20 Best Thanksgiving Songs for Your Thanksgiving Day

Part 1. 16 Traditional Thanksgiving Songs

1. Thanksgiving Theme - Vince Guaraldi Trio

This gentle and jazzy piano piece from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is pure nostalgia. It's the perfect instrumental to play as guests arrive or during dinner for a warm, comfortable, and classic holiday feel.

2. Kind and Generous - Natalie Merchant

Natalie's Thanksgiving music is probably the best I have ever listened to. This song expresses a total gratitude and thankfulness from a special person. It was actually the first single that Natalie produced yet it managed to reach the top 20 on the Hot 100 Billboard. It being the first on our list explains why it should be the first on your selection as well.

3. Thank You Friends - Big star

The word 'Thank You' in its title has a great impact on anyone's life. A thank-you in a song just draws all the sorrows away and brings forth bright light in a sparkle of time. The Big Star had no better way than to say it in a song. Having lost their frontman Alex Chilton, the Big Star knew where to get their total strength from. This song is for friendly support for all those who needed it and for remembrance. It is indeed a motivational song of all times.

4. Thanks for My Child - Cheryl 'Pepsii' Riley

Yeah, its right to thank God for everything in our lives. Cheryl knows it best as she expresses thankfulness for all the children. This song made history when it went straight to number 1 on the R&B music chart. It is good listening to especially if you are feeling thankful or getting ready for a Thanksgiving event.

View Also: More Thanksgiving Songs for Kids

5. I Say a Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin

Prayer is the shield as most people put it. It is even more fascinating when in form of Thanksgiving worship songs. The Queen of Soul as she is referred to was just blessed with a powerful singing voice. The message is home from 'the moment I wake up' to 'you'll stay in my heart forever'. It is worth listening to during this Thanksgiving as you usher in Christmas season.

6. What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

From its inception in 1967, many artists such as Rod Stewart and Ziggy Marley among others have covered the song in a most fantastic way. Louise's intention was for this song to be a soothing medium to the political strife that was being experienced. Additionally, 'What a Wonderful World' has worked so well in aiding for the celebration of our world and Thanksgiving alike.

7. Thanksgiving Song - Mary Chapin Carpenter

This is among the Thanksgiving songs that suits get together family party of all times. There is no better way to be grateful for each other than holding hands and gathering around the table. Besides, when Thanksgiving is meant to have an impact, believe me that friends and family will have to travel home from far. All your sorrows will vanish with the help of this song especially when you download it and listen to it offline later on.

8. Thank You - Dido

This classic music for Thanksgiving is all entertaining and encouraging alike. Dido knows best how things can come from worst to better. What matters is having the right people in place to walk you through the valleys and hills. Learn to appreciate those important people who have held your hand in your darkest days by listening to this music.

9. I Want to Thank You - Alicia Myer

Alicia brings it all well with her words and the music at large. Knowing that someone was sent who truly loves her shows a step of faith in everything. There is actually light at the end of the tunnel for all those dark moments. This is one of the Thanksgiving rock songs that will light your path as you lift your voice to God in Heaven in appreciation.

10. Thankful - Kelly Clarkson

Kelly has ever become the winner of American Idol singing competition. It was in April 2003 when she released this Thanksgiving music, Thankful. It is one song of a kind that celebrates people in one's own life. Besides, this music hit the number 1 on the U.S. Album chart, selling over 2 million copies.

11. Family is Family - Kacey Musgraves

Just like the Sister Sledge, we are family, Kacey also reminds us that family is family. Nothing is ever going to change this no matter what. It's all about a story from Kacey sister about Marfa, a small town in Texas. The bottom line is that there is promise with the little you know as compared to a big city which isn't going to come back to you as much. The family is very transparent and more so, blood is thicker than water.

12. I've Got Plenty To Be Thankful For - Bing Crosby

This track is a true classic from a holiday-music legend. This tune from the film Holiday Inn is a cheerful reminder to count your blessings, big and small. It's impossible to listen to without smiling.

13. We Are Family - Sister Sledge

This timeless disco anthem is guaranteed to get everyone, from kids to grandparents, in a joyful mood.

14. September - Earth, Wind & Fire

This is pure and unfiltered joy. While it's about a specific month, the song's vibrant energy and themes of love and connection are perfect for a celebration. It's a fantastic and upbeat track to play while cooking or after dinner.

15. Lean on Me - Bill Withers

Thanksgiving is also about being thankful for the friends and family who support us. This timeless ballad is the ultimate anthem of friendship, community, and being there for one another through thick and thin.

16. The Thanksgiving Song - Adam Sandler

A hilarious and iconic '90s classic from Saturday Night Live, this song is the perfect dose of humor for the day. It's a tradition in itself and guaranteed to make everyone laugh. 'Turkey for me, turkey for you...'.

Part 2. 4 Best Thanksgiving Praise and Worship Songs

17. Gratitude - Brandon Lake

This is one of the most popular modern Thanksgiving worship songs. It's a powerful, raw, and building anthem that starts small and grows into a massive chorus of 'I've got a hallelujah'. It's perfect for a moment of genuine reflection.

18. I Thank God - Maverick City Music

If you want to add joyful and uplifting energy to the room, play this. It's a celebratory gospel-infused song about being thankful for change and redemption. It's impossible to sit still while this is playing.

19. Goodness of God - Bethel Music / CeCe Winans

A massive song in churches and homes, this track is a beautiful and simple testimony of God's faithfulness. The lyric 'all my life you have been faithful' perfectly captures the reflective spirit of Thanksgiving.

20. Thank You Jesus For the Blood - Charity Gayle

Another new, chart-topping worship song, this is a powerful ballad of thankfulness for spiritual blessings. It's a song that brings depth and a profound sense of gratitude to your holiday gathering.

Part 3. How to Download Thanksgiving Songs from Apple Music

Now, you have built your perfect Thanksgiving playlist. You can stream these tracks online during your celebration. With an active Apple Music subscription, you can download these Thanksgiving tracks for offline listening to save data. But you can't play them on other devices or platforms.

To help you out, you are at liberty to use tools like AudFree Apple Music Converter. This tool lets you download Apple Music Thanksgiving songs to your computer and convert them to MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, and other audio files. The good thing is that it lets you save all your songs from Apple Music on your devices forever and listen to them anywhere freely. For more detailed info, please visit this complete tutorial: How to Remove DRM from Apple Music.

Part 4. Tips: How to Download Thanksgiving Music from Other Music Service

However, if you find some best songs for Thanksgiving from other popular music streaming services like Spotify, SoundCloud, Tidal, etc., you still get a workaround to download them for offline playback. You just need a tool like AudFree Streaming Audio Recorder to help you.

This program supports to download music from multiple music services and convert music to common audio files like MP3, FLAC, M4A, WAV, etc. Besides, it will keep the original quality of music tracks. After that, you can get and listen to Thanksgiving songs you like on any device and platform without using an internet connection.