Best Classical Music Playlist for Thanksgiving Day

Looking for music for Thanksgiving Dinner? Check out our favorite playlists including the best classical music for Thanksgiving Day!

The dinner table is set, the candles are lit, and amazing scents are filling your home for the Thanksgiving feast. What could possibly be missing? Creating an inviting and cozy space means filling up ALL of the senses so you need music for the final touch! I have been asked countless times for my playlists. Since my husband and I are both musicians, in addition to our day jobs, you can imagine that we have pretty strong ideas about what music we like! Today, I’m excited to finally share with you our favorite music for the season, including Robb’s favorite classical music for Thanksgiving Day!

If you thought that the two of us always agree on our music, well then, you’re mistaken. Haha! I would happily have soft praise and worship music playing. However, I can’t argue that classical music for Thanksgiving Day does add some elegance and a lovely sense of formality to make the Thanksgiving holiday feel extra special.

Disclaimer: We are not the expert Thanksgiving music specialists. However, we are music lovers who enjoy music every day of the year, including Thanksgiving Day! There is more great music out there than one blog post could ever contain. Today, though, we are excited to share some of our personal favorites with you!

What music should I play on Thanksgiving?

So, let’s get started! We are excited to share what we think are the best Thanksgiving songs and best pieces of classical music to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere in your home for the holiday spirit. First of all, I’ll turn it over to Robb to share the best pieces of classical music for Thanksgiving Day!

view of a long white table with various colored pumpkins down the middle and a cabinet at the end styled for fall

Best Classical Music Playlist for Thanksgiving Day

Favorite Classical Music Playlist for Thanksgiving Day

Hey, everyone! Robb here…So I have loved classical music for as long as I can remember, specifically classical piano. Growing up, it seems like there was always someone practicing something in our home. I also enjoyed our public radio station who took requests on Saturday mornings – BEFORE college football started in the afternoon! I learned a lot of beautiful classical music new to me that way.

So without further ado, here’s a sampling of classical music perfect for Thanksgiving in no particular order. I even stretched my boundaries a bit & threw in some chamber & choral works!

We linked each playlist at the bottom of this post for covenience.

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”
- Beethoven might be my favorite composer. He would often take long nature walks, and this symphony captures those moments perfectly.
Antonio Vivaldi: “Autumn” from the Four Seasons
- Is there a more popular set of Baroque era pieces? I don’t think so– and for good reason! “Autumn” is perfect for Thanksgiving!
Aaron Copland: “Appalachian Spring”
- As a primarily American holiday (and Canadian!), why not add a piece from one of America’s finest classical composers? I love Copland’s version of “Appalachian Spring”!
John Rutter: “For the Beauty of the Earth”
- Here is my homage to choral music. John Rutter’s classic is an earworm that will live in your head (for good reasons!) long after the recording is over!
Bedrich Smetana: “The Moldau”
- The Czech master, Bedrich Smetana, paints the most beautiful picture of his favorite homeland river “The Moldau”. The music literally sounds like a tour down the river, complete with a wedding scene & a flowing texture throughout. You will love it!
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 25
- Beethoven again! This is not one of his “powerhouse” piano pieces, but fits the season perfectly in my opinion!
Johannes Brahms: Intermezzo No. 2 in A Major
- Brahms wrote so much wonderful music for the piano! This is one of my favorites, and the recording is masterful. Who knew Glenn Gould could play music besides Bach?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
- This classic by Mozart is pure gold. Light, cheery & perfectly Mozart, it’s like good cheese — it goes well with any occasion!
Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 “Classical Symphony”
- Prokofieve is a personal favorite. Composing in the first half of the 20th century, much of his music carries the weight of the Russian politics of the time. War & oppression are easy to hear…except in this piece! The “Classical Symphony” perfectly captures old forms in a new way. Its optimism & hope IS Thanksgiving!
BONUS TRACK (A Little Jazz + A little Classical)
- For a little Extra, I added a little blending of jazz & classical. It’s new to me; I hope you love it!

close up of small light green and orange pumpkins

Favorite Inspirational Music Playlist for Thanksgiving Day

Is there such a thing as Thanksgiving music?

I couldn’t let Robb have all the fun, right?! Since I have had so many requests for my fall playlists, I thought I would round up some favorites here, also, for more inspirational style music for the best Thanksgiving music. If you know me well, you know that praise or worship or religious worship style music is my favorite. However, there is a mix of styles here, even including some country music and jazz standard too!

Christian Inspirational Songs:

Gratitude with Brandon Lake
Goodness of God with Jenn Johnson
Gonna Be Alright with Ryan Ellis
God is Good with Francesca Battestelli
Counting My Blessings with Seph Schlueter
King of My Heart/Goodness of God with Caleb and Kelsey
Been So Good with Elevation Worship
Good To Me with Audrey Assad
Same God with Hannah Kerr
Thank God I Do with Lauren Daigle
How Can You Not with Leanna Crawford
Be Okay with Lauren Daigle
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing with Hillary Scott
Great Is Thy Faithfulness with Chris Rice

Other Thanksgiving music favorites:

*This is just a mish mash of favorite songs but any of them would mix beautifully into either or both of the playlists above!

I’ve Got Plenty to Be Thankful For with Bing Crosby
What a Wonderful World with Louis Armstrong
Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
Thanksgiving Theme from Charlie Brown with Vince Guaraldi
Jingle Bells with Irving Berlin
Unanswered Prayers with Garth Brooks
Thanking the Good Lord with Merle Haggard
Simple Gifts with Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss

Other Thanksgiving music favorites:

*This is just a mish mash of favorite songs but any of them would mix beautifully into either or both of the playlists above!

I’ve Got Plenty to Be Thankful For with Bing Crosby
What a Wonderful World with Louis Armstrong
Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
Thanksgiving Theme from Charlie Brown with Vince Guaraldi
Jingle Bells with Irving Berlin
Unanswered Prayers with Garth Brooks
Thanking the Good Lord with Merle Haggard
Simple Gifts with Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss

Where to Find the Best Music Playlist for Thanksgiving Day

For this Thanksgiving, we can be thankful for almost unlimited access to great music. A few decades ago, the struggle might have been to source enough good music for Thanksgiving. Now, we have almost the opposite problem: There are TOO many options available!

However, there are some great tools out there to help. Mobile apps like Spotify & Apple Music are great for creating playlists of your own favorites. A side benefit is finding releated music that you may have never heard. Robb really likes the new Apple Classical app, which is designed specifically for organizing centuries of favorites!

Finally, YouTube is a really easy app to leave playing on your tv in the background. Some playlists are hours long with beautiful artwork in the background. Using search terms like “Back Ground Music” of “Dinner Playlists” will yield such playlists as THIS or THIS. Just set to play, and leave it on for your whole evening together!

beautiful fall flower arrangement with vibrant red, orange, and white flowers and acorns

I hope you’ve found a new favorite in these playlists or even been reminded of a classic tune that you love and can enjoy during this Thanksgiving holiday! It is definitely the season to light a candle, fix a favorite latte, wrap some gifts or enjoy some baking, and turn on your favorite Thanksgiving playlist! Or, if you’re like me and have a long to-do list, at least turn on that playlist to keep you company while you clean!!!

Often, I find that music is a good reminder to me of stopping to count my blessings. We hope these favorite traditional Thanksgiving songs, hymn of Thanksgiving, classical music, and even popular songs will help your home be an even more inviting and cozy space to enjoy during this time of year.

I hope you’ll enjoy these playlists this Thanksgiving and all year round: