Entertainment in 2023: We're ranking the best movies, music, TV shows, pop culture moments

Admit it, you love a list as much as we do.

Because, really, isn’t it less stressful to argue over the best movie or song of the year than to bicker over politics?

Perhaps that depends on your household.

But we don’t just love lists, we exist to create them. To analyze and pare down the best of the year and provide some critical insight into why these artistic endeavors are worth your time and money is not only a fun assignment, but a mission.

We take this stuff seriously. We’re also very popular at parties.

So while USA TODAY’s entertainment corps crafted individual recaps of their picks in movies, music, TV, theater, pop culture, we’re going to make it easier.

And so we give you … a list of lists.

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Best movies of 2023

Where did 'Barbie' and 'Poor Things' rank on our list of 2023's best films?

USA TODAY movie critic Brian Truitt proclaimed this a “great” year in film and praised the diversity of stellar offerings. How often can we celebrate a story about a sneakers (“Air”), a glorious musical about sisterhood and trauma (“The Color Purple”) and the clever existential crisis of a pretty blond doll (“Barbie”) in the same calendar year? This was the one.

Here’s a look at the best movies of 2023.

Best songs of 2023

Our best songs of 2023 include tracks from the Beatles, Taylor Swift, SZA and more

Ever try making a list of a mere 10 songs from the hundreds you probably listened to throughout the year? It isn’t easy, is it? We’ll admit, we didn’t come into 2023 thinking we might hear a new Beatles song; we just figured Taylor Swift would rule everything (and she sort of did). But along with a few surprises, it was also a year of reflection in pop and rock, as Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus and the Foo Fighters were among those sharing their vulnerabilities.

Here’s a look at the best songs of 2023.

Best concerts of 2023

Speaking of Taylor Swift, yeah, she had a rather overwhelming year. As did Beyoncé, who crisscrossed the globe with her elaborate “Renaissance” tour. But neither of them, in our reviewed-thousands-of-concerts opinion, offered the best show of the year. You can read the list to find out who sneaked past them for the No. 1 slot, but pause for a moment to remember how empty our lives were without live music for much of 2020 and how exhilarating it still feels when the houselights drop.

Here’s a look at the best concerts of 2023.

Best TV shows of 2023

Looking for something to binge? Here are 2023's best TV shows according to our critic.

Even with the unprecedented work stoppage prompted by strikes both actorly (SAG-AFTRA) and writerly (WGA), TV still managed to keep us entertained on our couches with numerous gems from streamers and networks. TV Critic Kelly Lawler praises the “deep and thoughtful … fun and funny” range of this installation of “Fargo,” revels in the frantic tension of “The Bear” and reminds us how we can’t wait for the return of the tartly sweet “Abbott Elementary.”

Here’s a look at the best TV shows of 2023.

Best Broadway shows of 2023

You don’t always need a Josh Groban (“Sweeney Todd”), Daniel Radcliffe (“Merrily We Roll Along”) or Jessica Chastain (“A Doll’s House”) to stage a gripping theatrical show. But it doesn’t hurt. While plenty of A-list names dotted the marquees in New York’s theater district this year, just as many low-key charmers emerged as well.

Here’s a look at the best Broadway shows of 2023.

Biggest pop culture moments of 2023

From Britney to Bad Bunny, the girls who run the world (that would be Beyoncé and Taylor) to the passing of an actual Queen, the year in pop culture was rife with memories. But with the pleasant comes the sad, and deaths (Matthew Perry, Tina Turner,  André Braugher) and divorces (Hugh Jackman, Cardi B, Joe Jonas) prompted varying levels of mourning as well.

Here’s a look at the biggest pop culture moments of 2023.

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