There’s a particular kind of October afternoon that needs a soundtrack. Low sun. Hands shoved so deep in your pockets you can feel the lint. This autumn walk playlist is built for exactly that. It isn’t a random pile of songs with “autumn” in the title. They’re ordered by tempo, so you start gently, settle into a proper stride, then pick up the pace when your fingers start to go numb.
Every track comes with its BPM (beats per minute), because matching your steps to the beat is the closest thing to a free personal trainer. My own walk is along the river.
Why tempo matters on a walk
A study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, led by Catrine Tudor-Locke and published in 2019, found that about 100 steps a minute is moderate-intensity walking for adults aged 21 to 40, and around 130 is vigorous. So, a song at 100 to 130 BPM is basically a pacing aid. You don’t need to count. Just let your feet fall on the beat and you’ll find yourself walking a bit faster than you meant to.
Some songs below are listed at half speed (Moondance clocks in at 67 BPM), and you’ll naturally step twice to every beat. I’ve noted where that happens.
The whole playlist runs to about an hour and 40 minutes. That’s two 50-minute walks, or one very long one with a stop for a coffee.
Listen to the playlist
Want to take the whole playlist with you? I’ve put all 25 songs together on Spotify, in the same order as they appear below. Press play, put your headphones on and head outside. The crunchy leaves are optional, but highly recommended.
Part one: setting off
Start slow. Your legs are cold and so is the air, and the first few songs sit between 90 and 110 BPM.
Northern Sky, Nick Drake (90 BPM, 3:46). Gentle, and it sounds like the light at four o’clock.
Season of the Witch, Lana Del Rey (96 BPM, 4:07). One of my three must-haves. Lana recorded her version of Donovan’s 1966 song for the 2019 film Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and it’s every bit as spooky as that sounds (opens in new tab).
Autumn Sweater, Yo La Tengo (102 BPM, 5:20). The title does the work.
Fields of Gold, Sting (104 BPM, 3:42). Technically about barley, but it’s late-summer barley, which counts.
Bags, Clairo (105 BPM, 4:21). Soft and a bit anxious, like the first cold morning.
Why Does It Always Rain on Me?, Travis (108 BPM, 4:25). A British autumn walk without this would be dishonest.
Cold Shoulder, Adele (110 BPM, 3:13). For the bit where the wind picks up.
Part two: finding your stride
Now you’re warm. This is where the autumn walk playlist does its real job, sitting between 113 and 130 BPM.
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Harvest Moon, Neil Young (113 BPM, 5:03). Unhurried and gorgeous.
Autumn, Paolo Nutini (113 BPM, 2:49). From his 2006 debut, These Streets, and over far too quickly.
Shiver, Coldplay (117 BPM, 5:04). Early Coldplay, before the confetti cannons.
Bonfire Heart, James Blunt (118 BPM, 3:58). It’s a good walking song.
Autumn Almanac, The Kinks (119 BPM, 3:04). The most English song ever written about leaves and roast beef.
Autumn Leaves, Nat King Cole (122 BPM, 2:40). Perfection.
Sweater Weather, The Neighbourhood (124 BPM, 4:00). A bit moody and very jumper-appropriate.
Wuthering Heights, Kate Bush (124 BPM, 3:44). Wild moors, cold hands. Feel free to do the dance (opens in new tab).
September, Earth, Wind & Fire (126 BPM, 3:35). It’s October, but nobody’s checking.
I Need a Forest Fire, James Blake and Bon Iver (128 BPM, 4:17). My third essential, from Blake’s 2016 album The Colour in Anything. It sounds like breath in cold air.
cardigan, Taylor Swift (opens in new tab) (130 BPM, 4:00). Top of the brisk range, and the most autumnal thing she’s recorded.
Part three: cold hands, quick feet
The sun’s dropping and your fingers have stopped working. Speed up.
Moondance, Van Morrison (opens in new tab) (67 BPM, 4:34). Listed at half speed, so you’ll walk it at about 134.
Seasons (Waiting on You), Future Islands (140 BPM, 3:46). Impossible to stroll to.
October Song, Amy Winehouse (147 BPM, 3:25). Jazzy and light on its feet, from her 2003 debut Frank.
Hazy Shade of Winter, The Bangles (75 BPM, 2:45). Another half-speed listing. In practice it’s a power walk at about 150.
Part four: the home stretch
Two slower songs to bring your heart rate down as the streetlights come on. Nearly home.
Wake Me Up When September Ends, Green Day (105 BPM, 4:46). A wistful one for the last stretch.
Winter Winds, Mumford & Sons (84 BPM, 3:40). A nod to what’s coming next.
How to make it work on the day
Put it on shuffle and you’ll lose the build. Play it in order. If you only have 45 minutes, start from the top and you’ll finish somewhere around the end of Shiver, which is still a decent stride.
Save parts three and four for a weekend, when you’ve got time for the long loop and the fast songs can push you home just as you’d rather slow down.
Walking in the dark? Keep one ear free so you can hear bikes and cars, and wear something bright. There’s nothing cosy about a cyclist you didn’t see coming.
The ones that nearly made it
Noah Kahan’s Stick Season nearly made it. I couldn’t find a reliable BPM for it, and a tempo playlist without a tempo felt like cheating. Same story for Ed Sheeran’s Autumn Leaves. Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know is a lovely song (opens in new tab) and a terrible walking one. Got a song that belongs here? Tell me in the comments.
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