Click here to access our Spotify playlist of the top 50 2023 adds!

As we look forward to 2024, WVFS would like to take a moment to look back at some of our favorite records of 2023! Here are our Top 50 favorite albums of 2023, as voted by our V89 DJs:

  1. Sufjan Stevens – Javelin (Asthmatic Kitty Records)
  2. Wednesday – Rat Saw God (Dead Oceans)
  3. Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (Perpetual Novice)
  4. feeble little horse – Girl With Fish (Saddle Creek)
  5. JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown – SCARING THE HOES (AWAL)
  6. Geese – 3D Country (Partisan, Play It Again Sam)
  7. The Lemon Twigs – Everything Harmony (Captured Tracks)
  8. Yo La Tengo – This Stupid World (Matador)
  9. Lifeguard – Crowd Can Talk / Dressed in Trenches (Matador)
  10. Blonde Redhead – Sit Down For Dinner (Section1)
  11. Everyone Asked About You – Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts (Numero Group)
  12. billy woods, Kenny Segal – Maps (Backwoodz Studios, Fat Possum)
  13. Model/Actriz – Dogsbody (True Panther Records)
  14. Upchuck – Bite The Hand That Feeds (Famous Class)
  15. Black Country, New Road – Live at Bush Hall (Ninja Tune)
  16. Mitski – The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We (Dead Oceans)
  17. boygenius – the record (Interscope)
  18. Cherry Glazerr – I Don’t Want You Anymore (Secretly Canadian)
  19. Joanna Sternberg – I’ve Got Me (Fat Possum)
  20. Water From Your Eyes – Everyone’s Crushed (Matador)
  21. 100 Gecs – 10,000 Gecs (Dog Show Records, Atlantic)
  22. Snõõper – Super Snõõper (Third Man Records)
  23. Hydroplane – Selected Songs (1997-2003) (World of Echo)
  24. Slaughter Beach, Dog – Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling (Lame-O Records)
  25. Ibrahim Hesnawi – The Father of Libyan Reggae (Habibi Funk)
  26. Bar Italia – tracey denim (Matador)
  27. Jamma Dee – Perceptions (Nothing But Net Paris)
  28. Being Dead – When Horses Would Run (Bayonet Records)
  29. Jeff Rosenstock – HELLMODE (Quote Unquote Records, Polyvinyl)
  30. Paris Texas – Mid Air (self-released)
  31. Sampha – Lahai (Young)
  32. 12 Rods – If We Stayed Alive (American Dreams, Husky Pants)
  33. Jamila Woods – Water Made Us (Jagjaguwar)
  34. Julie Byrne – The Greater Wings (Ghostly International)
  35. Sofia Kourtesis – Madres (Ninja Tune)
  36. Various Artists, Time Is Away – Searchlight Moonbeam (Efficient Space)
  37. Hello Mary – self-titled (Frenchkiss Records)
  38. Liv.e – Girl In The Half Pearl (In Real Life)
  39. underscores – Wallsocket (Mom + Pop)
  40. Bria – Cuntry Covers Vol. 2 (Sub Pop)
  41. Fiddlehead – Death is Nothing To Us (Run For Cover Records)
  42. Liz Wight, Lauren Flax – Liz & Lauren EP (2MR)
  43. Gorillaz – Cracker Island (Parlophone/ Warner)
  44. Duster – Stratosphere (Rerelease) (Numero Group)
  45. Hiss Golden Messenger – Jump for Joy (Merge Records)
  46. Jungle – Volcano (AWAL Recordings)
  47. PJ Harvey – I Inside The Old Year Dying (Partisan)
  48. Tanukichan – Gizmo (Company Records)
  49. Panchiko – Failed at Math(s) (self-released)
  50. Protomartyr – Formal Growth In The Desert (Domino)

Our DJs were also tasked with voting for album superlatives, including best picks for each genre, favorite events from throughout the year, and our coveted “DJ of the Year” award! Check them out below:

Best 7-inch: Kool Keith & Haji Outlaw – Keith & Outlaw EP (self-released)

Best Blues: Various Artists – Tell Everybody! 21st Century Juke Joints from Easy Eye Sound (Easy Eye Sound)

Best Compilation: Various Artists, Mad Professor – Ariwa Sounds, The Early Sessions (Ariwa Sounds, Melodies International)

Best Debut: Model/Actriz – Dogsbody (True Panther Records)

Best Club Convergence (Electronica): Sextile – Push (Sacred Bones)

Best EP: Wombo – Slab (Fire Talk)

Best Experimental: Laurel Halo – Atlas (Awe)

Best Folk: Joanna Sternberg – I’ve Got Me (Fat Possum)

Best Hip-Hop: JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown – SCARING THE HOES (AWAL)

Best Jazz: Yussef Dayes – Black Classical Music (Brownswood Recordings, Nonesuch Records)

Best Latin: Sofia Kourtesis – Madres (Ninja Tune)

Best Local: Medians – Music for Bats, Frogs, and Other Imaginary Friends (Self-Released)

Best Metal: Liturgy – 93696 (Thrill Jockey)

Best Punk: Upchuck – Bite The Hand That Feeds (Famous Class)

Best Reggae: Various Artists, Mad Professor – Ariwa Sounds: The Early Sessions (Ariwa Sounds, Melodies International)

Best Reissue: Daft Punk – Random Access Memories (10th Anniversary) (Columbia)

Best Sonic Safari: Combustible Edison – Forbidden Isle of Demos (Modern Harmonic)

Best Soul/Funk/RnB: Jamila Woods – Water Made Us (Jagjaguwar)

Best World: Ibrahim Hesnawi – The Father of Libyan Reggae (Habibi Funk)

Most Annoying: boygenius – the record (Interscope)

Best Comeback: Be Your Own Pet – Mommy (Third Man Records)

Best Album Art: Sufjan Stevens – Javelin (Asthmatic Kitty Records) 

Worst Band Name: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs

Best Label: Matador

Best Specialty Show: Sunday Evening Jazz

Best Region For Music: Northeastern US (Especially Philadelphia/NYC)

Best Local Show: V89’s 36th Birthday Bash! Featuring Pool Kids, Glazed, and Sarah Morrison (11/05/23)

Best WVFS In-Studio Session: Your Arms Are My Cocoon (07/04/23)

DJ of the Year: DJ Liv

Charts Archive