Fall is here, and we are back at school, so naturally, it is time for a good playlist to make the early mornings and late nights less mundane and monotonous. There have been countless times when I have been excited to wake up because it meant I got to start the day with “Beige” by Yoke Lore or the classic “We’re Going to Be Friends” by The White Stripes. Music has a way of painting our lives, and with the right song, your day could be painted with the sweetest of symphonies.

Perhaps you’re on a walk, Lizzy McAlpine’s “To the Mountains” blended with Chance Peña’s “Is What It Is”, and Gregory Alan Isakov’s “Second Chances” will soften your mind and make you feel at ease with yourself. “To the Mountains” paints the beauty of taking time for yourself to just think without disruption; “Is What It Is” reminds you that life, no matter how turbulent, is a thing worth living; and to complete the palette, “Second Chances” calmly sings of shifting relationships and has a rhythm that accentuates the beauty in the world around you. 

Say you’re in need of some good jazz, then Three Sacred Souls’s “Can I Call You Rose?” and “Easier Said Than Done” can be a great mellow start to the day as you drive or ride the bus to school. Similarly, Nat King Cole Trio’s “‘Tis Autumn” and Ben Webster’s take on “Stardust” create a rhythm so smooth and soft that it could even serve as some good homework music. 

Music should make you feel present with yourself, others, and the world; Evan Honer and Julia DiGrazia’s rendition of “Jersey Giant” vocalizes the communities you build as you go through life. Speaking of communities, Noah Kahan’s “Strawberry Wine” and Phillip Phillips’ “Home” will make you imagine yourself sitting by a campfire, singing along with your best buds as someone plays guitar.

A playlist can poeticize life, and during the fall, it is a necessity to make a playlist that suits your vibe. As the leaves begin to coat the sidewalk in their autumn hues, there tends to be this cozier feel in the air, and to really immerse yourself in the fall festiveness, these songs are a great way to start. 

Fall Playlist Recommendations:

Artists:

• The Smiths
• Daniel Caesar
• Norah Jones
• The Beatles
• Noah Kahan
• The Lumineers

Songs from 1990s-2000s Movies and TV shows:

• Gilmore Girls
  • There She Goes
  • Where You Lead
  • If I Could Write

• How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days
  • You’re So Vain

• The Devil Wears Prada
  • Suddenly I see
  • Vogue

• Ten Things I Hate About You
  • Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
  • Perks of Being a Wallflower

Overall Songs:

• Come on Eileen
• There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
• Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
• Velvet Ring
• Brown Eyed Girl
• Landslide
• Ho Hey

If you’re in a Jazzy/Classical vibe:

• ‘Tis autumn
• La Vie en Rose

Camping/Nature vibe:

• Is What It Is
• Beach Baby
• Landslide

Rock Vibe:

• Cruel to be Kind

Calm Morning:

• Wash.
• Thoughts of You