In a celebration of diverse rhythms, melodies, and beats, we present to you KGNU’s Top 100 most played albums from 2023.
Our DJs pride themselves on delivering a eclectic mixes that transcend genres, and our annual album roundup is a testament to the vibrant tapestry of sounds that you hear every single day on our airwaves.
Here’s what rose to the top of our DJs playlists in 2023:
Artist | Album | Label | |
100 | Noname | Sundial | Self |
99 | Bruce Cockburn | O Sun O Moon | True North |
98 | Scott McMicken And THE EVER-EXPANDING | Shabang | Anti |
97 | Allison Russell | The Returner |
Birds of Chicago
|
96 | Eliza Gilkyson | Home |
Realiza Records
|
95 | Water From Your Eyes | Everyone’s Crushed |
Matador Records
|
94 | Bokani Dyer | Radio Sechaba |
Brownswood Recordings
|
93 | The Allergies | Tear the Place Up |
Jalapeno Records
|
92 | Parker Millsap | Wilderness Within You |
Okra Homa Records
|
91 | Fenne Lily | Big Picture | Dead Oceans |
90 | Bobby Rush | All My Love For You | Deep Rush |
89 | Feist | Multitudes | Interscope |
88 | Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit | Weathervanes |
Southeastern Records
|
87 | DJ Black Low | Impumelelo |
Awesome Tapes From Africa
|
86 | Jungle | Volcano |
Thanks For Your Patience
|
85 | Faizal Mostrixx | Mutations |
Glitterbeat Records
|
84 | Yaeji | With A Hammer | XL Recordings |
83 | RUMTUM | Arcadian Daze |
Bastard Jazz Recordings
|
82 | Jim Hurst | From the Ground Up | Pinecastle |
81 | Tall Poppy String Band | Tall Poppy String Band | Self Produced |
80 | João Selva | Passarinho |
Underdog Records
|
79 | Otis Taylor | Otis Taylor’s Banjo |
Octave Records
|
78 | Benny Sings | Young Hearts |
Stones Throw Records
|
77 | Rodrigo Y Gabriela | In Between Thoughts…A New World | ATO Records |
76 | Zuco 103 | Telenova | Zuco Sound |
75 | Dan Tyminski | God Fearing Heathen |
8 Track Entertainment
|
74 | Nickodemus & Pat Kalla | Soul & Science |
Wonderwheel Recordings
|
73 | Tony Allen & Adrian Younge | Tony Allen JID018 | Jazz Is Dead |
72 | Natalie Padilla, Casey Campbell & Tyler Andal | Hell Broke Loose | Natalie Padilla |
71 | Onipa & David Walters | Off The Grid | Real World |
70 | Black Pumas | Chronicles of a Diamond | ATO Records |
69 | Wax Tailor | Fishing for Accidents | Lab’Oratoire |
68 | A Certain Ratio | 1982 | Mute |
67 | Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily | Love In Exile | Verve Records |
66 | Salami Rose Joe Louis & Brijean | Akousmatikous |
Salami Rose Joe Louis
|
65 | Kiltro | Underbelly | Self Released |
64 | Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen | Hold On |
Compass Records
|
63 | Eddie 9V | Capricorn | Ruf Records |
62 | J Rocc | Beatitudes |
Stones Throw Records
|
61 | The War And Treaty | Lover’s Game |
UMG Recordings
|
60 | Son Rompe Pera | Chimborazo | AYA Records |
59 | Devon Gilfillian | Love You Anyway | Fantasy |
58 | The Sweet Lillies | Equality |
The Sweet Lillies
|
57 | Various Artists | Middle Eastern Grooves (Selected By DJ Kobayashi) | Batov Records |
56 | The Kody Norris Show | Rhinestone Revival | Rebel Records |
55 | Various Artists | Coco María Presents Club Coco ¡Ahora! The Latin Sound Of Now | Bongo Joe |
54 | Eje Eje | Five Seasons | Batov Records |
53 | Jamila Woods | Water Made Us | Jagjaguwar |
52 | Adi Oasis | Lotus Glow | Unity Records |
51 | Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer | As We Speak (feat. Rakesh Chaurasia) |
Bela Fleck Productions
