Fall is easily the superior season. The weather is just right; it is not too cold, nor too gross. Routine activities — rewatching spooky movies, eating yummy treats and layering up — are enjoyable, too. And it is finally Halloween.

But joy does not have to stem solely from these activities. Music can also supply the feeling.

“Autumn In New York” – Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

Album: Ella and Louis Again (1957)

Genre: Jazz

Not playing “Autumn In New York” during fall would be criminal. Although the song is covered well by many musicians, this rendition — from Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong — is beyond beautiful. The powerful jazz artists produced three albums when working with each other: “Ella and Louis”, “Ella And Louis Again” and “Porgy And Bess.” The track resides on their “Ella And Louis Again” album. “Autumn In New York” begins with a playful piano riff that is soon joined by a bass guitar, drums and Fitzgerald’s smooth, beautiful singing. Then, catching the listener by surprise, Armstrong’s froggy singing begins two minutes into the track — followed by his trumpet playing and the return of Fitzgerald’s voice. What makes the track an excellent song for fall though, is the point the lyrics poke at: this time of year will be good, life looks promising. Lyrics such as, “Why does it seem so inviting? / That brings the promise of new love / It’s good to live it again” support the idea of having hope and excitement in this transition in time. Oh … and the song title may or may not make it fitting for fall, too.

“Moondance” – Van Morrison

Album: Moondance (1970)

Genre: Jazz, soft rock

No, Van Morrison is not related to Jim Morrison — another musician also from rock’s experimental era. Jim joined the 27 club; Van, 78 years old, still tours and releases new music. Despite providing new content, it is Van’s work from the mid ‘60s and early ‘70s that he is best known for. “Moondance” is on this list. Released in 1970, the track resides on an album that shares the same name. The song begins at a smooth pace — the flute and saxophones slowly enter — but it does not end like this: each instrument, from drums to vocals, gradually sing their lines with more confidence. Although Fitzgerald and Armstrongs’ “Autumn In New York” has already proven that jazz music can do the trick, Van’s “Moondance” is an excellent fit for fall. Numerous lines in the song — “And all the leaves on the trees are falling / To the sound of the breezes that blow / You know the night’s magic seems to whisper and hush / You know the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush” — highlight the changes in nature: leaves parting from the branches, the weather growing cold and nights stretching longer.

“Season Of The Witch” – Lana Del Ray

Album: Season Of The Witch (From The Motion Picture “Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark”) (2019)

Genre: Alt-pop

Lana Del Rey was spotted working a shift over the summer — at a Waffle House. Her fans copy this messy-framed persona through creating Lana Del Rey vinyl coded items, people, places and more. Back in 2019, however, the queen of depression covered ‘60s singer-songwriter Donavan Leitch’s “Season of the Witch” — scoring a spot on a horror film soundtrack. Del Rey’s version explores a more off-putting route. Her glossy background vocals, the tremolo effect on one of the guitars and the simple piano line all complement that everything spooky is all around us within the lyrics. Del Rey — with Leitch’s words — says so through suggesting that there is something unusual “out [the] window” and “over [her] shoulder.” This track — unsettling at the core, yet simultaneously beautiful to the ear — evidently proves itself excellent for fall: the season of the spooky.”

“we fell in love in october” – girl in red

Album: we fell in love in october / October Passed Me By (2018)

Genre: Indie/alt-pop

Although it is at an end, TikTok’s October trend is nothing new. Marie Ulven Ringheim, better known as ‘Girl in Red’ released “we fell in love in october” — the background song for the trend — back in 2018. It joined the club of modern indie-rock hits; she became one of many faces for the LGBTQ+ side of TikTok. In the following years, young fans would attach a hidden meaning to the question “Do you listen to Girl In Red?” This tune is excellent for this time of year, and, of course, it should extend beyond just this month. Regarding the foundation, “we fell in love in october” offers a calm, catchy song structure — the sound is heaven for time-based effects enjoyers. It is the lyrics that bring romance to the table: “We fell in love in October / That’s why, I love fall,” “You will be my girl / My girl, my girl, my girl / You will be my world” and “You look so pretty and I love this view.”

