21 Songs to Add to Your Playlist to Cure the Winter Blues

Gliding on the ice, snuggling by the fireplace, making snow angels with the family—what do all of these things need? A winter playlist to create the perfect atmosphere. Although the colder months bring tons of entertaining activities along with powdery snow, they may also bring on that dreadful seasonal winter depression. Instead of curling up in bed for the duration of December, we’re beating the winter blues with an awesome snow playlist. Check out these 21 songs that you’ll be listening to on repeat.

Winter Blues–Beating Songs You’ll Love

1. “Wintertime Love” by The Doors

“Come with me dance, my dear

Winter’s so cold this year

You are so warm

My wintertime love to be”

The Doors gave us a solution to beating the winter blues—“Wintertime Love” fills our hearts with warmth and gives us hope to overcome any seasonal winter depression. What better way to enjoy the cold weather than by snuggling with your special someone in a California winter cabin while Jim Morrison vocalizes what you both feel? 

2. “You Should Be Here” by Kehlani

“I’m looking right at you, but you’re not there

I’m seeing right past you, but you seem well aware

Your body is here but your mind is somewhere else”

Kehlani’s “You Should Be Here” is a reminder to be present, especially during the holidays. Don’t let the winter blues get the best of you—get into the holiday spirit and live in the moment. 

3. “Snow (Hey Oh)” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

“Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder

Where it's so white as snow

Privately divided by a world so undecided

And there's nowhere to go”

As one of the most memorable songs from the critically acclaimed album Stadium Arcadium, “Snow (Hey Oh)” is a must-add to your winter playlist. According to Anthony Kiedis, the vocalist of the band, the song is about surviving and starting fresh—although he’s made a lot of mistakes in the past, he now has a clean slate, a canvas of snow, to start over. It’s the ideal feel-good California song. 

4. “Winterlong” by Neil Young

“I waited for you, winter long

You seem to be where I belong

It's all illusion anyway”

This musical gem is the perfect winter blues–beating song to listen to. While Neil Young sings about yearning and waiting for the one he seeks, add this song to your beach playlist when you’re hitting the Golden State’s best beaches that are worth visiting in the cold. 

5. “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas And The Papas

“All the leaves are brown 

And the sky is grey 

I've been for a walk 

On a winter's day

I'd be safe and warm 

If I was in L.A.”

Everybody knows that is the best Golden State road trip song to blast while cruising along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway. This iconic song is also a wonderful choice if it was included in your Spotify winter playlist. 

6. “Winter’s Ballad” by Cuco

“So shoot me with the bow that cupid's quiver has one more

The last time I might get to fall in love”

Sometimes, you just need to lay on the couch and chill out to poignant, poetic songs that give you all the feels. Put on your headphones, play this psychedelia-soaked love ballad, and imagine gliding on the best ice-rink in California to zone out for a while. 

7. “Hazy Shade Of Winter” By The Bangles

“Look around

Leaves are brown

And the sky

Is a hazy shade of winter”

Originally composed by Simon and Garfunkel in 1966, “Hazy Shade Of Winter” is not just about the weather; it’s also about looking back at significant life stages. The Bangles covered the song in 1987 and revamped it to an edgier rock hit. You’ll easily crush the winter blues thanks to the song’s catchy beat. 

8. “November” by Tyler, The Creator 

“Take me back to November

Hawaiian shirts in the winter, cold water, cold water”

Tyler, The Creator talks about his insecurities and fears regarding his life, career, and relationships in this song. He’s nostalgic for November, the best time of his life, while you’re nostalgic for summer. Keep beating the winter blues by blasting this bopping track.

9. “The Winter” by Cake

“Winter’s trees freezing in the bitter wind

And autumn’s leaves have all been blown away.

Being in the places where we used to be

Somehow being there without you’s not the same”

Breakups are hard, especially in the winter. Tugging heartstrings with a gentle intensity, the song manages to evoke emotions while simultaneously comforting the listener. The song undoubtedly deserves a spot on your winter playlist.   

