Featured Essay: Three Records That Won’t Require Song-Skipping During Thanksgiving Dinner

by Ashley Archambault 

Put these albums on while you cook or sit down to eat and enjoy the ambience. It’s the last time of the year before the chaos of Christmas takes over, which makes it the best time of the year to slow down… and overeat. 

While the world seems particularly tired and on edge, these three records could rejuvenate the masses. Or at least keep the peace. 

Full Moon Fever by Tom Petty, 1989

Full Moon Fever was Tom Petty’s first solo album without the Heartbreakers, though many of them still accompany Petty on the tracks. The first song is “Free Fallin’,” which never seems to age. The entire album has that same timeless feel and features the similarly upbeat and well-known “I Won’t Back Down,” as well as “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” 

Then there’s the somewhat ominous “A Face In The Crowd,” and the lullaby “Alright For Now.” There’s the hallmark Tom Petty ebb and flow between a romantic struggle and passion from “Love Is A Long Road” to “Yer So Bad.” I always say when in doubt, play Tom Petty, because everyone can agree on some Petty. 

And we could all use a little more to agree on and a lot less to argue about, especially on Thanksgiving. 

By the Way by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 2002

There’s nothing overly controversial about the Red Hot Chili Peppers, at least not on By the Way. The most risqué track is “Throw Away Your Television,” which is an easy sell right now. While this album feels modern, it’s almost 25 years old. Most people recognize “By the Way” and “Can’t Stop,” but the rest of the record is lesser known and undeservingly so. 

There’s an overall mystic feel to this album, particularly in “Dosed” and “The Zephyr Song.” In typical RHCP fashion, there’s no one overtly romantic song, but every song is somehow still terribly romantic. As a whole, By the Way is eclectic yet emotionally accessible and terribly catchy. 

It’s all very California, making it perfect for listening to while you cook, start drinking wine, and mentally prepare yourself for your guests.

L.A. Woman by The Doors, 1971

This is the oldest vinyl on the list, and it sounds like it, but in the most delicious way. It’s not easy to make an organ sound so gritty, but then there’s Ray Manzarek to prove you wrong. Jim Morrison’s haunting, howling verse is sometimes jarring, but mostly soothing. This is the bold choice in background music, so it’s for the host that loves (perhaps secretly) to stir the pot, but just a little.

L.A. Woman was most appreciated posthumously, probably because it was Jim Morrison’s last recording. In addition to “L.A. Woman,” the last track is “Rider’s on the Storm,” a song that ended up being one of their most well-known. Stripped down to their bare parts, The Doors are blues, lust, and the contemplation of the American dream. 

While singing the blues right now might be a little on the nose, it might be nice to remember all of the times we’ve “Been down so long,” yet still pulled through.

Ashley Archambault is a writer, mom, and native Floridian. She has been a vinyl girl since 2008; exchanging records with her husband is one of their love languages. Her essay, “How to Know When You’re a Writer,” is part of Indie Novella’s Bread Alone anthology to be released in March 2026.