This is my last post of this year and my gift for you, and I know you will like it. Hello everybody, I hope you’re doing fine, get ready to celebrate the end of 2023 with some great new music I compiled here for you to listen right now.
“But I won't fall this time with Godspeed, I'll heed the signs” – The Narcissist by Blur
This year 2023 was surprisingly good in music matters. In the ever evolving and changing taste of the musical landscape, sometimes for the worst, we got the chance to experience also the comeback of several great bands, who produced good enough music to prove not everything is lost in the 21st century. We also saw something we never thought would happen again, the return of the greatest rock band of all time: The Beatles.
For this list I compiled 5 great songs from some of my favorite bands of all time; but don’t you think I’m biased because they’re my favorite, it just happens that they released songs that are so much better than all the crap out there. You will find here four great British bands, and only one American one. Also, down below, you have an additional list of good songs from this year you should also give a chance.
So, without further ado, let’s go.
5. Metallica – 72 Seasons
Metallica: 72 Seasons (Official Music Video)
Metallica has a tradition of including very long songs in their albums, 72 Seasons is that song nowadays. The forth single and the first track of Metallica's 12th studio album, it is also the best of the singles they released this year. It was written by Hetfield, Ulrich and Hammett, with lyrics that deal with childhood traumas or negative experiences that shape our adult selves. 72 seasons refer to the first 18 years (72 Seasons) of our lives and how we evolve from there. It has a great intro, where you can hear the lyrics after past the first 2 minutes, and a killer guitar solo I’d wish I would have been longer; I love also the chorus. The video is a good one, but could have been better; it was filmed in Los Angeles and shows the band performing the song in a fiery environment. It’s been 40 years since 1983 and Metallica is still rocking, I’m glad to have them as one of my favorite bands ever.
4. The Beatles – Now And Then
The Beatles - Now And Then (Official Music Video)
Apparently not all of AI is bad for you. This one was put together using that technology, and the result was a good and poignant song from the most influential rock band of all time. Released just this last month of November, it was an immediate sensation all over the internet. It was written and sung by John in 1977, features acoustic and electric guitar played by George in 1995; Sir Paul McCartney completed the bass and Sir Ringo Starr recorded the drums the last year. Emotional, reflective, nostalgic, Liam Gallagher described Now And Then as “absolutely incredible biblical celestial heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time long live The Beatles”. I love the guitar solo and wish this song would have been longer. When you look back in the future to this 2023, this song will definitely have its place there. There will never be another Beatles.
3. The Rolling Stones – Angry
The Rolling Stones - Angry (Official Music Video)
The first single and the best so far from their recent album Hackney Diamonds, the 26th of their six-decade career. It was written by Jagger, Richards, and another collaborator, with lyrics that reflect a painful break up, but in a funny sarcastic way; it also has an imaginative side with the mention of demons, shadows, and a wolf lurking at the doorstep. This is the classic rock track from the Stones we’ve been waiting all these years. And that video! Man, that hot blonde dressed in black dancing and enjoying the music in a convertible, she surely makes of this one one of the favorite videos of this year. You can also see in the video animated figures of The Rolling Stones on the billboards. Only a band like the Stones can sound this powerful 60 years later in their career. RIP Charlie Watts.
2. Depeche Mode – Ghosts Again
Depeche Mode - Ghosts Again (Official Video)
I have wondered myself this whole year what is exactly that makes Depeche Mode so popular? They’re one of my favorite bands of all times, one of the few non-metal bands many metalheads adore, and the soundtrack of many people’s lives. Released in February this year as the lead single of their 15th studio album Memento Mori, Ghosts Again has both an uplifting and a melancholic side at the same time. It marked the first time songwriter Martin Gore worked with another collaborator in writing a song. The lyrics reflect our ephemeral existence on this planet, and how we all will be “ghosts again”. The video, shot in black and white, was directed by frequent visual collaborator Anton Corbijn, and is sort of a homage to the Bergman movie of the 1950s where a man sits down and plays chess with death. This is the song on this list I have listened the most this year; it’s great when one of your favorite bands keep producing quality material. RIP Andy Fletcher.
1. Blur – The Narcissist
Blur - The Narcissist (Official Visualiser)
The fact that this guys can disappear for a decade and come back this strong it’s a testament of their relevance in rock music; Oasis doesn’t exist anymore, but Blur soldiers on. This song was released in May this year, but I didn’t discover it until last month. It was written by the whole band and it’s their first single since 2015. From Blur's ninth studio album, The Ballad of Darren, The Narcissist refers to the way we see ourselves and our various egos; it also deals with substance abuse, something frontman Damon Albarn has dealt with in the past.
From the very first moment I heard it I loved it and have been listening to it practically every day since. Great and melancholic lyrics, a sonic kind of futuristic sound where all instruments enter at the perfect moment, and the voice of Albarn sounds great as always. There hasn’t been an official video so far, only a visualizer where you can follow the lyrics while you see a mirror and a sad Pierrot in a corner, all in black and white. A sublime song I consider the best song of this year, and, as a long-time fan of Blur, I can tell you this is one of their best songs ever.
Other songs from 2023 you shouldn’t miss:
Explosions in the Sky – Moving On
Beck – Thinking About You
Lenny Kravitz – TK421
Måneskin (ft. Tom Morello) – Gossip
Greta Van Fleet – Meeting The Master
Guns N’ Roses – Perhaps
There you have it, guys, my top five favorite songs of 2023. I hope this year had treated you well, it wasn’t exactly a great year, but at least it was better than the previous two. Tell me what you think of this post in the comment section. Which one of these songs did you like the most? Do you have any other song you would like to add? What are your top 5 favorite songs of 2023? I want to read your answers soon.
I really hope you have liked this post, now check my top 5 favorite songs from 2021 right here:
@thereadingman/5-of-my-favorite-songs
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I wish you a Happy New Year!
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Until next time
Take care
Orlando Caine
