![](//www.4rfv.com/images/no_image.jpg)
The Best Music of 2023 Was Made with Berklee Artists Behind the mic, at the boards, or in the band, Berklee artists made some of the year's best music in every genre, as ranked by outlets from Pitchfork to Billboard.
By
John Mirisola
December 21, 2023
The sound of 2023, in one word? Kaleidoscopic.
The best music of the year emerged from every corner of the music world: pop and R&B had their certified bangers from artists like Rene Rapp, Chappel Roan, and Victoria Mon t; but so did the world of experimental doom jazz with Arooj Aftab B.M. '10, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismailys Love in Exile. It was a great year for shoegazing institutions like Blonde Redhead, and one no less auspicious for an indie-folk supergroup like Boygenius. Whether we were craving Latin trap or improvisational turntablism, finding the perfect new tune was as easy as cueing up some Tainy, or digging into Kris Daviss Village Vanguard set with her band, Diatom Ribbons.
But the common feature shared by so much of this years kaleidoscope of great music is, of course, the countless Berklee artists who worked to create these records-behind the mic, at the boards, or in the band. The following playlist represents a small sampling of the musical contributions Berklee artists have made to the years best music, represented by their appearances on year-end lists from publications including Pitchfork, the New York Times, Billboard, and others.
Tracklist and Credits1. Snowman, Blonde Redhead (from Sit Down for Dinner)Pitchfork: Best Songs No. 42 (Snowman), Best Rock Albums
Amedeo Pace '87, Simone Pace P.D. '87; band members
2. Flowers, Miley Cyrus (from Endless Summer Vacation)Rolling Stone: Best Albums No. 30; Billboard: Best Albums No. 16
Paul David Hager '89, engineer/mixer
Brian Rajaratnam B.M. '17, engineer/mixer
3. GO! (feat. Jason Palmer) Allison Miller (from Rivers in Our Veins)NPR: Best Jazz Albums; Best Albums
Jason Palmer (faculty), trumpet
4. From the Start, Laufey (from Bewitched)Billboard: Best Albums No. 46
Laufey '21
5. My Kink Is Karma, Chappel Roan (from The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess)Pitchfork: Best Pop Music; Rolling Stone: Best Albums No. 12
Justin Tranter '01, songwriter
6. On My Mama, Victoria Mon t (from Jaguar II)Pitchfork: Best Pop Music, Best Songs No. 30; Stereogum: Best Albums No. 40; NPR: Best Albums; Rolling Stone: Best Albums No. 9; Billboard: Best Albums No. 5
Jeff Gitelman B.M. '03, producer
7. Daddy, Nourished by Time (from Erotic Probiotic 2)Pitchfork: Best Pop Music, Best Albums No. 5, Best Songs No. 11; Stereogum: Best Albums No. 34
Marcus Brown P.D. '16 (Nourished by Time)
8. Crossing Guard, Model/Actriz (from Dogsbody)Pitchfork: Best Albums No. 33, Best Rock Albums; Rolling Stone: Best Albums No. 31
Cole Haden B.M. '19, Aaron Shapiro B.M. '17, Ruben Radlauer B.M. '19, Jack Wetmore '17; band members
9. Heart Break Escape, Liv.e (from Girl in the Half Pearl)Pitchfork: Best Pop Music; Best Albums, No. 39; Stereogum: Best Albums No. 38
Aaron Liao B.M. '17, producer
10. Moonless, Julie Byrne (from The Greater Wings)Pitchfork: Best Albums No. 21, Best Rock Albums, Best Songs No. 35; Stereogum: Best Albums No. 44
Alex Somers '04, producer/mixer
11. Not Strong Enough, Boygenius (from The Record)Pitchfork: Best Albums No. 16, Best Rock Albums, Best Songs No. 32; Stereogum: Best Albums No. 5; NPR: Best Albums; Rolling Stone: Best Albums No. 2; Billboard: Best Albums No. 2
Sarah Tudzin B.M. '14, producer/engineer
Kaushlesh Garry Purohit P.D. '16, engineer
12. A Running Start, Sufjan Stevens (from Javelin)Pitchfork: Best Albums No. 6, Best Rock Albums, Best Songs No. 3 (Will Anybody Ever Love Me?); Stereogum: Best Albums No. 35; Rolling Stone: Best Albums No. 15; Billboard: Best Albums No. 22
Megan Lui '10, vocals
Nedelle Torisi '99, vocals
13. The Dancer, Kris Davis and Diatom Ribbons (from Diatom Ribbons Live at the Village Vanguard)NPR: Best Jazz Albums
Kris Davis (faculty), piano
Terri Lyne Carrington (faculty), drums
Val Jeanty (faculty), turntables and electronics
Julian Lage '08, guitar
14. ASR (feat. Jeff Parker), Meshell Ndegeocello (from The Omnichord Real Book)NPR: Best Jazz Albums, Best Albums
