10 of the Most Winter Coded Albums of All Time

The season of peppermint, snowfall, and cosying up by the fireplace has finally arrived, and it brings its own soundtrack.

While most people may immediately think of holiday anthems when they think of winter, there is so much more in the music world reminiscent of this most wonderful time of year. We want to share 10 winter-coded albums that we believe music connoisseurs far and wide should be tuning into for the next few months.

Merry Christmas – Mariah Carey (1994)

Of course, I think it’s only fair that we include one Christmas album with the holiday coming up, and what better to kick us off than one of the best-selling holiday albums in world history? Merry Christmas is Mariah Carey’s fourth studio album and first Christmas album, with the single All I Want for Christmas Is You becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time and the best-selling Christmas ringtone in the US. All it takes is those opening percussion chimes to signal that fall is over and winter has officially begun. The gospel-soul album is one of the cheeriest ways to ring in the winter season and set the coming months on a high note. 

I Love You. – The Neighbourhood (2013)

I Love You. is the debut album of alternative rock band, the Neighbourhood. Despite being released in April 2013, the stormy album cover alone takes me to a cold, December day. This album is a warm cup of angsty melodies and themes matching the seasonal depression that winter often brings. Sweater Weather, one of the band’s most successful tracks, is typically featured on most winter playlists with its metaphor of sharing warmth with someone through the holes of their sweater. While this album does explore darker, more melancholic themes, it’s important to include it because the season isn’t simply cheer and joy for everyone. 

Cigarettes After Sex – Cigarettes After Sex (2017)

Cigarettes After Sex is the self-titled debut album by American ambient pop band Cigarettes After Sex. One of my nieces has said it reminds her of winter romance and after listening to it for myself, I agree with her. The 47-minute album has themes of longing, intimacy, true love, and much more. It feels like a blanket itself, with imagery repeating across multiple songs. Whether you’ll be bundled up with your lover this season, distance is keeping you away from the mistletoe or will have other forms of love in your life this year, this bittersweet album is one for you.

A Song for Every Moon – Bruno Major (2017)

A Song for Every Moon is the debut album of British singer-songwriter Bruno Major, released in November 2017. The folk-R&B album served as a compilation of songs he wrote, recorded and released every month for a year, a task he announced for himself in August 2016. Each song takes the listener deeper into a journey of love, melancholy, resentment, self-realization and more. Winter is a deeply reflective time for most people, as they reflect on the past year they have had, and this album represents that in a tasteful manner.

Stranger in the Alps – Phoebe Bridgers (2017)

Phoebe Bridgers came out the gate swinging in 2017 with her debut album, Stranger in the Alps. The artist herself loves winter, nature and forests, which inspired much of the album’s imagery and the title itself. While lyrically complex and angst-ridden, the album finds the beauty in sorrow and its indie folk feel reminds me of the first snowfall of the season. This is an album to watch snowflakes cascade from the sky as you reminisce on life and the journey you have had in the past year with yourself and others. 

Positions – Ariana Grande (2020)

If you ask any Arianator what season they would classify this album in, winter will typically be their answer. While Ariana Grande’s sixth studio album doesn’t present itself at surface value as a project for cosy weather, with the trap-infused R&B pop songs themed around romance and intimacy, many fans feel like it represents the transition from fall to winter. Safety Net, POV, Shut Up, and Main Thing are just four songs off the project that match the vibes of walking through the park and seeing your breath in the cold as you sing along or wrapping yourself in your favourite blanket at home. 

Evermore – Taylor Swift (2020)

It’s no secret that this album is thought of as the winter album out of Taylor Swift’s entire discography. Released in December 2020, this project perfectly encapsulates the entire scale of wintertime feelings through its more folk sound. ‘Tis the Damn Season, Gold Rush, and Willow are more upbeat numbers that feel like the sun on a bright winter day when you can shed your thicker jacket and enjoy the powdery snow. Slower songs like Champagne Problems, Coney Island (feat. The National), and Marjorie are the more mournful aspects of the season. Like how winter can bring grey clouds and a chill you feel in your bones that brews contemplation and discontent in your soul, Swift matches these complex vortexes of emotions in these ballads. So, braid your hair, slip into a cardigan, and pull on some knitted socks as you press play on this certified wintertime album. 

Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever) – Noah Kahan (2022)

While this album is fairly new, having been released in the summer of 2022 (ironically) with additional tracks added in June 2023, it has already cemented itself as a winter classic. This body of work contains healthy servings of seasonal depression and introspective pondering that can only be born from existing on a silent and cold winter day. Kahan has a variety of tracks that are a blend of both the folk and alternative genres where he belts about his complex feelings regarding his hometown or croons over varying expressions of love. No matter what you are looking for, any song off this album will have you feeling like you are driving down an empty road in a small town wrapped in your warmest jacket while frost fogs your windows. 

Bewitched – Laufey (2023)

I don’t think this list would have been complete without a jazz album, and Laufey’s music is the perfect catalyst for winter. Bewitched is the second studio album of the Icelandic singer-songwriter, debuting at number 23 on the US Billboard 200. The songs describe sweeping love, whether that’s for a lover, a friend, life, or oneself. Laufey’s musical roots in jazz and classical take the front seat with heartwarming string arrangements and is a masterclass in storytelling through lyrics. This is definitely an album to listen to as you sip hot cocoa by the fireplace.

The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We – Mitski (2023)

Released one week after Bewitched, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Mitski. Known to be an artist who captures the melodramatic feelings people typically try to suppress, this album is described as the most emotionally raw project that Mitski has put out. My Love Mine All Mine is the third single released in promotion for the album, and its heartbreakingly beautiful melody is one I will always stream come December. Overall, the entire album is the epitome of warmth on a cold, snowy evening as you slow dance with your partner in the kitchen. 

Although many more albums fit the bill for this list, these 10 albums are in my rotation and remind me of the reason for the season. While you warm up in cosy socks and furry blankets, are there any winter-coded albums that you gravitate towards?