Holigay Playlist: Winter Blues, Meet Winter Tunes

Winter. It happens, unfortunately. And when I went scouting through my music library for songs that included words like “winter” and “snow,” I was surprised and comforted to find that a lot of them are also deeply depressing. Turns out the winter blues aren’t a problem only for people like me, and that the starts truly are just like us. But what about the fun parts? Seeing a snow blanket in the morning, sharing a pocket with the one you love to harbor more warmth, eating warm soup inside after not seeing anyone for days. It’s really not all that bad, this winter! (But, for the record, I still want out.)

Here are some songs about the winter blues, and then a bunch to make them better.

Winter Blues, Meet Winter Tunes

A Winter’s Tale – Queen
Winter Wonderland – Eurythmics
It May Be Winter Outside – Love Unlimited
Wintertime Love – The Doors
It Snowed – Meaghan Smith
White Winter Hymnal – Fleet Foxes
Angel In The Snow – Elliott Smith
Song for a Winter’s Night – Sarah McLachlan
Frosty The Snowman – Fiona Apple
Let it Snow (Christmas Jazz) – Ella Fitzgerald
No Winter for a Year – The Arcade Fire
20 Years Of Snow – Regina Spektor
Winter’s Love – Animal Collective
Snowmen – Barenaked Ladies
Half a Week Before the Winter – Vanessa Carlton
The Snow Before Us – Charles Atlas
Winter Song ft. Ingrid Michaelson – Sara Bareilles
Winter – The Rolling Stones

Winter Blues, Meet Winter Tunes from Autostraddle on 8tracks Radio.

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Carmen

Carmen spent six years at Autostraddle, ultimately serving as Straddleverse Director, Feminism Editor and Social Media Co-Director. She is now the Consulting Digital Editor at Ms. and writes regularly for DAME, the Women’s Media Center, the National Women’s History Museum and other prominent feminist platforms; her work has also been published in print and online by outlets like BuzzFeed, Bitch, Bust, CityLab, ElixHER, Feministing, Feminist Formations, GirlBoss, GrokNation, MEL, Mic and SIGNS, and she is a co-founder of Argot Magazine. You can find Carmen on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr or in the drive-thru line at the nearest In-N-Out.

Carmen has written 919 articles for us.

13 Comments

  1. YES!
    Every year I make Em a christmas mixtape. This year I’ll just pinch this one! (Though she does get White Winter Hymnal every time – irresistible)
    Thanks Carmen!!

  2. Thanks for the list, Carmen! I’m totally gonna jam to it at work.

    “Xmas Cake” by Rilo Kiley, off of the (now out of print) compilation Maybe This Christmas Too?, is probably my favorite holiday song. So depressing. So good.

    http://www.youtube.com/embed/xTX0L3ds8ck

    Sufjan Stevens’s Songs for Christmas box set is a great one too! “Put the Lights on the Tree” (watch the video, it’s a really cute little cartoon!) and “Sister Winter” are my faves from that.

    http://www.youtube.com/embed/OYQFeZFLyM4

    http://www.youtube.com/embed/5OCdS5S20dg

  5. One year for Christmas, my mom requested a CD of nothing but Sarah McLachlan’s version of “Song for a Winter’s Night” alternating with Gordon Lightfoot’s original version for, like, 20 tracks. What I’m saying is that I approve of its inclusion, and so does my mom.

  6. I just put lights up all around my apartment and on my tree last night and today I am in a such a great holiday mood! This playlist is perfect for me today <3

  9. What a list! Has anyone heard wrapped in red by kelly clarkson?
    It has all the feelings you want to say but sounds so much better in song…

  11. I cam her specifically to make sure that Sara and Ingrid’s song was on this list. I would have been livid if it wasn’t.

    Also, “Greatest Time of Year” by Aly & AJ is my Christmas jam.

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