Deantoni Parks B.M. '03, featured artist
Jeff Parker '90, featured artist
15. Paranormal (feat. Alvaro Diaz), Tainy (from Data)Pitchfork: Best Music by Latine and Spanish Artists; Rolling Stone: Best Albums No. 3
Berenice Gonzalo B.M. '21, engineer
16. To Remain/To Return, Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily (from Love in Exile)Pitchfork: Best Albums No. 25, Best Jazz and Experimental Albums
Arooj Aftab B.M. '10
17. Mr. Frisell (feat. Bill Frisell), Ambrose Akinmusire (from Owl Song)New York Times: Best Jazz Albums No. 4
Bill Frisell '77, guitar
18. Gemini Moon, Rene Rapp (from Snow Angel)Rolling Stone: Best Albums No. 55; Billboard: Best Albums No. 10
Justin Tranter '01, songwriter
19. Vampire Empire, Big ThiefPitchfork: Best Songs No. 15
Adrianne Lenker B.M. '12, Buck Meek B.M. '10, James Krivchenia B.M. '14; band members
20. Independence Day, PalehoundStereogum: Best Albums No. 48; Rolling Stone: Best Albums No. 75
Larz Brogan B.M. '15, band member
21. A Luminous Parable of Indeterminate Import, John Zorn (from Homenaje A Remedios Varo)NPR: Best Jazz Albums
Julian Lage '08, guitar
22. Sunset Cliffs, Daniel Villareal (from Lados B)Pitchfork: Best Jazz and Experimental Albums
Jeff Parker '90, guitar
23. Tr fico por Katmand (feat. Elvis Costello), Fito Paez (from EADDA9223)NPR: Best Albums
Gustavo Borner B.M. '89, producer/mixer/engineer
Phil Levine '16, engineer
Justin Moshkevich B.M. '07, mastering engineer
24. The Waves Are Not the Ocean, Pat Metheny (from Dream Box)Pitchfork: Bes
More from Berklee
26/07/2024
Berklee Alumni Nominated for 2024 Emmy Awards Twenty-one Berklee alumni received Emmy nominations this year for music composition, sound mixing, and sound editi...
23/07/2024
Alum Notes: Spring/Summer 2024 The most recent news from your fellow alumni.
July 10, 2024
Emily McGuire B.F.A. '18 of Glendale, CA, found a new love f...
18/07/2024
Faculty Notes: Spring/Summer 2024 Recent accomplishments, releases, and events by Berklee faculty.
July 8, 2024
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Assistant Pro...
18/07/2024
Jim McNeely and Miguel Zen n Named the 2024-2025 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholars in...
18/07/2024
Jim Lucchese Named Berklee's Fifth President A 20-year music industry veteran and a committed artist advocate with deep Berklee roots, Lucchese sets the t...
16/07/2024
Dr. Judith Christie McAllister Joins Gospel Performance Summer Program as Artist...
15/07/2024
Berklee Alumni Publications Win CASE Awards The magazine Berklee Today received a gold award and podcast Pass the Mic earned bronze from the Council for Advan...
11/07/2024
Berklee NYC Honors Largest Class of Master Scholars at 2024 Commencement Grammy and Tony Award-winning alum Charlie Rosen delivered the commencement address a...
09/07/2024
Legendary African Musician Youssou N'Dour Receives Honorary Degree at Berkle...
08/07/2024
Berklee City Music Celebrates Three Decades Empowering Young Artists The program has given generations of musicians-sometimes within the same family-the tools...
08/07/2024
Renate Rohlfing Awarded Mass Cultural Council Grant The music therapy faculty member will use the grant to help foster more opportunities to create in-person co...
06/07/2024
Berklee Online Offers Courses to Students in Juvenile Justice Centers To date, Berklee Online classes are offered at nearly 30 such centers across the United ...
06/07/2024
Working to Make Music More Accessible to All New technologies and changing attitudes mean more disabled musicians are playing instruments.
By
Adrian Ananta...
29/06/2024
Students Help Bring Nona Hendryxs Dream Machine to Life at Lincoln Center A group of electronic production and design majors created sonic landscapes for Hend...
28/06/2024
Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin Named Chair of the Ensemble Department A renowned vocalist, arranger, and educator, Robinson-Martin is known for developing innov...
26/06/2024
LGBTQ Student Group to Hold Inaugural Pride Music Festival Lavanda, founded by student Emma Whitney, will host Camp Fest, an outdoor music festival and commu...
15/06/2024
What Exactly Is Dad Rock? 21 Songs that Explain the Totally Not Embarrassing Gen...
