Florida doesn’t exactly do fall the way the movies make it look. While everyone up north is surrounded by falling, colorful leaves and sweater weather, I’m just happy to make it through the day without sweating through my T-shirt.
But every once in a while, Orlando gives us a little taste of what fall is supposed to be. The temperature drops, there’s a breeze in the air, and suddenly, walking across UCF’s campus becomes enjoyable instead of 10 minutes of both doom and despair.
Naturally, I have a playlist for that. There’s just something really special about a good song and beautiful weather that makes life feel a little more cinematic. And apparently, I’m not the only one rediscovering the classics.
Everything Old Is New Again
For a generation that’s constantly being introduced to the next big artist—thanks to the instantaneous nature of social media—we still seem to have an appreciation for the ones who came before us.
According to Luminate’s 2025 Year-End Music Report, only 43% of U.S. on-demand audio streams came from songs released within the previous five years. That means most came from music that was at least a little older, even if it wasn’t quite 1970s old.
The nostalgia isn’t limited to our Spotify or Apple Music playlists. Vinyl records have experienced a major revival, with U.S. vinyl sales surpassing $1 billion in revenue in 2025, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Good music doesn’t suddenly stop being good because it’s been around for fifty years, and discovering a song that existed long before you did almost feels like finding a little piece of history you get to make your own.
I’ll admit that I’m a firm believer in romanticizing the little things: a cute outfit, an iced coffee, a particularly stunning afternoon. It doesn’t take much to convince me I’m having a wonderful day, even though I had been a D1 Complainer.
There’s actually some science behind why a good playlist and a walk outside can make such a difference. A 2023 study published in JAMA Network Open involving 711 adults found that listening to music in everyday life was associated with lower stress and improved mood. Another 2024 study published in Frontiers in Psychology examined 188 college students and found that walking in an outdoor setting produced the greatest improvement in positive mood compared with walking in an urban environment or indoors.
So while I can’t claim that listening to the Beatles while walking across Memory Mall is a scientifically proven cure for a stressful week, I can say that music and time outdoors both have research-backed benefits.
My own oldies playlist currently has 49 songs and runs just over three hours. I clearly have trouble picking favorites, but these five have been getting a lot of play lately. So if you’re looking for a few recommendations, allow me!
- “Under Pressure” by Queen & David Bowie
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Listening to “Under Pressure” while walking to class with 15 things on my Canvas to-do list can sometimes feel a little too fitting. Still, it’s one of those songs I never get tired of, no matter how many times I hear it.
- “Vienna” by Billy Joel
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As someone who constantly has something going on between classes, internships, and extracurriculars, I probably need to listen to Billy Joel’s advice more often. “Vienna” has a way of making me question why I’m always in such a rush to figure everything out. Sometimes I just need to enjoy being a college student instead of worrying about what comes next.
- “Disney Girls (1957)” by The Beach Boys
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I’m a huge fan of the Beach Boys, and I would gatekeep this song if I didn’t strongly believe the world would be a better place if more people knew it. It’s sweet, a little old-fashioned, and makes me nostalgic for a time I wasn’t even alive to experience. It also happens to be perfect for those rare Florida afternoons when it’s cool enough to enjoy being outside.
- “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen
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There are very few songs that make me feel as energized as “Born to Run.” I could be heading to the most exhausting 8 a.m. class of my week, but for four and a half minutes, Bruce Springsteen has me convinced I’m going somewhere much more exciting.
- “In My Life” by The Beatles
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I’ve always loved how sentimental this song is. College moves so quickly, and I know I’ll eventually miss the routines I barely think twice about now. Between the friends I’ve made and the places I walk past every day, there’s a lot about this chapter of my life that I want to remember. “In My Life” makes me appreciate that a little more.
Part of the appeal of oldies is that they let us experience nostalgia without necessarily having lived through the time we’re nostalgic for. I wasn’t around when these songs first came out. I don’t have memories of hearing them on the radio in the ’60s, ’70s, or ’80s. But I do have memories of listening to them now, and those are becoming just as meaningful to me.
Maybe someday I’ll hear “Vienna” or “In My Life” and immediately think of walking around UCF on a beautiful October afternoon. That’s what I’ve come to love about this little routine. It isn’t really about pretending I’m in a movie or wishing I lived in another decade. It’s about finding little reasons to enjoy the one I’m in.
So, if you find yourself with a few extra minutes before class and the weather is particularly nice, put on a song you love and take the long way.