Looking down RETROPOP’s Top 10 Singles Of 2023 is like a fever dream – the past 12 months can’t have delivered so many absolute bangers, surely?!

Heralded in by the return of Sugababes, this year also saw Belinda Carlisle return to pop, Bananarama continue their glorious 40th anniversary celebrations and the Minogue sisters steal the summer, proving once more that they’re pop’s finest.

Picking out our Top 10 wasn’t easy, but we got there in the end – so here goes…

10. Sugababes – When The Rain Comes (BMG)

Rarely do we see comebacks so successful as Sugababes’, but in the past 12 months they surprise-released their ‘lost’ album on Christmas Eve, dominated the summer live circuit and headed into their massive gig at London’s O2 by releasing the first ‘Sugababes’ single in over 10 years, from their forthcoming LP. The track revisits the sound of their classic debut and it’s a joy to have Mutya, Keisha and Siobhan back!

9. Agnetha Fältskog – Where Do We Go From Here? (BMG)

Of all the members of ABBA, Agnetha was the least present during the promotion of ‘Voyage’ (2021), so her surprise return with ‘A+’ – the 2023 reworking of 2013 album ‘A’ – seemed to appear out of nowhere. So too did the inclusion of a newly-recorded song, which kicked off the campaign and proved that decades after fronting some of the biggest pop hits ever, she remains in fine voice. 

8. The Killers – Your Side Of Town (Island)

Rock may be The Killers’ forte but their summer return with the standalone Your Side Of Town proved Brandon Flowers and co. can turn their hands to much more, including slick, radio-friendly synth-pop. Co-produced by Stuart Price and Shawn Everett, the track channels their love of classic acts like Pet Shop Boys, New Order and Depeche Mode for a direction that paves a clear path going forward.

7. Dannii Minogue – We Could Be The One (TwoFour)

Rarely do TV songs turn out this good, but Dannii Minogue’s return to the studio after five years away delivered not only a superb soundtrack for ‘I Kissed A Boy’, but one of her most euphoric dance-pop anthems ever! Rocketing to the top of the iTunes Chart and spawning a selection of club-friendly mixes, it only increased our appetite for the long-overdue follow-up to ‘Club Disco’ (2007).

6. Bananarama – Feel The Love (London)

The ultimate girl group have been more prolific in the past five years than they have in ages and after scoring some of the highest-charting albums of their career with ‘In Stereo’ (2019) and ‘Masquerade’ (2022), Sara and Keren are marking four decades of hits with ‘Glorious’, their forthcoming collection, also featuring their latest track. Reuniting them with Ian Masterson, it’s a shimmering electro-pop extravaganza and proof they’re still on top!

5. Delta Goodrem – Back To Your Heart (ATLED)

Having lived many lives in pop, Delta Goodrem’s return to Europe this summer coincided with the release of her epic ‘80s-inspired anthem, somewhere between Starship and Tina Turner, offering a first taste of what’s to come from her upcoming album. Twenty years on from her breakthrough, the Aussie star’s vocals are as powerful and pure as ever and the direction strikes gold for the future. 

4. Jake Shears – Too Much Music (Mute)

His first solo outing was a far cry from the flamboyant frivolity we’ve come to expect from the Scissor Sisters frontman, but Jake’s second solo LP, ‘Last Man Dancing’, reverts back to that classic sound and its lead single is a riotous call to the dance floor once more. Having seen us through the tail end of the winter and kept us dancing all summer long, it seems there never can be too much music where he’s concerned.  

3. Belinda Carlisle – Big, Big Love (BMG)

Over 25 years since her last pop record, new Belinda Carlisle was an exciting prospect from the off, but nothing could prepare us for the nostalgia trip of The Go-Go’s star reuniting with Diane Warren and delivering an anthem that stands alongside her very best. With ‘80s synths and a soaring chorus – not to mention an enigmatic delivery from the singer who sounds as vibrant as ever – it’s a stellar return to form.  

2. Rick Astley – Never Gonna Stop (BMG)

It’s the glorious ‘80s sounds of Stock Aitken Waterman that made us first fall in love with Rick, but decades on he’s refined his prowess as a songwriter and musician and, on this cut from ‘Are We There Yet?’, he proves himself a master of all of the above. The mid-tempo groove may not be expected, but his husky tone shines through on what’s one of the most accomplished works of his career. 

1. Kylie Minogue – Padam Padam (BMG)

It’s the song that dominated the airwaves this summer, not only returning Kylie back to the Top 10 after more than a decade but also making waves globally thanks to what is one of the most irresistible pop hooks we’ve heard in a long time. Paving the way for her chart-topping ‘Tension’ album and hit Las Vegas residency, it more-than earns the title of RETROPOP’s Single Of The Year!