Several music veterans in various genres – including rock, punk, and hip-hop – will return (or at least hopefully return) with new full-length albums in 2023 after a long absence, and a few more recent bands will with any luck continue their winning streak. Here are ten new releases to look forward to in the coming year.

#10. U2 – Songs of Surrender — To Be Released: March 17th

Photo Credit: Olaf Heine

An older act recording “re-imagined” versions of their own older songs often seems like the ultimate admission of being past their prime. However, U2 is just the band to re-invent the practice and turn it into something respectable. We’ll give this one a chance.

#9. 50 Cent — Title and Release Date: TBA

Photo Credit: Michael Kovac

One of the most successful and influential artists in hip-hop returns later this year with his first new album since 2019, That Dr. Dre is said to be appearing on this one makes it all the more potentially exciting.

#8. Faces — Title and Release Date: TBA

Photo Credit: Joe Maher

Surviving members of legendary ’70s rock band the Faces – including Rod Stewart and Ron Wood – announced more than a year ago that they’d recorded fourteen new tracks (the band’s first in nearly half a century), which hopefully we’ll finally get to hear in 2023.

#7. GORILLAZ – Cracker Island — To be Released: February 24th

Photo Credit: Press

The lethal combination of hip-hop, pop, and cartoon characters returns this year with a bevy of new special guests, including Stevie Nicks, Beck, Thundercat, and Bad Bunny. We can’t wait!

#6. Paramore – This Is Why — To Be Released: February 10th

Photo Credit: Zachary Gray

The single “This is Why” – a bit funky, a bit jazzy, a bit early ’80s AOR, all tight and to the point – is definitely why we’re looking forward to Paramore’s first full-length album in six years.

#5. Blink-182 — Title and Release Date: TBA

Photo Credit: Jack Bridgland

Not only is founding guitarist Tom DeLonge officially back in Blink-182, but last month on Instagram he announced that a new album by the band would come “in a few months” (that’s all we know about it so far, but DeLonge being back is a darn good starting point).

#4. Lana Del Rey – Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd — To Be Released: March 24th

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Interscope Records

The marathon title and the grandiose ballad single-slash-title track are already both classic Lana Del Rey, so we’ll be expecting nothing less from the whole album.

#3. The Smashing Pumpkins – ATUM: A ROCK OPERA IN THREE ACTS — To be Released: April 24th

Photo Credit: Paul Elledge

The second installment of longtime Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan’s ambitious musical trilogy arrives in the spring after the first part (released last year) set the stage for something hopefully even more spectacular.

#2. Black Honey – Fistful of Peach — To be Released: March 17th

Photo Credit: Jamie Noise

The British indie rock band’s last album Written & Directed was one of the best of 2021, so we can wait for their new one, which – certainly based on the four tracks which have already been released – will be every bit as peachy.

#1. Peter Gabriel – i/o — To Be Released: TBA

Photo Credit: Peter Gabriel

Veteran rock innovator and superstar Peter Gabriel is slated this year to return with what will be his first full-length release in a dozen years. His sound has gone through quite a number of variances over the course of his career (going all the way back to his time as the original frontman for Genesis), so it will be interesting to see what musical hat(s) he chooses to try on this time around.

Written by: Richard John Cummins