We’re only halfway into the year, yet 2023 has already graced us with a plethora of powerful alternative albums worth writing home about. Early on, we could tell this year would bode well: In February, after a four-year hiatus, Paramore released a funky, complex new project that’s lit a fire under their avid fanbase; Foo Fighters produced a nearly flawless rock ’n’ roll album that both gracefully, and gutturally, taps into their very real pain and loss; GEL gave us a debut album that does their mission statement of making “hardcore for freaks” serious justice. From post-hardcore to pop, alt-rap to grunge, the definition of alternative is as wide and inclusive as ever for us at AP. That being said, it was a struggle to fit our favorites into a list of 25. But we’ve managed.
Below are the 25 best albums so far in a year that’s surely got more greats in store.
The best albums of 2023 so far
From Arlo Parks to 100 gecs, check out our picks.







:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(742x275:744x277)/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-timeline-092523-tout-669c64f9a1c0492ab5c8853b508a9996.jpg)








