As someone who has grown up around music since the age of 9, I have had plenty of years to realize my true love for music. It has manifested itself in a variety of ways, but in the past couple of years I have devoted myself to listening to as many new albums as possible. Before this change in approach to music, I was never an album person. Quite frankly, I didn’t have the attention span to sit through and dissect a whole album, even from my favorite musicians, so I stuck to songs and curating playlists. And while that certainly introduced me to some stunning, life-changing songs, it caused me to exclude myself from the incredible experience of an album. What a shame.
It’s safe to say I have flipped the script. I listened to over 1,000 different artists this year (and counting) and nearly cleared that benchmark in 2022. I have found newfound appreciation for some of my favorite artists while gleefully discovering new ones and developing a deeper understanding of what makes so many musicians great. While I listened to seemingly endless music this year, five artists stood out from the overwhelmingly crowded room of artists in my Apple Music Replay (sorry Spotify lovers, I am blindly loyal to my streaming service).
The National: 2,594 minutes
The National is about as Caden-pilled as it gets. Cryptic, poignant lyrics, spirited drumming and a one-of-a-kind lead vocalist, this band holds a very special place in my heart. A band that I’ve written about before, The National was my most listened to artist of 2023 by a comfortable margin. They are a band I can rely on in virtually every setting — be it wallowing in my sorrows, spearheading a long car ride with friends or hyping me up, they cover all of my bases. On top of being one of my favorite artists of all time, they released two albums this year, one highly anticipated and one surprise: “First Two Pages of Frankenstein,” released on April 28, and “Laugh Track,” released on Sep. 18. Neither album rivaled their best albums, but both supplied memorable songs, such as “Tropic Morning News,” “Grease In Your Hair” and “Your Mind Is Not Your Friend” from the former and “Alphabet City,” “Turn Off The House” and “Smoke Detector” from the latter. Their placement in my Replay came as no surprise.
Radiohead: 1,482 minutes
My second most listened to artist, Radiohead, also comes as no surprise. A band that I actively avoided for the majority of my life due to my sheer ignorance in thinking they were a metal band, Radiohead is safely a mainstay in my rotation. While they are a largely different band from The National, I love them for similar reasons. Lead singer Thom Yorke has an undeniable yet unconventional charisma, while the rest of the members are elite at what they do. An idiosyncratic band, Radiohead is responsible for some of the most masterful, delicately detailed albums of all time, and I took a deep dive into each release of theirs this year. Outside of their releases with the largest cult followings, such as “OK Computer,” “Kid A” and “In Rainbows,” an album of theirs that I hold in the same vein is their swan song (for now, at least) “A Moon Shaped Pool.” Enveloped in haunting, lush string sections and Yorke’s well-renowned falsetto, all 53 minutes of this album tickle my brain like little else. A controversial band, but one whose unmatched talent cannot be denied.
Roxy Music: 1,131 minutes
Taking my bronze medal of 2023 is 1970s-early-1980s glam rockers Roxy Music. If you had shown me this band two years ago, I would’ve laughed in your face and wrote them off. Immediately. Thank god that didn’t happen because Roxy Music is awesome. Led by eccentric frontman Bryan Ferry, Roxy Music played an irreversible role in the foundation of punk music in the 1970s and beyond. Employing experimental musicianship and expressive statements of romance, topped off with some of the most influential, glamorous and androgynous fashion (pioneered primarily by Ferry), Roxy Music became a glam rock powerhouse. They also kickstarted the career of Brian Eno, arguably the most iconic ambient artist of all time. A particular favorite album of theirs would be “Country Life,” released in 1974. They sported unabashed swagger and confidence on this entire record, with Ferry’s signature croon tying it all together. I couldn’t recommend this band enough.
Destroyer: 1,129 minutes
Practically co-owning my bronze medal placement is baroque pop/rock project Destroyer. Yes, the name is an intimidating one, but it is worth your while to dive into the universe of Destroyer. Frontman Dan Bejar is another example of my affection toward eccentric, unique band leaders. Of the four artists mentioned so far, each implements their own tactics to stand out from their peers, particularly lyrically, but none of them display lyricism as weird as Destroyer. Oftentimes hard to digest all at once, Bejar’s lyrics are truly one-of-a-kind. Lyrics like “I washed my hands of the stuff of legends / And what news of the horizon? / I hear it’s all just a horizontal myth / So stop your cruising, start your criticizing, oh” from his 2001 song “The Bad Arts” consistently leave me utterly perplexed. But that’s part of what makes me love Destroyer as much as I do. Each song is carefully constructed with lyrics like these to paint a uniquely visceral image of what Bejar is trying to convey. It certainly helps that his music is routinely supported by well-written, lush instrumentation as well. Ranging from David Bowie-adjacent glam rock to Steely Dan-esque yacht rock, Bejar’s Destroyer is as sonically and lyrically innovative as they come.
Grizzly Bear: 770 minutes
Rounding out my top five is 2000s indie icons Grizzly Bear. Masters of lush chamber-pop, Grizzly Bear is another band that grew on me greatly this year. Experimental yet accessible, each album of theirs (excluding their most recent release) felt like a step up on this approach. Their three-album run of “Yellow House,” “Veckatimest” and “Shields” have catapulted into one of my favorite three-album runs of all time. Led by Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen, nearly every song on these albums is eargasmic. You quickly become enveloped in each song’s vast sonic structure, while both Droste and Rossen’s delicate vocals lull you into the abyss. Their flawless execution into sonic grandeur always leaves me in awe, and in their greatest moments, I’m quite literally levitating. The explosion of group vocals and acoustic guitars on “On a Neck, On a Spit,” the swirling rollercoaster of “Southern Point” and the vivid storytelling of “Gun-Shy” are just a few examples of Grizzly Bear’s dynamic ability to shine in a diverse variety of musical templates.
Apple Music Replay (and Spotify Wrapped, I guess) allows its users to reflect on the music that shaped their year in a fun, immersive fashion. It’s something I always look forward to months in advance, and I’m always anxiously waiting to share my stats with my peers. This year’s Replay set a few new milestones for me as a music consumer, such as minutes listened, albums played and artists listened to. It reminded me of how much new and different music I encountered this year, while simultaneously showing me how much I still love the classics. Happy Replay season everyone!
