It’s the time of year where the world is split into two; some people believe that right after Halloween they have the right to blast Christmas music and hang up all their Christmas decorations, while others believe that there has to be a certain period of time before one can start jamming out to Christmas songs. 

But few know of the music that plays in the gap between Halloween and Christmas. As families and friends gather to celebrate all that they are thankful for, I’m grateful for the countless decades of cozy Thanksgiving music that I’ve listened to all my life.

From the 60s all the way until the 2020s, I’ll recount 14 Thanksgiving songs that you can add to your Thanksgiving playlist.

The 60s

Released in 1962, “[Do The] Mashed Potatoes” was written and performed by James Brown. It’s a blues instrumental song, but don’t let the genre fool you; it is a funky song about mashed potatoes and all the different types of cooked potatoes. 

The song was written by James Brown with his band and became a success when he paired his song with the popular dance, Mash Potato. When Brown decided to record the song “[Do The] Mashed Potatoes,” his record label denied him the chance, so he instead went to another music producer, Henry Stone. 

Stone allowed him to record it but overdubbed the song with another popular singer, King Coleman, to conceal his voice and credited the song to Brown’s drummer, Nat Kendrick, and Brown’s pseudonym, Dessie Rozier. 

“Let’s Turkey Trot” was released by Little Eva in 1963; it is a fun Thanksgiving tune performed by Eva Boyd and written by Gerry Goffin, Jack Keller, and Carole King. 

Boyd met Goffin and King when she was their kids’ babysitter. Inspired by her groovy dance moves, they wrote a song about it and asked her to sing.

“Let’s Turkey Trot” is as much of a Thanksgiving song as it is a musical dance instruction with lyrics such as “People may say you’re some kind of a nut / When you’re lifting your knees and you start to strut” and “Come on, let’s turkey trot.” This song gives the perfect opportunity for you and your family to learn a Thanksgiving dance. 

The 70s

Starting off this new decade is one of the most iconic Thanksgiving song there is, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” Composed and performed by Vince Guaraldi, this classic melody has installed itself in the brains of generations since the “Peanuts” cartoon was first broadcast on CBS in 1973. While you are adding these songs to your playlist, maybe carve out some time to watch the equally iconic cartoon, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.”

The 1974 soul song “Be Thankful for What You Got” was written and sung by William DeVaughn. He spent about $900 (over $6,000 in today’s currency) to produce it. Due to the song’s success, he quit his government job to produce an album with the same title. 

With the egregious amount of money he spent to make it, the song was a hit, selling almost 2 million copies on its release date. This song reminds us that material things will never matter as much as all the blessings you have in your life. 

If you ever need a Thanksgiving song that has the quintessential vibe of the 70s, “Gratitude” by Earth, Wind, and Fire is the song for you. This R&B jazz-funk song will unleash the hippie in everyone at the Thanksgiving table. 

Natalie Cole is a beloved musician who released a wondrous Thanksgiving song called “Be Thankful.” The element of this song that I adore is the echoing of “be thankful.” The lyrics truly reminded you that no matter the circumstance, be grateful for what you have. Some of my favorite lyrics are: 

“You may be in a big city / Or driving down a country lane, yeah / Working two jobs to make a living / And all you do is complain. Well, / You should be thankful / Of what you got.” 

To finish off this decade, I picked the most Thanksgiving-esque song I know: “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. This iconic song will be playing at your local furniture store during the Thanksgiving season, and it should be on your family playlist. “We Are Family” is a timeless message about family and unity, and what makes this song even more impactful is that it was sung by sisters. 

This era is truly my favorite era of Thanksgiving music. There is a joyous feeling that makes you just want to get up and dance. 

The 80s 

Many of you may have heard “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers, but have you heard of the 1986 version? “Lean on Me,” the Club Nouveau mix, mixes in the hip-hop element of the time with Withers’ iconic lyrics. This version was such a hit it even won a Grammy for best R&B song. 

Thanksgiving isn’t just for the family, but it’s also a time to feel grateful for the friends around you. “That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne Warwick and Friends in 1985 is the perfect song to encapsulate that. The lyrics and the beat of the song remind you of the connections you have with your friends and how important those connections are. 

The 90s 

Michael Jackson is not only a wondrous musician but also a kind soul. His 1992 song “Heal the World” is not directly a Thanksgiving song, but it does remind us to take care of the people around us and share with others who are in need. This song is so heartwarming and inspiring. 

Michael Jackson also created the Heal the World Foundation, which is a children’s charity organization whose mission is to improve the lives of children. The foundation sadly dissolved in 2002, but that doesn’t negate all the good it had done beforehand. 

The 2000s 

Defined by the rise of the internet, smartphones, and the creation of MySpace, the 2000s are filled with nostalgia. 

Thanksgiving originated in the United States, but that doesn’t mean that its music can only come from there. Ray Davies is an English singer and wrote the song “Thanksgiving Day” in 2006. It captures the feeling of missing home during the holidays, and all you want to do is come back home. 

The 2010s 

Celine Dion is a world-class singer and songwriter known for the iconic song “My Heart Will Go On” from the blockbuster 1997 movie “Titanic,” but she’s also hopped on the bandwagon of Thanksgiving ballads. The 2013 song, “Thankful” is a powerful song with beautiful lyrics paired with Dion’s enchanting voice. If there is a song that will make you cry tears of joy for all your blessings, this is it.  

The 2020s 

Famous Christian singer Matthew West wrote and filmed a silly Thanksgiving tune in 2020 called “Gobble Gobble.” With goofy lyrics such as “Grandpa’s passed out passing gas (come on) / But we got pumpkin candles burning just for that (light ’em up),” and with a chorus mainly consisting of the word “Gobble,” this song will make all the kids jump up with joy and all the adults crack a smile. It’s the perfect song for everyone to sing along to, jokingly or not. 

We are finishing off our perfect Thanksgiving playlist with Ben Rector’s “The Thanksgiving Song.” This song brings back all the Thanksgiving nostalgia. While Rector was writing his 2020 Christmas album, he felt there weren’t very many Thanksgiving songs out there, so he decided to write one.

“I feel like everyone has an emotional connection and a lot of memories around Thanksgiving, just like they do Christmas,” said Rector. His song manages to capture this bond that many of us have on Thanksgiving. 

I might not have swayed many of the diehards who start listening to Christmas music as soon as the calendar flips to November, but I hope that many of you who respect the gap between Halloween and Christmas can also enjoy some Thanksgiving music.  

And I also hope that whenever someone says there isn’t any Thanksgiving, you can lead them here to this perfect Thanksgiving playlist.