|
50 | El Michels Affair & Black Thought | Glorious Game | Big Crown |
49 | The Cody Sisters | The Cody Sisters – EP | Caravan Sun |
48 | Acid Arab & Sofiane Saidi | ٣ (Trois) | Crammed |
47 | Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley | Living In a Song |
Compass Records
|
46 | Hippo Sound System | Origins |
Hippo Sound System
|
45 | Captain Planet & Jimena Angel | Sounds Like Home |
Bastard Jazz Recordings
|
44 | Janelle Monáe | The Age Of Pleasure |
Wondaland Productions
|
43 | Charif Megarbane | Habibi Funk 023: Marzipan | Habibi Funk |
42 | Bombino | Sahel |
Partisan Records
|
41 | The Infamous Stringdusters | A Tribute to Flatt & Scruggs – EP |
Americana Vibes
|
40 | Cowboy Dave | Venture South | Self Produced |
39 | Yo La Tengo | This Stupid World |
Matador Records
|
38 | The Budos Band | Frontier’s Edge – EP |
Diamond West Records
|
37 | Altin Gün | Aşk | ATO Records |
36 | Dudu Tassa & Jonny Greenwood | Jarak Qaribak | Dudu Tassa |
35 | Jon Batiste | World Music Radio | Verve Records |
34 | Boygenius | The Record | Interscope |
33 | Peter One | Come Back To Me | Verve Forecast |
32 | Dale Ann Bradley | Kentucky for Me | Pinecastle |
31 | Novalima & La Dame Blanche | La Danza (Pt. 1) – EP |
Six Degrees Records
|
30 | Durand Jones | Wait Til I Get Over | Dead Oceans |
29 | Y La Bamba | Lucha |
Tender Loving Empire
|
28 | Andy Hall | Squareneck Soul |
Americana Vibes
|
27 | Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real | Sticks And Stones | Thirty Tigers |
26 | Ireke | Tropikadelic | Ireke |
25 | Hot Mustard | Seconds |
Color Red Records
|
24 | African Head Charge | A Trip To Bolgatanga | On-U Sound |
23 | Nickel Creek | Celebrants | Repair Records |
22 | Son Volt | Day Of The Doug |
Transmit Sound
|
21 | Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton | Death Wish Blues |
Rounder Records
|
20 | Surprise Chef | Friendship EP |
Big Crown Records
|
19 | Baaba Maal | Being |
Marathon Artists
|
18 | Jalen Ngonda | Come Around And Love Me | Daptone |
17 | Various Artists | Birthright: A Black Roots Music Compendium |
Craft Recordings
|
16 | Willie Nelson | I Don’t Know A Thing About Love (The Songs of Harlan Howard) | Legacy |
15 | Tinariwen | Amatssou | Wedge |
14 | Rodney Crowell & Jeff Tweedy | The Chicago Sessions |
New West Records
|
13 | Sunny War | Anarchist Gospel |
New West Records
|
12 | Lucinda Williams | Stories From A Rock N Roll Heart |
Highway 20 Records
|
11 | Meshell Ndegeocello | The Omnichord Real Book | Blue Note |
10 | Michael Cleveland | Lovin’ Of The Game |
Compass Records
|
9 | Mighty Poplar | Mighty Poplar (feat. Andrew Marlin, Noam Pikelny, Chris Eldridge, Alex Hargreaves & Greg Garrison) |
Mighty Poplar/Free Dirt Records
|
8 | Dom Flemons | Traveling Wildfire |
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
|
7 | Yussef Dayes | Black Classical Music | Brownswood |
6 | Taj Mahal | Savoy | Stony Plain |
5 | Witch | Zango |
Desert Daze Sound
|
4 | Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway | City Of Gold |
Nonesuch Records
|
3 | Various Artists | The Black Gospel Ladies 1947-1970 | Narro Way |
2 | Robbie Fulks | Bluegrass Vacation |
Compass Records
|
1 | Iris Dement | Workin’ On A World |
Flariella Records
|
Mark your calendars for the Morning Sound Alternative on Wednesday, December 27th as KGNU’s Music Director Indra Raj walks through every single album from this list. An end-of-year countdown to remember!