When the leaves start to dance to the ground and the sweatshirts and sweatpants are taken out of hiding, that’s when you know you need to start curating your fall playlist.
Here are a few of my favorites that are sure to put you in the fall mood.
- “Linger” by The Cranberries
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The number one song on my “Fall in State” playlist, “Linger” by The Cranberries is a staple song for when the leaves turn orange and brown. From the beginning humming of the song, The Cranberries, formed in Limerick, Ireland, will soothe your mind and lighten your soul.
Any song by The Cranberries will fit and form a perfect fall playlist, one that will be sure to fit State College’s vibe, so take a look at the group’s discography and stock up on their autumn-vibed songs.
- “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer
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Another classic song, “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer, is for the lovergirls in State College. Whether you’re coupled up or pining after a campus crush, this song describes what it’s like to be in love during the fall season.
Even if you’ve lost all hope in dating, this song allows you to romanticize the gray sky and chilly air as you walk to class during an autumn day.
- “Tomorrow Never Came” (feat. Sean Ono Lennon) by Lana Del Rey
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For my Lana girlies who don’t think “Ride” or “Summertime Sadness” will fit State College’s fall vibe, fear not, I have just the song for you.
The duet with Sean Ono Lennon, son of Beatles musician John Lennon, contrasts “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer as the duo softly sings about unrequited love. So when you’re “in the middle of the pouring rain,” and reminiscing about an old love, or situationship, this song is sure to put you in your feelings in the middle of fall. - “High and Dry” by Radiohead
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Another somber song, “High and Dry” by Radiohead refers to the idiom of being left stranded, and the melancholy band makes sure to let you feel that in their writing.
Something in the song just oozes a dreary fall day to me, and it’s become a staple piece in my fall playlist. When else can you appreciate the woe and sorrow of Radiohead if not surrounded by fallen leaves and cloudy skies?
- “Halah” by Mazzy Star
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Mazzy Star is another big name that just fits fall’s vibe, and this song is no exception. Filled with strums of a guitar and a familiar voice, this masterpiece makes you want to bundle up in a coat and stroll through downtown.
Last year, I’d play this song nonstop, dancing along in my room as it played off my record player, watching the season change its colors, savoring all the good and bad feelings it made me experience.
If you’re down for another melancholic song, this is the one for you.
- “1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins
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Straying away from heartbreak and longing, this song by alternative rock group The Smashing Pumpkins is all about coming of age into adulthood. The song’s staccato and masterful lyrics pull you through the fall’s semester slump, transcending you to being a better version of yourself.
Like The Cranberries and Mazzy Star, The Smashing Pumpkins is another group that is perfect for the fall vibes of orange and brown trees and foggy-filled streets.
While I could go on and on about songs that feel like fall and autumn weather personified, these are my key favorites that have a special place in my heart.
With thoughts of pumpkin carving and dressing in wool sweaters looming ahead, now is the perfect time to cultivate a playlist to listen to in the chilly, autumn air.