78 Fun Facts About 2023 Music

Which Miley Cyrus single spent eight weeks at US No. 1 and was 2023's best-selling global single?

Flowers debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in January 2023, logged eight weeks on top, and was named IFPI's Global Single of the Year for 2023.

Morgan Wallen's "Last Night" spent how many non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100?

Last Night spent 16 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 during 2023; it comes from Wallen's 36-track album One Thing at a Time.

Which BTS member's "Seven" (featuring Latto) debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in July 2023?

Jung Kook's Seven, featuring Latto, debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated July 29, 2023, making him the second BTS member after Jimin to top the chart as a soloist.

SZA's "Kill Bill" broke which song's record for longest No. 1 run on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart?

Kill Bill's 2023 run at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs passed the 20-week record Lil Nas X's Old Town Road set in 2019.

Doja Cat's "Paint the Town Red" is built on a sample of which 1964 Dionne Warwick song?

Paint the Town Red samples Walk on By, Dionne Warwick's 1964 Burt Bacharach and Hal David hit; Doja Cat's track reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in September 2023.

Which 2019 Taylor Swift album track went viral on the Eras Tour and hit No. 1 as a single in 2023?

Cruel Summer, from 2019's Lover, was co-written with Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent and reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in October 2023, four years after release.

Oliver Anthony's 'Rich Men North of Richmond' made him the first artist to do what on the Hot 100?

Rich Men North of Richmond debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated August 26, 2023, making Oliver Anthony the first act to debut at No. 1 with no prior chart history of any kind.

Which country singer's 'Try That in a Small Town' hit No. 1 in 2023 after CMT pulled its video?

Jason Aldean's Try That in a Small Town topped the Hot 100 dated August 5, 2023, after CMT pulled a video filmed at a Tennessee courthouse.

In which US city did Taylor Swift's Eras Tour open on March 17, 2023?

The Eras Tour opened at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on March 17, 2023; the city temporarily renamed itself 'Swift City' for the opening weekend.

In December 2023 the Eras Tour became the highest-grossing tour ever, overtaking whose farewell tour?

Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour grossed about $939 million across 330 shows from 2018 to 2023, the record the Eras Tour overtook in December 2023.

Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour opened on May 10, 2023, in which city?

The Renaissance World Tour opened at Friends Arena in Stockholm on May 10, 2023, and closed at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium on October 1, 2023.

"Now and Then", the 2023 "last Beatles song", grew out of which Beatle's home demo from around 1977?

Now and Then began as a home cassette demo John Lennon recorded in New York in the late 1970s; the surviving Beatles completed it in 2022 and released it on November 2, 2023.

Billie Eilish's Grammy- and Oscar-winning 'What Was I Made For?' was written for which 2023 film?

What Was I Made For? was written by Billie Eilish and Finneas for Greta Gerwig's Barbie; it won the 2024 Grammy for Song of the Year and the Oscar for Best Original Song.

How many of Guts' 12 songs made the Hot 100's top 40 in the album's debut week?

The lead single "Vampire" topped charts in eight countries including the US and the UK.

Speak Now (Taylor's Version) gave Swift her 12th Billboard 200 No. 1, breaking whose record for most chart-topping albums by a woman?

Speak Now (Taylor's Version) topped the Billboard 200 in July 2023 and passed Barbra Streisand's record for the most No. 1 albums by a woman; Streisand's chart-toppers ran from People (1964) to Encore (2016).

Which 1989 (Taylor's Version) vault track debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 2023?

Is It Over Now?, a vault track from 1989 (Taylor's Version), debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated November 11, 2023, in the album's first week of release.

Which film did Travis Scott release the day before his 2023 album Utopia?

Circus Maximus, co-directed by Travis Scott with Gaspar Noé, Harmony Korine and Nicolas Winding Refn, screened in theaters on July 27, 2023, one day before Utopia arrived.

Morgan Wallen's 36-track One Thing at a Time was mainly recorded at which famous studio?

The album spent 19 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1, beating Garth Brooks' Ropin' the Wind as the longest-running No. 1 country album.

Which SZA song was the only track to stay on the Billboard Hot 100 for the entire year of 2023?

Snooze, from SZA's album SOS, appeared on every weekly Hot 100 of 2023; an acoustic remix featuring Justin Bieber followed in September 2023.

Lana Del Rey's 2023 album title begins "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under..." — under what?

The full title is Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, after a sealed pedestrian tunnel in Long Beach, California; the album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in March 2023.

