With June ending this weekend, we are officially halfway through 2023. It has been a wild year so far. AI is becoming more prevalent than ever, trains are derailing across the country, and crazy weather has wreaked havoc worldwide. However, the Hot 100 has been stable! There was a new number one almost weekly in the past few years. Yet, in 2023, only a few songs reached the coveted spot. Which of those songs is the best? We have only a few to choose from, so a ranking is in order. We’ll rank all six number-one songs from worst to best, minus “All I Want for Christmas Is You” since it charts number one yearly. Let’s get into it!
6.”Last Night” by Morgan Wallen
The hype behind this song and the records it broke are more interesting than the actual song. This is our current number-one song, with “Fast Car” by Luke Combs close behind. In 42 years, this is the first time two country songs have topped the Hot 100. That’s pretty unbelievable! The single itself? It’s fine. The chorus is a bit catchy, and Morgan Wallen‘s voice sounds decent. However, the song breezes by with little of an impression. But it has hooked many people with 12 weeks and counting on top.
5.”Flowers” by Miley Cyrus
While I dearly miss Miley Cyrus‘s Plastic Hearts rock era, the new pop era has given us some lovely songs. In particular, the lead single held the number-one spot for a while. “Flowers” is a fun and vibey summer track about moving on from a relationship and loving yourself. It’s a super groovy song, and I like the little chant she adds at the end of the chorus. Interpolating “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars for that chorus was a good touch. Welcome back to Pop, Miley!
4.”Like Crazy” by Jimin
Weirdly enough, this is the last song on this list, released in 2023. It’s another funky tune that is promising for Jimin‘s work outside of BTS. I love the synth-pop dance style that the song is going for. It makes me want to get up around my room and dance. The lyrics do not reflect this happy tone, though. In the Korean version, Jimin laments about a past relationship and refuses to accept it’s over. At least the rest of it is upbeat!
3.”Die For You” by The Weeknd & Ariana Grande
This song should have been a hit back in 2016. It has been a Weeknd fan favorite from Starboy for the last six years. In 2022, however, it started gaining traction through TikTok when it broke through the top 10. Eventually, a remix was released with Ariana Grande that sent it straight to one. While the song is fantastic, a part of me is partial to the original. It’s already a perfect song. Ariana delivers a great verse, but it’s not the best hit.
2.”Anti-Hero” By Taylor Swift
Hot take: this could be one of Taylor‘s best hits ever. Looking at it musically, it’s already a great song. It has a super catchy chorus and a good driving instrumental to backdrop Swift. However, it excels most in the area of its content. “Anti-Hero” is Taylor at her most honest and vulnerable. This song feels the most like midnight ramblings out of the Midnights album. She ruminates on how much she feels like a force of destruction, not just in her own life but others. A lot of her musings are relatable, albeit a bit sad. Despite this sadness, it’s still an enjoyable and oddly comforting track.
1.”Kill Bill” By SZA
At our number one spot, we have SZA with her very first number one ever. SZA’s huge chart success has been a long time coming. 2017’s Ctrl gave her a few minor hits but things didn’t really start picking up for her until “Good Days” in 2020. This all snowballed through 2021-2022 with the buildup to her second album SOS. Now, it has given us our best hit song of the year. Everything about this song–from SZA’s singing, the insane story, the atmospheric bouncy instrumental, and the reference to the fantastic movie–is perfect. You’ve undoubtedly heard this song, so there’s not much point in staying on this too long. You know why this is here.
That’s our list! Our year’s biggest songs so far have been good. I’m not sure how many more chart-toppers we’ll get this year, but hopefully, they can match up to the first half. Olivia Rodrigo is coming in hot this week, so we’ll see how that goes. We’ll see you again later, take care!
