![The 10 Best Country Albums of 2023 — Critic’s Picks](https://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2023/12/attachment-MorganKelseaCody.jpg?w=980&q=75)
The 10 Best Country Albums of 2023 — Critic’s Picks
Full-length albums have always been a way for artists to connect with fans and share the personal journeys behind their hit songs.
But in 2023, artists shared their hearts more than ever. In fact, all of Taste of Country's Top 10 albums of the year have one thing in common: Each of them opened up the artist's innermost thoughts about a personal evolution or life stage that they went through before or while making it.
A painful divorce, a homeward quest and an evolution toward family-focused maturity are just three of the themes embraced on this year's top albums list. These projects set the bar high: So high, in fact, that some of the finest country albums of the year, including Luke Combs' Gettin' Old and Zach Bryan's self-titled album, didn't make the cut. Honorable mentions also go to Brandy Clark's self-titled project, Dustin Lynch's Killed the Cowboy and Hardy's The Mockingbird & the Crow, all albums that found innovative, groundbreaking ways to be vulnerable and connect to listeners.
Scroll through the list below to see Taste of Country's list of critic's picks, with only minor consideration given to sales or chart success. A team of staff writers worked together to create this list.
The 10 Best Country Albums of 2023 - Critic's Picks
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
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