Boygenius is Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and which singer?

Phoebe Bridgers formed Boygenius with Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus in 2018; the trio's 2023 debut album The Record won three Grammys, including Best Alternative Music Album.

Where did "Ella Baila Sola", the first regional Mexican song in the Hot 100's top 10, peak?

Ella Baila Sola, by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma, peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 in May 2023 and became the first regional Mexican song to pass a billion Spotify streams.

Karol G's Mañana Será Bonito was the first all-Spanish-language album by a woman to do what?

Mañana Será Bonito debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in March 2023, the first all-Spanish-language album by a woman to reach No. 1 in the United States; it later won the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album.

PinkPantheress's "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2" hit No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 2023 with which Bronx rapper?

Ice Spice, from the Bronx, joined PinkPantheress on Boy's a Liar Pt. 2, which peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 in early 2023, the first top-five hit for both artists.

Who headlined the Super Bowl LVII halftime show in February 2023?

Rihanna headlined the Super Bowl LVII halftime show on February 12, 2023, the first under Apple Music's sponsorship, and revealed her second pregnancy on stage.

Which country did Loreen represent when she won Eurovision 2023 with 'Tattoo'?

Loreen's 2023 victory was Sweden's seventh at Eurovision, matching Ireland's tally at the time, and made her the first woman to win the contest twice after Euphoria in 2012.

Why was Eurovision 2023 staged in the UK rather than by the country that won in 2022?

Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena hosted on behalf of Ukraine's broadcaster, and 37 countries took part.

Which group was the first Asian act to headline Coachella, in 2023?

Blackpink headlined Coachella's main stage on April 15 and 22, 2023, the first Asian act to top the bill; that July they also headlined BST Hyde Park in London.

Who played the Sunday "Legends" slot at Glastonbury 2023?

Yusuf / Cat Stevens filled the Sunday teatime Legends slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023, playing hits including Wild World and Father and Son.

Hackney Diamonds (2023) was the Rolling Stones' first album of original material since which 2005 record?

A Bigger Bang (2005) was the Stones' previous album of new songs; Hackney Diamonds, released in October 2023, featured Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and former bassist Bill Wyman.

Which Nigerian singer's "Calm Down", remixed with Selena Gomez, was IFPI's second best-selling single of 2023?

Rema's Calm Down, remixed with Selena Gomez in August 2022, peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 2023 and finished as IFPI's second best-selling global single of that year.

Tyla's Grammy-winning South African hit 'Water' is rooted in which genre?

Water is built on amapiano, the South African house offshoot known for its log-drum bass; the track peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 and won the first Grammy for Best African Music Performance in 2024.

Which K-pop girl group's "Cupid" made them the first K-pop girl group to reach the UK top 10?

Fifty Fifty's Cupid peaked at No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in 2023 after a sped-up edit of its English 'Twin' version went viral on TikTok.

Which company had the viral AI track 'Heart on My Sleeve', mimicking Drake and the Weeknd, pulled?

Universal Music Group, parent of Drake and the Weeknd's label Republic, had Heart on My Sleeve removed from streaming services in April 2023, citing copyright infringement.

A February 2023 Ariana Grande remix finally sent which 2016 Weeknd track to No. 1?

Die for You, first released on the 2016 album Starboy, reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated March 11, 2023, after the Ariana Grande remix; it was the seventh Hot 100 No. 1 for each singer.

Jimin's 'Like Crazy', the first Hot 100 No. 1 debut by a Korean soloist, came from which album?

Like Crazy is the lead single from Face, Jimin's debut solo album released in March 2023; it debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated April 8, 2023.

Whose December 2023 album Pink Friday 2 made her the first female rapper with three US No. 1 albums?

The record samples Billie Eilish, The Notorious B.I.G. and Cyndi Lauper, among others.

Dolly Parton's first rock album, Rockstar (2023), was preceded by which lead single?

World on Fire, released in May 2023, was the lead single from Rockstar, the rock album Parton made after her 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction; the album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

U2 opened which $2.3 billion Las Vegas venue with a residency on September 29, 2023?

Sphere, the $2.3 billion venue beside the Venetian, opened on September 29, 2023, with the first night of U2's residency U2:UV Achtung Baby Live.

Which producer oversaw the 2023 soundtrack with "Dance the Night" and "What Was I Made For?"?

Mark Ronson executive-produced the 2023 soundtrack with Andrew Wyatt and co-wrote Dance the Night with Dua Lipa; the album won Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 2024 Grammys.

