Top Musicians of 2023: Sync Artists & Composers
When a sync placement is not just good but extraordinary, the song’s allure can spark curiosity in fans and propel them to delve deeper into the artist’s repertoire. Similarly, when a composer crafts an original score that resonates profoundly, it becomes a catalyst for fans to embark on a deep musical exploration. In 2023, these exceptional artists and composers were a driving force behind extensive research and discovery on Tunefind. Here are the top musicians of 2023, including sync artists and composers and the fan-favorite song by each.
Top Sync Artists
The Ramone’s 2023 highlights include placements in series such as True Lies, Rennervations, The Bear, and The Lake. Their music was also featured in films such as Priscilla and Family Switch. Originating from Queens, New York City, in 1974, The Ramones carved a unique place in music history as pioneers of punk rock, often recognized as the genre’s original trailblazers. While their commercial success was limited during their active years, the band’s enduring influence has solidified their status as trailblazers in the punk rock movement.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
Beat On the Brat
by Ramones
featured in True Lies · Season 1 · Episode 1 · Pilot
James Brown’s 2023 highlights include placements in series such as East New York and multiple placements in The Continental, in addition to being featured in films such as Magic Mike’s Last Dance and You People. An acclaimed American vocalist and instrumentalist, James Brown is recognized as the primary innovator of funk music and a significant icon in 20th-century musical history. He earned various honorary titles, such as “the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business,” “Godfather of Soul,” “Mr. Dynamite,” and “Soul Brother No. 1.”
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
Get Up Offa That Thing
by James Brown
featured in The Continental · Season 1 · Episode 2 · Loyalty to the Master
In 2023, this fan-favorite song received placement in episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty and Twisted Metal. Cake is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 1991. The group is noted for lead singer John McCrea’s sarcastic lyrics and deadpan vocals. Their studio output has been minimal since 2011, although they have continued to tour and have occasionally hinted at an upcoming album.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
The Distance
by Cake
featured in The Summer I Turned Pretty · Season 2 · Episode 4 · Love Game
Tones and I’s 2023 highlights include placements in series such as The Watchful Eye, American Idol, The Muppets Mayhem, and Love Island (US). Toni Watson, performing as Tones and I, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her notable achievement lies in the success of her breakthrough single, ‘Dance Monkey,’ which topped the charts in more than 30 countries, including her homeland in Australia. During 2019-20, ‘Dance Monkey’ held the number one position on the Australian singles chart for an impressive 24 weeks before earning a 19× platinum certification.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
Dance Monkey
by Tones and I
featured in The Watchful Eye · Season 1 · Episode 6 · Save New York
Phoebe Bridgers had many sync highlights from 2023, including placements in Tiny Beautiful Things, School Spirits, Gen V, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Will Trent, The Buccaneers, and The Summer I Turned Pretty. In addition to her many TV placements in 2023, her work was also placed in the movie Sitting in Bars with Cake. Phoebe Bridgers is an American singer-songwriter known for her melancholic lyrical themes. Bridgers is also one-third of the musical trio boygenius, who in 2023 received seven GRAMMY nominations, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
I Know the End
featured in Shrinking · Season 1 · Episode 3 · Fifteen Minutes
In 2023, The Smashing Pumpkins received numerous placements in series such as Goosebumps, The Summer I Turned Pretty, and Yellowjackets, as well as placement in the Netflix film Murder Mystery 2. The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan. Disavowing the punk rock roots of many of their contemporaries, the band is known for its diverse, densely layered sound, containing elements of gothic rock, heavy metal, grunge, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, shoegaze, and electronica in later recordings.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
Mayonaise
featured in Beef · Season 1 · Episode 10 · Figures of Light
AC/DC is no stranger to sync music placements, with over 50 songs and 200 appearances on Tunefind. Their 2023 highlights include the movies We Have A Ghost and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Established in 1973, AC/DC is an Australian rock band formed by brothers Malcolm Young and Angus Young. Throughout their career, the band has released seventeen albums, with the most recent, “Power Up,” coming in 2020.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
Thunderstruck
by AC/DC
featured in The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Usher’s 2023 highlights include placements in series such as Run The World, Bel-Air, The Kardashians, and Primo. His music was also featured in the movies The Perfect Find and Magic Mike’s Last Dance. Referred to as the “King of R&B” by various media outlets, Usher has sold 23.8 million albums and 38.2 million digital songs in the United States. Internationally, he has sold 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In 2024, he will perform during the Super Bowl halftime show, marking his second time on the Super Bowl stage.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
U Got It Bad
by Usher
featured in DAVE · Season 3 · Episode 3 · Hearsay
SZA’s massive 2023 included having her music placed in series such as Power Book IV: Force, The Other Black Girl, and Goosebumps. Solána Imani Rowe, known professionally as SZA, is an American singer-songwriter and the first female artist to sign with Top Dawg Entertainment. SZA leads the nominations at the 2024 GRAMMYs with nine, making her the most-nominated artist at the 66th GRAMMY Awards.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
Normal Girl
by SZA
featured in Swarm · Season 1 · Episode 7 · Only God Makes Happy Endings
Lil Nas X’s 2023 highlights include placement in series such as The Summer I Turned Pretty and Love Island Games. Montero Lamar Hill, known by his stage name Lil Nas X, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single ‘Old Town Road’, which spent 19 weeks atop the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the longest-running number-one song since the chart debuted in 1958. Lil Nas X has garnered numerous honors, including two GRAMMY Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, two BET Hip Hop Awards, two iHeartRadio Music Awards, and two American Music Awards. The Songwriters Hall of Fame bestowed upon him the Hal David Starlight Award, making him the youngest recipient of this honor. ‘Old Town Road’ stands as the second-highest certified song in the United States, achieving 17x platinum status.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
AM I DREAMING (feat. Miley Cyrus)
by Lil Nas X, Miley Cyrus
featured in School Spirits · Season 1 · Episode 6 · Grave the Last Dance
Top Composers
Theodore Shapiro’s 2023 projects included original score for the Trolls Band Together soundtrack. Best known for his film scores, Shapiro currently has over 500 songs and 612 appearances on Tunefind.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
Wedding Ceremony
featured in Trolls Band Together Soundtrack
The Newton Brothers 2023 highlights include the original score for the series The Fall of the House of Usher and the movie Five Nights at Freddy’s. In October 2023, their remix of ‘Wicked Games’ topped the Tunefind trending chart.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
Wicked Game (feat. Daisy Gray)
by The Newton Brothers, Daisy Gray
featured in The Fall of the House of Usher · Season 1 · Episode 2 · The Masque of the Red Death
Nathan Barr’s 2023 projects included original score for the second season of Carnival Row. Barr currently has over 200 songs, and 263 appearances on Tunefind.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
Reckoning
by Nathan Barr
featured in Carnival Row · Season 2
Daniel Pemberton’s 2023 highlights include original score for the second season of The Afterparty, and movies such as Ferrari and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was the most popular movie on Tunefind in 2023.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
Across the Spider-Verse (Intro)
featured in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Soundtrack
Max Richter is a German-born British composer and pianist. In December 2019, Richter passed one billion streams and one million album sales. His long admired instrumental track, ‘On The Nature of Daylight,’ was the top TV song in February 2023 after it received placement in HBO’s original series The Last of Us. Richter currently has 268 songs, with over 400 appearances on Tunefind.
Fan Favorite Music Moment:
On The Nature Of Daylight (Orchestral Version)
featured in The Last of Us · Season 1 · Episode 3 · Long, Long Time