10. “Box Of Rain” by The Grateful Dead

“And it’s just a box of rain

Or a ribbon for your hair

Such a long long time to be gone

And a short time to be there”

The Grateful Dead touched our hearts with this wonderful melody. Founding band member Phil Lesh composed the music for his dying father and gave it to songwriter Robert Hunter to draft the lyrics. Lesh managed to sing “Box Of Rain” to his father before he passed away. Talk about winter blues… 

11. “In My Room” by The Beach Boys

“There's a world where I can go and tell my secrets to

In my room, in my room

In this world, I lock out all my worries and my fears

In my room, in my room”

I’ll admit it—leaving your warm bed in the winter is a struggle, especially when the winter blues have kicked in. Just ask The Beach Boys; they’ll tell you all about it. But as comfy as your room may seem during the colder months, why lock yourself in when you can seek out California’s coolest winter destinations?

12. “Want You Back” by Haim

“So just know that I want you back

Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us

I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you”

Although this song is about lost love, we’d like to believe it’s about wanting summer back. We’ll take the fall and the fault—specifically, the scorching July sun—over the seasonal winter depression any time of the year.   

13. “Funky New Year” by The Eagles

“Went to a party just last night

Wanted to bring the year in right

Woke up this morning I don't know how

Last night I was a happy man, but the way I feel right now”

Why sink into the winter blues when you know you’re going to have tons of fun on Christmas and New Year’s Eve? Add “Funky New Year” by the Eagles to your snow playlist right now and you’ll immediately get into the right mood.

14. “Don’t Kill My Vibe” by Kendrick Lamar

The title says it all. Take a hint, seasonal winter depression.

15. “The Winter Is Cold” by Wendy And Bonnie

“The winter is cold, it's cold

The winter is cold, it's cold

The winter is cold, it's cold

It's cold on you, and it's cold on me”

Dare we disagree with Wendy and Bonnie? We think not.

16. “Roulette” by System Of A Down

“I have a problem that I cannot explain

I have no reason why it should have been so plain

Have no questions but I sure have excuse

I lack the reason why I should be so confused”

Love isn’t easy. It can be as cold and harsh as a snowstorm or warm like a fire. “Roulette” may sound like a simple song, but it contains so much depth. System of a Down sings about a person taking a chance with his feelings, not exactly knowing how he feels. He’s simply taking a risk, just like a game of roulette. Is this how we feel about snowy days?

17. “It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It's Spring)” by Love Unlimited

“It may be winter outside

But in my heart it's spring

How much joy and pleasure, baby

Can one guy bring me”

Though never originally meant to be a holiday tune, this has become one of those rarely heard Christmas songs. “It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It’s Spring)” is an absolute classic—sending shivers down the spine, the song is the ultimate winter blues ballad. 

18. “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey

“Strangers waiting

Up and down the boulevard

Their shadows searching in the night

Streetlights, people

Living just to find emotion

Hiding somewhere in the night”

Never stop believing in yourself. Never stop believing in the world. And never stop believing in beating the winter blues. This anthem by Journey is so inspirational that you can add it to your snow playlist as well as your outdoor workout playlist. 

19. “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas

“A feeling, that tonight's gonna be a good night

That tonight's gonna be a good night”

Wintertime means that the holidays are here—we want to make memories and have fun. We’re blasting this song on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. We’re feeling it, too, Black Eyed Peas. 

20. “Steal Softly Thru Snow” by The Magic Band

“The wild goose flies from winter

Breaks my heart that I can't go

Energy flies through a field

And the sun softly melts a nothing wheel”

The biggest theme that occurs in “Steal Softly Thru Snow” is Captain Beefheart’s concerns regarding the environment. A passionate plea for the natural world, the song is more than just a melody—it’s poetry. It reminds us that we are mere visitors to this world and we have to take care of it. Whether it’s planning a sustainable wedding or rocking eco-friendly loungewear, we all have to go green at some point. Include this song in your winter playlist to serve as a reminder of your priorities. 

21. “White Christmas” by Katy Perry

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten

And children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow”

Katy Perry’s cover of “White Christmas” is reminiscent of a nostalgic tune—her deep and raspy voice adds retro touches to the holiday hymn. Honestly, what’s the point of a Spotify winter playlist if you’re not going to have Christmas songs on it?