Who received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2023 MTV VMAs?

Shakira received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award on September 12, 2023, performing a career-spanning medley that included Hips Don't Lie and Whenever, Wherever.

Who became the first female rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023?

Missy Elliott was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2023 in her first year of eligibility, the first female rapper honored; Queen Latifah presented her induction.

Which 'Queen of Rock 'n' Roll' died at her Swiss home in May 2023, aged 83?

Tina Turner died at her home in Küsnacht, near Zurich, on May 24, 2023; she had taken Swiss citizenship in 2013 and relinquished her US citizenship the same year.

Which "Margaritaville" singer died at his Sag Harbor home in September 2023, aged 76?

Jimmy Buffett died on September 1, 2023, at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, after a battle with Merkel cell skin cancer; Margaritaville, his 1977 hit, grew into a restaurant and resort brand.

For which record did Sinéad O'Connor receive RTÉ's inaugural 'Classic Irish Album' prize?

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, her 1990 album containing Nothing Compares 2 U, received the inaugural Classic Irish Album award at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize in March 2023, months before her death that July.

In May 2023 a New York jury cleared Ed Sheeran of copying which Marvin Gaye song in "Thinking Out Loud"?

A Manhattan federal jury found on May 4, 2023, that Thinking Out Loud did not copy Let's Get It On, the 1973 Marvin Gaye and Ed Townsend song; the suit was brought by Townsend's heirs.

Who played drums on Foo Fighters' 2023 album But Here We Are, their first after Taylor Hawkins died?

Dave Grohl played drums on But Here We Are himself, as he had on the band's 1995 debut; Josh Freese was announced as touring drummer in May 2023, after the sessions.

Which track closes Metallica's 2023 album 72 Seasons?

Inamorata closes 72 Seasons as the longest original song Metallica had released to that point; the album's title track won Best Metal Performance at the 2024 Grammys.

blink-182's One More Time... (2023) was their first album in 12 years with which founding member back?

Tom DeLonge rejoined Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker in October 2022; One More Time..., released in October 2023, was the first blink-182 album with him since 2011's Neighborhoods.

Kiss played the final show of their End of the Road tour on December 2, 2023, at which venue?

Kiss closed the End of the Road tour at Madison Square Garden on December 2, 2023, ending with Rock and Roll All Nite before unveiling digital avatars of the band.

Killer Mike's Grammy-winning Michael was his first solo album in how many years?

Michael, released in June 2023, was Killer Mike's first solo album in 11 years, following 2012's R.A.P. Music; it won Best Rap Album at the 2024 Grammys.

Who won Best New Artist at the 66th Grammy Awards after her album Jaguar II?

Victoria Monét won Best New Artist at the 66th Grammys in February 2024, where Jaguar II also took Best R&B Album and her daughter Hazel, aged two, was the youngest nominee in Grammy history to that point.

Midnights' 2024 Grammy made Taylor Swift the first artist to win Album of the Year how many times?

She used the acceptance speech for Best Pop Vocal Album to announce The Tortured Poets Department.

Which band's win for This Is Why made them the first female-fronted rock band to win Best Rock Album?

Paramore's This Is Why, released in February 2023, won Best Rock Album at the 2024 Grammys, the first win for a female-fronted band; it was their first album since 2017's After Laughter.

Zach Bryan's "I Remember Everything" debuted at No. 1 in September 2023 featuring which country singer?

Kacey Musgraves duets on I Remember Everything, which debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated September 9, 2023, and won Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 2024 Grammys.

Drake's "First Person Shooter" gave which featured rapper his first Hot 100 No. 1 in October 2023?

J. Cole earned his first Hot 100 No. 1 with First Person Shooter on the chart dated October 21, 2023; his 'big three' line on the track drew Kendrick Lamar's response Like That.

Which 1958 Brenda Lee recording first reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in December 2023?

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, which Brenda Lee recorded as a teenager in 1958, reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated December 9, 2023, 65 years after release, making her at 78 the oldest artist to top the chart.

How many weeks had Bad Bunny's Un Verano Sin Ti spent at Billboard 200 No. 1 by the February 2023 Grammys?

Un Verano Sin Ti logged 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 during 2022, and in February 2023 became the first Spanish-language album nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys.

Which album won Album of the Year at the 65th Grammy Awards in February 2023?

Harry's House won Album of the Year at the 65th Grammys on February 5, 2023, and also took Best Pop Vocal Album that night.

