It’s been a good year to be an audience member, with 2023 bringing us some incredible films and shows — and even better soundtracks.

As filmmakers and show-runners continue to push the boat out, whether delivering jaw-dropping spectacles or delving deeper into experimentation, composers and artists have tirelessly and dutifully serviced these stories on the big and small screens.

From sweeping orchestral arrangements that tug at the heartstrings, and tightly wound percussion that amps up anxiety to avant-garde compositions challenging the very boundaries of sound, this year’s soundtracks have offered much, much more than simple musical accompaniment.

While plenty of established composers have returned with scores that cement their status as masters of the craft, 2023 has also put some supremely talented emerging artists on our radar and delivered wholly new music to our ears. In celebration of all the spectacular compositions we’ve heard this year, we bring you...

OUR TOP 10 SOUNDTRACKS OF 2023

Beef (Season 1) — Bobby Krlic

Considering Bobby Krlic, aka The Haxan Cloak, had already scored two of A24 poster boy Ari Aster’s features, including what we think is one of the best horror soundtracks of all time, it made sense that he’d be brought on to compose for the esteemed production company’s first foray into TV with Beef. However, nothing could prepare us for the sheer diversity and boldness of his second solo TV score. From the opening title track, listeners are plunged into a sonic kaleidoscope — which, thanks to the genius of Bobby, still retains a strong and cohesive sense of identity.

Rye Lane — Kwes

We’ve been fans of London-based Kwes ever since he dropped his debut album, Ilp, 10 years ago. It was an exciting day when it was announced that he would be scoring his debut feature film — and particularly intriguing that it was going to be a rom-com. Upon release, we were presented with a vibrant depiction of South East London and an ingenious take on the genre by director Raine Allen Miller, all bolstered by a bubbly and upbeat soundtrack by Kwes which quite rightly won ‘Best Original Music’ at the British Independent Film Awards. The next Kwes score can’t come quick enough.

Oppenheimer — Ludwig Göransson

“For Oppenheimer,” Ludwig Göransson told us, “one of the first ideas that I needed to build was a flurry of unique sounds — using radios, nuclear computers and machines that were used in the 1950s.” Following Tenet in 2020, which saw Ludwig receive the musical mantle passed from longstanding Christopher Nolan collaborator Hans Zimmer, fans were wondering if this new creative partnership would endure. Luckily for everyone, it did, and one of the year’s biggest films received a suitably explosive and already iconic soundtrack. It’s a testament to the composer that, despite the heavyweight status of Christopher Nolan as an auteur, his films have taken a distinct musical shift under Ludwig’s control. Here’s to many more Nolan/Göransson collaborations.

You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah — Este Haim & Amanda Yamate

If 2022’s Do Revenge heralded the beginning of an exciting composing duo with Este Haim & Amanda Yamate, then this year’s You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah cemented them as one of the most formidable scoring teams of the 2020s. In our Podcast episode with the two of them, the HAIM bassist explained: “Going into both Do Revenge and Bat Mitzvah, we wanted to elevate the 'teen comedy', but also nod at some of the classics of the genre and musically wink at them.” Infused with soulful synths, glitzy pop anthems and traditional Jewish melodies, Bat Mitzvah represents a benchmark for comedy scores with range and depth.

Strange Planet (Season 1) — Isabella Summers

Another sensational songwriter who has seamlessly transitioned into film and TV composition, Florence and the Machine’s Isabella Summers has steadily built up her scoring resumé with some amazing projects including Lady Chatterley's Lover and The Offer. This year, however, she made something of a departure from the norm and took to composing for Apple+’s adaptation of Nathan Pyle’s iconic Strange Planet comics. Scoring the journey of little aliens navigating Earth and learning what it means to be human, Isabella created a soundtrack as equally heartwarming and adorable as the story it accompanied.

Reptile — Yair Elazar Glotman

Starting as a simple murder mystery before descending into a toxic web of conspiracies and deceit, Grant Singer’s debut feature Reptile seemed to come out of nowhere and hooked us all with its approach to the classic crime-thriller. Punctuating every beat of tension or revelation, and eerily filling in the otherwise silent moments of suspense, was Yair Elzar Glotman’s fantastic score — a meticulously crafted and robust soundtrack that played a pivotal role in shaping the film’s identity.

The Crown (Season 6) — Martin Phipps

Knowing that this sixth season of The Crown will be the series’ last is almost as sad as knowing it’ll be the final musical offering from Martin Phipps to the acclaimed franchise. Since taking the reins as the composer in 2019 for the third season, Martin has consistently delivered compositions that speak to the regal yet three-dimensional nature of the characters we’ve followed now for nearly eight years. As swan songs go, you can’t beat The Crown: Season Six.

Saltburn — Anthony Willis

After collaborating with Emerald Fennell for her debut Promising Young Woman in 2020, Anthony Willis has teamed up with the British director once again for her much anticipated sophomore feature, Saltburn. The result is a sumptuous orchestral collection that, when listened in isolation from the movie, plays out like a fully formed record. Recorded with the London Contemporary Orchestra, Anthony’s deeply evocative score weaves seamlessly in and out of soaring classical tracks and dark, churning pieces of pure atmosphere.

Earth Mama — Kelsey Lu

With Earth Mama, Savannah Leaf’s stunning first offering as writer/director, we were also gifted with the extraordinary new talent of Kelsey Lu. The LA-based singer and cellist released their EP Church in 2016 before their debut album, Blood, in 2019. Listening to both collections reveals a deeply cinematic musician, but we were blown away by the pure confidence, coherence and distinctness of their first-ever score, which is utterly integral to the overwhelming emotional power of Earth Mama.

Poor Things — Jerskin Fendrix

The fact that Poor Things would be the first film in Yorgos Lanthimos’ extensive filmography to feature an original score was a huge source of interest — but learning that London artist Jerskin Fendrix was helming it was another thing entirely. The musician was closely associated with the South London indie scene; regularly appearing at the Brixton Windmill and collaborating with cult band Black Midi for their 2018 Christmas special song, ‘Ice Cream’. Despite (or perhaps due to) the huge disparity between Jerskin and the Greek auteur, this soundtrack — which marks a first for the both of them — is a thing of wonky, delightful and breathtakingly singular beauty.