14/06/2024
Dr. Lenora Helm Hammonds Named Dean of the Professional Education Division A renowned jazz vocalist, educator, and Berklee alumna, Hammonds is known for her i...
13/06/2024
Final Exams or NBA Finals? For These Boston Conservatory Students, It's Both Two commercial dance students joined the Boston Celtics dancers for a memorab...
05/06/2024
Taylor Swifts Global Popularity Explained (Berklees Version) Music business, songwriting, and live production faculty weigh in on what makes Taylor Swift unst...
05/06/2024
Professor and Two Alumni Receive Fulbright Awards Faculty member Stacy Mattingly and alumni Shanelle Villegas and Lili Chey Warren have been selected for Fulb...
05/06/2024
Music and Sustainability at Berklee and Beyond Integrating sustainability practices into music not only helps address environmental concerns but also contribute...
24/05/2024
Boston Conservatory Plays a Leading Role at the 41st Annual Elliot Norton Awards With six wins and eight additional nominations, the Conservatory's theate...
22/05/2024
Berklee's Summer in the City Brings Free Concerts to Boston Area The series will feature Berklee students, faculty, and alumni performing at popular venue...
21/05/2024
Dr. Ray Seol Awarded Grant for Creative Individuals from Mass Cultural Council The grant will expand his Seu Aprendiz project designed to help individuals bui...
15/05/2024
Berklee Artists to Perform at Major US Music Festivals this Summer and Fall The Berklee Popular Music Institute arranged placements at top festivals including...
12/05/2024
Berklee Honors Ledisi, Q-Tip, and Gilberto Santa Rosa at Commencement This years honorary doctorate recipients were recognized for their profound influence as...
10/05/2024
Berklee Announces 2024 Songs for Social Change Contest Winners Student songwriters shine in the annual contest that recognizes music with a socially conscious...
10/05/2024
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2024 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
10/05/2024
Berklee and Audio Engineering Society to Host Symposium on AI in Music The inaugural AES International Symposium on AI and the Musician will highlight excitin...
08/05/2024
Q&A with Visiting Artist Lei Liang The acclaimed composer discusses his collaboration with Boston Conservatory, his work as a research artist, and what it mea...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
02/05/2024
Two Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
By...
30/04/2024
Next Jazz Legacy Announces 2024 Cohort of Women and Nonbinary Awardees The program was created by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender J...
27/04/2024
Berklee's Music and Health Institute Launches Community Health Musician Cert...
25/04/2024
Berklee Student Riko Sasaski Named 2024 Yamaha Young Performing Artist The accomplished saxophonist secured a spot among the elite winners of this year's ...
24/04/2024
Berklee Online to Hold 2024 Berklee Onsite Music Conference May 31-June 1 The in-person conference is open to Berklee Online students and the music community ...
18/04/2024
Krisha Marcano Announced as Dean of Theater for Boston Conservatory at Berklee The theater educator, choreographer, and performer will join Boston Conservator...
18/04/2024
Berklee's Yoon-Ji Lee Receives Guggenheim Fellowship Lee, an assistant professor of composition, creates music based on unconventional and nonlinear struc...
17/04/2024
Simone Pilon Appointed Executive Director at Berklee Valencia Pilon, who has served as Berklee Valencia's interim executive director since March 2023, has a...
17/04/2024
FINNEAS and Ashe Talk Confidence and Collaboration in the Music Industry Days before his sister Billie Eilishs new album announcement, producer and songwriter...
12/04/2024
Youssou NDour to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee Valencia's 2024 Comme...
12/04/2024
Berklee and Electronic Arts Celebrate Annual EA Day The second annual EA Berklee Day celebrated women in the screen scoring industry and presented the Electro...
11/04/2024
Boston Conservatory at Berklee to Honor LaChanze and Lar Lubovitch at Commenceme...
11/04/2024
Berklee Hosts Leading Artists and Entertainment Pros at Annual Career Jam Grammy-winning producer and singer-songwriter FINNEAS and hitmaker Ashe BM 15 headli...
10/04/2024
Ledisi, Q-Tip, and Gilberto Santa Rosa to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee...
05/04/2024
Berklee Honors Three Outstanding Artists at Alumni Achievement Awards Natalie Toro, Gustavo Borner, and Mark Kelley were recognized for their achievements in ...
05/04/2024
Berklee's Africana Studies Department to Host its First Annual Symposium The inaugural event will feature scholar, political commentator, and author Dr. E...
04/04/2024
Boston Conservatory at Berklee to Present Five Iconic Works at Spring Dance Conc...
04/04/2024
Morton Subotnick Named 2024 Herb Alpert Visiting Artist for Electronic Productio...