Kim Petras, whose "Unholy" with Sam Smith won a Grammy in February 2023, was born in which country?

Kim Petras was born in Cologne, Germany, in 1992; with Unholy she became the first openly transgender woman to win a Grammy, sharing Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Sam Smith.

Which artist won in all four categories he was nominated in at the Brit Awards 2023?

Harry Styles swept all four of his 2023 Brit nominations: Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year for As It Was and Best Pop/R&B Act.

Olivia Rodrigo's "Vampire" video won which award at the 2023 MTV VMAs?

Vampire won Best Editing at the MTV VMAs on September 12, 2023; Petra Collins directed the clip, which was released alongside the single on June 30, 2023.

The music video for Olivia Rodrigo's "Get Him Back!" was shot entirely on what?

Director Jack Begert's video shows clones of Rodrigo trashing an ex's house.

Which theater chain's distribution arm released Taylor Swift's Eras Tour film in October 2023?

AMC Theatres Distribution released the Eras Tour film directly to cinemas on October 13, 2023, with no studio involved; it opened to about $93 million domestically, a record for a concert film.

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (December 2023) features which Motown legend in a musical performance?

Diana Ross appears singing Happy Birthday to Beyoncé at the September 4, 2023, Los Angeles show, one of the concert moments included in Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.

Miley Cyrus's Endless Summer Vacation was her first album for which label after leaving RCA?

Endless Summer Vacation, released in March 2023, was Miley Cyrus's first album on Columbia Records after she signed with the label in 2021 following her run at RCA.

Peso Pluma set what Hot 100 record in the week of 29 April 2023?

That same week his duet "Ella Baila Sola" became the first regional Mexican song to crack the top 10.

Whose BBC Radio 1 cover helped Noah Kahan's "Stick Season" go viral in 2023?

Olivia Rodrigo's Stick Season cover in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge in September 2023 helped push Noah Kahan's July 2022 single up the UK chart, where it went on to reach No. 1.

Which American rapper features on Raye's breakout single "Escapism.", her first UK number one?

070 Shake, the New Jersey rapper born Danielle Balbuena, features on Escapism., which Raye released independently and took to UK No. 1 in January 2023 after a sped-up edit went viral on TikTok.

How many weeks did Dave and Central Cee's "Sprinter" hold UK number one in 2023, a rap record?

Sprinter debuted at No. 1 in June 2023 and stayed there for 10 consecutive weeks, the longest run to that point for a UK rap single, and was Spotify's most-streamed song in the UK that year.

Which Mitski single became her first Hot 100 entry in 2023 after taking off on TikTok?

My Love Mine All Mine, from Mitski's 2023 album The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, peaked at No. 26 on the Hot 100 and No. 8 in the UK after a TikTok surge.

Jack Harlow's November 2023 hit "Lovin on Me" samples a 1995 R&B track by which artist?

Lovin on Me samples Whatever (Bass Low Mix), a 1995 track by Cadillac Dale; Jack Harlow's song reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in December 2023.

Which band frontman co-wrote and co-produced Tate McRae's 2023 hit 'Greedy'?

Ryan Tedder co-wrote and co-produced Greedy, the lead single from Tate McRae's album Think Later, which topped the Billboard Global 200 and the Canadian Hot 100 in late 2023.

How many chart weeks did Teddy Swims's 2023 single 'Lose Control' take to reach No. 1?

Lose Control entered the Hot 100 in August 2023 and climbed to No. 1 in its 32nd chart week, in March 2024; it went on to become one of the longest-charting songs in Hot 100 history.

Guitar great Jeff Beck, who died in January 2023, had replaced whom in the Yardbirds in 1965?

Eric Clapton left the Yardbirds in March 1965, unhappy with the pop direction of For Your Love, and Jeff Beck replaced him on Jimmy Page's recommendation; Page joined the band himself in 1966.

Shane MacGowan, who died on 30 November 2023, fronted which Celtic punk band?

Shane MacGowan fronted The Pogues from their 1982 formation in London, co-writing Fairytale of New York with Jem Finer; he sang the 1987 Christmas hit with Kirsty MacColl.

Harry Belafonte, who died in April 2023, made which 1956 album, the first million-selling LP by one artist?

It carried "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" and made calypso an international craze.

NewJeans' second EP Get Up, which topped the US Billboard 200 in 2023, was led by which single?

Super Shy, released July 7, 2023, led NewJeans' EP Get Up, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold more than a million copies in its first week in South Korea.