Polachek's ponderings on sensuality pushed the limits of pop.
Janelle Monáe seamlessly bended genres as she celebrated queer Black empowerment and carnal desire.
Troye Sivan sang of queer joy and heartbreak — and every emotion in between — while processing a romance's end.
Jessie Ware's latest disco romp — with her big voice and sweeping melodies —captured club euphoria.
The alt-rock supergroup boygenius reflected on love, loss, life and friendship in gorgeous harmony on their first LP.
With groovy '70s flair, Bebe Rexha sounded like the sonic love child of Fleetwood Mac, ABBA and Cher.