“Cemetry Gates” – The Smiths

Album: The Queen Is Dead (1986)

Genre: British indie-rock

Actress Zooey Deschanel — in the 2009 film 500 Days of Summer — once said: “I love The Smiths.” Although the statement was delivered adorably, liking the band has grown to be an opinion of ill repute thanks to frontman Morrisey Smith. He stinks. He mindlessly roams the planet. But man, did The Smiths release some hits. The once-hip band’s “Cemetry Gates” was released under the album “The Queen Is Dead.” This album provides several dark tunes that accompany this time of year comfortably — all staying true to their british indie-rock sound. “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” — virtual to girl in red’s “we fell in love in october” — tosses romance into the task, “I Know It’s Over, ” despair into the task. “Cemetery Gates,” though, brings adventure to the ear. In the chorus, Smith sings, “A dreaded sunny day / So I meet you at the cemetry gates;” the rest of the lyrics, blabbers about “stones,” “those lives” and some “poems.” Plain to see, the uneasy references within the lyrics are what allows “Cemetry Gates” to complement fall.

“Somebody’s Watching Me” – Rockwell, Michael Jackson

Album: Somebody’s Watching Me (1984)

Genre: Synth-funk, pop

Getting Michael Jackson to feature on “Somebody’s Watching Me” was not tortuous at all for Kennedy William Gordy, also known as Rockwell, to the public. Gordy’s image did fade back into the shadows shortly after releasing this song, but this song went on to become a timeless treasure. One leading factor is that the instruments used could not better represent the hottest gear of the ‘80s, as well as the lyrics and how they were delivered. For instance, Gordy lists the horrors he endures through singing in a declamatory, talking-like manner. This, combined with voice inflection, has made his lines — “I’m just an average man with an average life / I work from nine to five, hey, hell, I pay the price / All I want is to be left alone in my average home / But why do I always feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone,” for show— iconic. Jackson’s participation, however, does not walk a path as adventurous as Gordy’s: he sings how he has always sung. I think that since the Jackson 5 member already had six solo albums released before recording with Gordy, his feature on the song was enough to draw in admiration. Singers aside, though, “Somebody’s Watching Me” is quintessential to this time of year because of its paranoia-heavy storyline and cheesy horror sound effects.

“Goodbye Horses” – Q Lazzarus

Album: Goodbye Horses (2013)

Genre: New wave, dark wave, post-punk

“Goodbye Horses” is an extraordinarily pretty song. Although the psychological thriller film — “The Silence of the Lambs” — in which this song is most recognized from is a strange, yet enjoyable masterpiece, “Goodbye Horses” still stands as pure chef’s kiss. It is also the only song to be released by the artist Q Lazzarus, born Diane Luckey. Nonetheless, “Goodbye Horses” is a song that proves excellent for fall for one main reason: its genres. The Luckey hit is a blend of the new wave, dark wave and post-punk genres that all took the ‘70s and ‘80s by storm. Yes, these three may sound exactly the same to some listeners. Yes, the motive rooted behind each one is nearly identical to one another: stepping beyond society’s expectations. However, this shared motive is what allows Luckey’s “Goodbye Horses” to make such an excellent match for this time of year. Not only because the colder and highly unfavorable weather is not considered normal weather for some people, but also because this celebration of the weird is what Halloween is all about. However, some lyrical elements of the song just do not pull you in as swiftly as its pretty genres and sound do. But do not get me wrong — Luckey singing about a disagreement, then repeating “Goodbye horses I’m flying over you” a handful of times is no boring work.

“Human Fly” – The Cramps

Album: Off The Bone (1983)

Genre: Halloween rock, punk rock, psychobilly

I will not lie. I was a whopping brand new fan of The Cramps at the time, but watching them being labeled last year as “that Wednesday Adams band” shrunk my heart. How could people turn a blind eye to the group’s fruitful career beyond the Netflix original series? Exemplary material that can compensate for this mistake are their first two albums “Songs The Lord Taught Us” and “Psychedelic Jungle;” this track resides on their third, “Off The Bone.” One of The Cramps’ most notable pieces, “Human Fly” begins neatly with a guitar riff that holds a ‘60s surf rock tone. However, this cleanliness comes to a halt, as — around 15 seconds in — the pace is picked up due to drums, bass and a distorted guitar entering the scene. And frontman Lux Interior piles onto the oddity summoned by guitar players Poison Ivy and Bryan Gregory’s work through singing parallel to Gordy in “Somebody’s Watching Me:” declamatory and talking-like. He informs the listener that “[he’s] a human fly” all while making “bzz” sounds throughout the process. Clearly, “Human Fly” is an excellent fit for Halloween and this time of year. Not only because the song holds an odd aura, but because The Cramps are widely recognized as the “ultimate Halloween band.”