Summer madness is long gone and it’s time to settle down comfortably and enjoy the darkening nights with some candle light and good tunes. We put together a Spotify list full of that wistful autumn mood.
Nat King Cole – Autumn Leaves
Falling leaves are reminders of a lost love in this jazz-era classic that fits the season perfectly. Though there are countless versions of the song, Nat King Cole’s velvety baritone can’t be beaten.
Green Day – Wake Me Up When September Ends
A heart-wrenching rock ballad about great loss. Green Day front man Billy Joel Armstrong has said that the track is autobiographical and deals with the death of his father, who passed away when the singer was only 10 years old. The song was one of the singles off the hugely successful American Idiot album.
Earth Wind and Fire – September
Thankfully not every fall-themed song is a study in melancholy. This disco smash hit reminds us that the end of summer only marks the start of the real party season. If you trust Earth, Wind and Fire, September may be the best month of all to stomp it out on the dance floor.
Nick Drake – Time of No Reply
Finger-picked guitar chords over a smooth orchestral backdrop and Drake’s emotive voice give this folk track from 1971 a dreamy, wistful tone.
”Summer was gone and the heat down / And autumn reached for a golden crown”
Led Zeppelin – Ramble On
This jangling guitar track full of on-the-road romanticism and Tolkien references appeared on Led Zeppelin’s classic 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. The song’s rambling narrator starts his journey among falling leaves with the autumn moon lighting his way.
Chris Brown feat. Kendrick Lamar – Autumn Leaves
Modern day R’n’B crooner Brown and young rap god Lamar unite for a millennial take on autumn melancholy. The lyrics suggest that a lost love is the reason for trees shedding their leaves.
The Kinks – Autumn Almanac
The Kinks’ Autumn Almanac reads as a sharp take on British middle class boredom in dismal weather.
”Friday evenings, people get together/ Hiding from the weather/ Tea and toasted, buttered currant buns / Can't compensate for lack of sun/ Because the summer's all gone.”
Morphine – You Look Like Rain
A sensual song with silky saxophone, soft bass lines and smoky vocals all longing after an unnamed woman.
“I can tell you taste like the sky cause you look like rain.”
Guns N’ Roses – November Rain
An intensely melodramatic rock power ballad about longing for love and November rain has been melting hearts since 1992. Clocking in at 11 minutes, it is also the longest track ever to make it to the Billboard Top Ten.
“Nothin' lasts forever/ And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle/ In the cold November rain.”
Want to have more playlists? Check out this list of songs that sing you to sleep.