1. Doctor My Eyes by Jackson Browne
I first heard this song when watching Rumble, a documentary about Native musicians, for a class. The song features a killer guitar solo by Jesse Ed Davis, a talented Native session artist who doesn’t get nearly enough credit for his skills. The song itself is groovy and upbeat, not quite what I normally go for on a fall/winter playlist, but something about it feels like a Peanuts movie. Every time I listen to this song I can’t help but be reminded of Charlie Brown playing football or baseball and want to sing along.
2. Crystal by Stevie Nicks
From the soundtrack of Practical Magic, this song perfectly evokes the magic of a cool autumn night. I still remember seeing the scene featuring this song; Sandra Bullock’s character Sally is a child in this scene, sending off a love spell for the perfect man who she thinks can never exist. Stevie’s vocals are hypnotic when paired with violin and muted guitar and is the reason I keep returning to this song every fall.
3. Silver Springs (Live at Warner Brothers Studios) by Fleetwood Mac
Staying on the Stevie Nicks train, Fleetwood Mac is perfect for any season, but there’s just something about Fleetwood Mac that really gets me into the fall spirit. This edition of Silver Springs is live, which removes some of the undesirable metallic twanginess from the original version. You can really hear the conviction in Nicks’s voice as she sings directly to her ex Lindsey Buckingham, for whom this song was written, and the added grit to her tone really rounds this song out for me.
4. Dreams by The Cranberries
Like Fleetwood Mac, The Cranberries is a band for every season, but I particularly love Dolores O’Riordan’s voice to transition me from fall to winter. “Dreams” evokes images of driving down a busy highway at night, sticking your head through the sunroof to feel the wind on your face. If I were ever to have a The Perks of Being a Wallflower driving moment, it would be to this song.
5. Crush Culture by Conan Gray
This song isn’t as old as the others on my list but it is still nostalgic in its own right. I have been a fan of Conan since he was a little kid making Youtube videos in his room, and the vocals in this song are reminiscent of the ethereal backing vocals of his older self-produced songs. Crush Culture brings me to Homecoming and Valentine’s Day, where my fellow highschoolers performed romance for popularity points while I looked on, conflicted between disgust and jealousy. I think back fondly on my highschool days when listening to this song, remembering how frivolously we fixated on things that didn’t matter but knowing that if I went back, I probably wouldn’t change a thing.
Check out my Fall/Winter 2022 playlist for more recommendations!
This article was written on February 3, 2022.
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