Orange and yellow leaves ordain the trees on the drive to school. The cool air that caused a shiver on your way out the door is kept at bay by the heat blasting throughout your car. Everything has fallen perfectly into place like the leaves on the ground, except one thing is missing: the ultimate falloween playlist to get you into the autumnal mood.

A few good Taylor Swift songs are the first and arguably most essential ingredients in any fall playlist. From her two latest albums, “Folklore” and “Evermore,” to a renewed oldie, “Red (Taylor’s Version),” there is a plethora of songs to choose from. These albums carry the perfect fall vibes to get anyone into the holiday mood. Hozier, Bon Iver, and Pheobe Bridgers are other artists reserved for the season.

Next, one must consider the current big hit of the season. For the Fall of 2022, Noah Kahan is the rising star. After his single “Stick Season” became an overnight success, he released a new album that shares the name with his hit while creating the perfect fall atmosphere. Many of these songs reminisce on the feeling of fall in the northeast, but the sentiment can be appreciated anywhere. 

Now that we’ve covered the new stuff, it’s time to fall back on the oldies. Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors” album is riddled with songs perfect for the occasion, holding equilibrium between feelings of nostalgia and healing. We find similar attributes in “Songs of Life” by Stevie Wonder.

To round out the fall spectrum of our playlist, we look to falloween themed favorites. These songs are perfect for the seasonal listen and impossible to tire of because they are reserved for this particular time of year. “We Fell in Love in October” by Girl in Red, “Sweater Weather” by the Neighbourhood, “Halloween” by Pheobe Bridgers, and “White Winter Hymnal” by the Fleet Foxes are all prime in-genre examples.

Finally, it’s time to tie in the Halloween theme. For our purposes, not only is Michael Jackson the King of Pop, but he is also the King of Halloween, with must include hits such as “Thriller” and “Scream.” We can also fall back on childhood favorites such as “Monster Mash” and “Calling all the Monsters” by the McClain Sisters.

The final step is listening to your playlist to ensure it radiates the right ambiance. Fall favs should create a feeling of longing, with just the right amount of melancholy but, of course, in a fun way, contrasted with the Halloween tunes to create the perfect mix of spooky and sappy.