A Thanksgiving playlist is hard to make.
Christmas playlists make themselves. The second the Thanksgiving feast comes to close, the worlds turns up the sounds of the winter holiday season with songs that, throughout time, have evoked the feeling of warmth, home, and cheer. It seems people can throw their three favorite Christmas tunes on a playlist and BOOM: a perfect and personalized Christmas playlist curated perfectly to the vibe.
Even Halloween has a slate of songs that are all its own. Songs about the murderous and macabre see their time in the light during the month of October. Whether your Halloween vibe errs on the side of trickery or treatery, a few songs of your choosing will perfectly capture your personalized Halloween essence.
Thanksgiving, however, remains a puzzler.
Of course, this is largely due to sheer want of songs. While there are actually many excellent Thanksgiving songs (a fact which this article will certainly come to prove), there are simply fewer Thanksgiving songs. As the holiday is exclusive to the United States, this auditory disparity certainly makes statistical sense.
The rest of the world rushes off to deck their halls while we live in limbo. We don't want to brush Thanksgiving under the rug, but we are eager to listen to some festive, mood setting songs. When faced with the endless discography of Christmas songs, the idea of cultivating a comparable Thanksgiving mix may seem a daunting task.
Fear not: it IS possible.
While there are certainly Thanksgiving songs that will make any feast fun and thankful, here are a few tricks to making sure that you can build a Thanksgiving playlist that perfectly captures your familial vibe.
1. Buzzwords
The first thing you have to think of when creating any holiday playlist is words that make you think of the holiday. With Thanksgiving, we have a few great and obvious words: thanks, family, and grateful. Those are a GREAT place to start. Even if you can't think of any specifically Thanksgiving songs off of the top of your head, you are certain to know a few songs that fall under these buzz-word categories. Add a few of these onto your slate of songs, and your playlist is off to a great start.
2. Favorite Artists
If you need even more help narrowing things down from these buzz-words, take a second to think of your favorite artists of today. From Taylor Swift to Rihanna, all artists have touched on Thanksgiving related topics in some way, shape, or form. Remember, when making a Thanksgiving playlist, you do not have to stick specifically to songs that mention Thanksgiving or even songs that mention the buzz words. Now, it's about cultivating a specific vibe. You can throw a few songs from your favorite artists on (based in some capacity on the buzz-words) to add some pizzazz to your playlist.
3. Classic Songs
When it comes to curating a playlist for a family event, you MUST be sure to add a few of the classics. A mix between popular songs that will keep the younger generations enthused while pulling out some old stand-bys will make for the perfect underscoring of any event. From Frank Sinatra to Bing Crosby, these older, classic sounds evoke a spirited feeling of family and tradition that is a must have for any family event. There are no specific artists that you have to throw on your track list. That can be up to you and your tastes! However, you need a few artists on there that were coming out with songs before the idea of an iPod was even imaginable.
4. Funny Song
A few funny songs are absolutely necessary for any holiday playlist. Of course, the playlist at Thanksgiving is likely not the main event. However, in the conversational lulls, someone is sure to hear a piece of a song about a turkey taking over the world (or something like that.) It will give everyone who hears a good laugh, giving a fun inside joke to those who are listening. You don't need a lot of funny songs: only one or two. For Thanksgiving themed songs, look at children's movies about Thanksgiving, Adam Sandler, or, heck, just google the word Turkey. Something exciting is sure to come up!
5. Heartfelt Songs
Where there are funny songs, you will need to add a few heartfelt ones. Thanksgiving is a holiday filled with warmth and emotion. It is about bringing people into the fold. While these songs can be slow, having one or two songs that lilt about love and family will give everyone a sense of peace and belonging. (Just for the sake of the vibe, make sure you separate songs into different parts of your playlist. You don't want to bring the vibe down too too much!)
6. Sentimental Songs
Sentimental songs are different than heartfelt songs. These don't need to have something to do with Thanksgiving. These simply have to do with your family. Is there an artist that everyone in your family loves? Is there a song that means something special to most of the people in the room. Throw a few of these on here. It is sure to bring everyone into the holiday spirit.
7. A Few Songs That Are Just Great!
Some songs simply deserve to be on any playlist! Regardless of whether or not they have to do with Thanksgiving or a Thanksgiving theme, some songs will just wake up every room. While you may want to stick with the vibe of the playlist you have curated thus far (and keep in mind the various ages of the guests that will be present at your dinner) everyone will enjoy having a few songs that are simply playing because they are great!
With these simple steps, you can make a playlist that will set the perfect tenor for your Thanksgiving meal. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
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