A Dark Academia Playlist

I hadn’t heard of Dark Academia—a subculture born on Tumblr that soon migrated to Instagram and TikTok—until sometime last year when I suddenly started seeing posts about Donna Tartt’s The Secret History everywhere. One of my favorite books, I was surprised to see it now become the basis of memes, outfits of the day, playlists, and mood boards by people who weren’t alive when I first read the book (which turned 30 last month). 

One of the other things I began to notice quickly about Dark Academia was its deep relationship to music, including a large focus on classical music. One beginner’s guide suggests that aspiring Dark Academics “delve into the realm of philosophy,” “stay late at your university library,” and “listen to classical music as you sleep/read/study.” Another post idealizes “listening to j. s. bach’s oratorios while practising chess.” On TikTok and Instagram reels, millions of posts tagged #darkacademia are set to the same inevitable works: Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata, Chopin’s Nocturnes, Barber’s Adagio for Strings. 

While I’m no Dark Academic myself, I’d like to offer up a playlist for the genre that’s a bit more personal. Hopefully it fits listeners like a thrifted wool coat and a black turtleneck. And if, like me, you’re terrified by the mere idea of TikTok subcultures, it’s also a playlist well-suited to the stretch between Halloween and the early days of winter.