Fall is the perfect season for music, whether it’s old or new. In 2020, I managed to make the perfect fall playlist. It’s full of songs I’ll never skip and that never fail to get me in the mood for the new season. In honor of my final year of college, I decided I would make a new one, featuring old and new songs that are making this new season feel exactly like my autumn Pinterest board.Â
Cannock Chase by Labi Siffre
Labi Siffre is a music artist I discovered back in 2020. My older sister introduced me to his music, (as she always does) and I fell in love with this song. “Cannock Chase” is a song that perfectly captures the feeling of the season. Every time I listen to it, I feel like there’s something so comforting about the sound of this song, and I think it fits perfectly with the feeling of watching the leaves change and the weather getting colder. It’s one of those songs that reminds me why I love the season of fall so much, and I think it’s safe to say that my sister might’ve been onto something when she was introducing me to it.
Science Fiction/Double Feature by Richard O’Brien
From the classic Rocky Horror Picture Show, “Science Fiction/Double Feature” is a great song to get you ready for Halloween. Rocky Horror Picture Show has been and always will be one of my favorite films of all time. In honor of Tim Curry, it’s the perfect season to watch the film and fall in love with the soundtrack just like I did in 2020 at my first ever drive-in movie (with my big sisters of course). Maybe I do owe it all to my sisters. Who would I be without them and their weird tastes in music and film.
Pope Is a Rockstar by SALES
Now who is going to believe me if I say this is another song I found from my sisters? Everyone? That’s probably a good choice. “Pope Is a Rockstar” is a song that quite literally teleports me back to my quarantine fall days. Now I’m not saying I would ever go back to those days because you literally couldn’t pay me to do so, but I would go back to just sitting and playing Minecraft every night. I would listen to SALES’s song on repeat because it truly is just THAT good. It tickles my brain every time I listen without fail.
I Saw Her for the First Time by Dr. Dog
This is a song I used for an article I wrote back in February of 2026 titled “Love Is In The Air: My Favorite Love Songs in 2026” but now here I am, using it again for my favorite fall songs. How could I not? I think it’s very clear that this is a classic song that I’ll always love. Dr. Dog is an artist that I think writes songs perfect for the colder seasons, especially fall.
Forest Whitaker by Bad Books
During the fall, one of my favorite activities is to go on drives. Especially driving around areas with a lot of trees like the Cleveland Metroparks. “Forest Whitaker” is a song that is perfect for those 60 degree days where you can still drive with the windows down and not be unbearably cold. I love to blast it on the radio while cruising around and staring at all of the trees changing their colors.Â
Tom’s Diner by Suzanne Vega, DNA
Another classic song that was introduced to me by one of my sisters. “Tom’s Diner” is one of those songs that I could listen to over and over again without ever getting sick of it. There’s something about it that makes it so great, and I think it fits perfectly into a fall playlist. Once again, I have my sister to thank for introducing me to another song that has become a staple in my music rotation, just like it has hers.
The Great Pumpkin Waltz by Vince Guaraldi
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a movie everyone has seen at least once in their life. Whether it was at an elementary school Halloween party, in your grandparents living room, or you just watched it on your own, it’s one of those movies that just sticks with you. “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” by Vince Guaraldi is featured in the movie’s soundtrack and captures the perfect fall vibes that everyone needs for nostalgia purposes.
Daisy Jane by America
“Daisy Jane” is another song that was also featured in the article I wrote back in February of this year. Although it is the perfect classic love song, it’s another song I love to put into my rotation during the fall season. America is another band/artist that captures the fall feeling for me with every song they produced.Â
Cast Your Fate To The Wind by Vince Guaraldi Trio
Although it wasn’t featured in It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, “Cast Your Fate To The Wind” is another song by Vince Guaraldi. Guaraldi’s music is always going to be a classic for me that captures the feeling of fall. There’s something about his music that makes I’m living in a movie, especially when it actually starts to feel like fall. It’s the kind of song I could listen to while sitting in the Student Union working on an assignment, driving around town, or just enjoying time outside. Guaraldi has a way of making music that feels nostalgic, even when you can’t quite figure out what you’re feeling nostalgic for. Maybe that’s just what fall is.
The Boxer by simon & Garfunkel
If anyone knows me, they know how I love Simon & Garfunkel. “The Boxer” is track 6 off of their album Bridge Over Troubled Water, released in 1970. I have a distinct memory of a time where I was visiting my dad back home when fall had started to creep up. We were driving and Simon & Garfunkel started to play on the radio. I looked at him and said “it’s Simon & Garfunkel season” and as always, he agreed. I think it’s only fair to listen to this album during the colder seasons because that’s just what they’re perfect for.
Draw you Out by Noah kahan
Recently released this month, “Draw You Out” is a song that Kahan released for the upcoming movie, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. As any other song written by him, this one is just gut wrenching for everyone. No matter what, there’s something you can connect this song to. That’s what is so beautiful about Kahan’s lyric writing. He perfectly captures a vibe perfect for the fall season while also making you think about every single thing that has ever happened in your life. Maybe that’s okay, it’s what we all need at the end of the day.
(Don’t Fear) The Reaper by blue oyster cult
“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” is Track 3 off of Blue Oyster Cult’s album Agents of Fortune. This track was a part of the wide array of songs that played in my childhood home around Halloween time. I’m not 100% sure what it is for me, but I feel like this is just another song that gives that Halloween spooky feeling that I love around this time of year.
Any season is a great time to discover new music, which is why I have so much love for it. There’s perfect albums or single tracks for any time of the year. However, I think the fall season is just the best time of the year. With new music being released more frequently recently, now is the perfect time to listen to some new tunes and update those playlists!