Ah, October — beacon of pumpkin spice lattes, cinnamon-scented candles, Gilmore Girls reruns and Halloween decor. It’s the time of year when autumn finally feels like it’s kicking into high gear, and the perfect playlist for the month is a must.
With that in mind, it’s no wonder why the 10th month on the calendar has been a muse to so many musicians over the decades, from tried-and-true 20th century songwriters to fresh-faced Gen Z artists. October love also knows no genre bounds; everyone from Eric Whitacre to Deadmau5, James Taylor and Alessia Cara have turned in tributes to the coziest, spookiest, most colorful 31 days of the year, spanning classical, electro house, folk rock, pop and beyond. Simply typing “October” into Spotify’s search field yields hundreds of results.
Even more vast is the canon of songs devoted to autumn itself, from Sinatra classics such as “Autumn Leaves” to Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” (“Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place”), or Ed Sheeran’s entire 2023 album, Autumn Variations. There’s also a lot to be said about the subgenre of music dedicated to Halloween alone, although you won’t see “Monster Mash” or “Spooky Scary Skeletons” on this list. This roundup is specifically for tracks with “October” in the name, odes to the month as a whole in all its versatility and warmth.
With the change of seasons, it’s time to give your music a refresh, too. To properly get in the spirit, queue up Billboard‘s favorite odes to October listed below.
