65 Best Graduation Songs for the Ceremony, the Slideshow and the Party

What song is played at every graduation?

In the United States, the graduates almost always walk in to "Pomp and Circumstance", Edward Elgar's March No. 1. It became the graduation march after it was played at Yale in 1905, when Elgar received an honorary degree, and other schools copied it. If you mean the song everyone sings at the end of the night, that is "Graduation (Friends Forever)" by Vitamin C, closely followed by "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day. The lists below cover everything in between.

The most popular graduation songs

1. "Graduation (Friends Forever)", Vitamin C: the unofficial anthem since 2000.
2. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", Green Day: bittersweet and perfect for the last song of the night.
3. "I Hope You Dance", Lee Ann Womack: a parent's wish for a graduate.
4. "The Climb", Miley Cyrus: about the journey, not the finish line.
5. "Unwritten", Natasha Bedingfield: the rest is still unwritten.
6. "Forever Young", Alphaville: a prom and graduation classic.
7. "Don't Stop Believin'", Journey: the sing-along every class knows.
8. "Closing Time", Semisonic: about endings that turn out to be beginnings.
9. "Time of Our Lives", Pitbull and Ne-Yo: a celebration song for the party.
10. "See You Again", Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth: for friends going separate ways.
11. "I Lived", OneRepublic: about living with no regrets.
12. "Hall of Fame", The Script featuring will.i.am: pure motivation.
13. "We Are the Champions", Queen: for the moment the caps go up.
14. "Graduation", benny blanco and Juice WRLD: a modern take on leaving school behind.
15. "My Future", Billie Eilish: about being excited for who you are becoming.

Music for the ceremony itself

Inside the auditorium or stadium, the music is usually classical and played by the school band or orchestra. Beyond "Pomp and Circumstance" for the processional, schools often use Jeremiah Clarke's "Trumpet Voluntary", the "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and, at many universities, the old student song "Gaudeamus Igitur". For the recessional, something brighter works best: a band arrangement of a pop hit, or "Celebration" played over the speakers as the graduates walk out.

Upbeat songs for the graduation party

16. "About Damn Time", Lizzo: confident and joyful, the song of a class that worked hard (ask for the clean edit).
17. "Best Day of My Life", American Authors: banjo, hand claps and a chorus everyone shouts.
18. "On Top of the World", Imagine Dragons: exactly how graduation day feels.
19. "High Hopes", Panic! at the Disco: about dreaming big and refusing to settle.
20. "Don't Stop Me Now", Queen: pure energy for the moment the music starts.
21. "Celebration", Kool & the Gang: the party starter for every generation in the room.
22. "Good Life", OneRepublic: a grateful look at how good things can be.
23. "Wake Me Up", Avicii: about finding yourself, with a drop that fills the dance floor.
24. "Firework", Katy Perry: a confidence anthem for anyone about to start over.
25. "Party in the U.S.A.", Miley Cyrus: the sing-along nobody can resist.
26. "Can't Stop the Feeling!", Justin Timberlake: an easy yes for the family crowd.
27. "The Middle", Jimmy Eat World: a reminder that everything will be all right.
28. "Young, Wild & Free", Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa featuring Bruno Mars (radio edit).
29. "We Are Young", fun. featuring Janelle Monáe: big, bright and made for raising a glass.

Emotional graduation songs for the slideshow

30. "When We Were Young", Adele: nostalgia for the people you grew up beside.
31. "Never Grow Up", Taylor Swift: a favorite for parents' slideshows.
32. "100 Years", Five for Fighting: a whole life, one verse at a time.
33. "Ribs", Lorde: about the strange feeling of growing up.
34. "In My Life", The Beatles: a short, tender thank-you to the people and places that shaped you.
35. "Landslide", Fleetwood Mac: about time, change and getting older.
36. "Count on Me", Bruno Mars: for the friends who got you through.
37. "For Good", from Wicked: about the people who change us.
38. "Seasons of Love", from Rent: measuring a year in memories.
39. "Breakaway", Kelly Clarkson: for the graduate leaving a small town.
40. "You Raise Me Up", Josh Groban: for thanking the people behind you.

Slideshow timing: at four to six seconds per photo, a four-minute song carries 40 to 60 pictures. Start with a light song for the early years, use an emotional one for high school or college, and end on something hopeful. If you plan to post the video publicly, platforms may mute famous songs for copyright reasons.

Country graduation songs

41. "Letter to Me", Brad Paisley: advice to a 17-year-old self.
42. "My Wish", Rascal Flatts: a parent's wishes for the road ahead.
43. "Don't Blink", Kenny Chesney: about how fast it all goes.
44. "Humble and Kind", Tim McGraw: what parents hope their graduates remember.
45. "You're Gonna Miss This", Trace Adkins.
46. "Remember When", Alan Jackson: great for a family slideshow.

Hip-hop and motivational graduation songs

47. "Glorious", Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey: gratitude for a second chance and a big future.
48. "Good Life", Kanye West featuring T-Pain: a celebration track from 2007 that still works.
49. "Can't Tell Me Nothing", Kanye West, from his album Graduation (clean edit).
50. "Stronger", Kanye West: built on a Daft Punk sample, made for the walk across the stage.
51. "Fight Song", Rachel Platten: for the graduate who had to fight for it.
52. "Unstoppable", Sia: confidence in one chorus.
53. "Brave", Sara Bareilles: about saying what you mean and going for it.
54. "Roar", Katy Perry: a favorite for middle school and high school ceremonies.

Kindergarten and preschool graduation songs

55. "Thank You", Patty Shukla: the most-used preschool graduation song.
56. "You've Got a Friend in Me", Randy Newman: from Toy Story, sweet for little graduates.
57. "A Million Dreams", from The Greatest Showman: about imagining the world you want.
58. "Try Everything", Shakira, from Zootopia: about trying, failing and trying again.
59. "How Far I'll Go", from Moana: for the next adventure, whatever it is.
60. "Happy", Pharrell Williams: easy for kids to dance to on stage.

Songs parents can dedicate to a graduate

61. "Forever Young", Rod Stewart: a father's blessing for his children.
62. "Slow Down", Nichole Nordeman: for the parent who cannot believe it went so fast.
63. "Simple Man", Lynyrd Skynyrd: a mother's advice to her son.
64. "The Best Day", Taylor Swift: childhood memories, verse by verse.
65. "Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)", The Chicks: a blessing for the road.

More songs for sons in our list of songs about sons growing up.

The best songs by decade

2000s

"Graduation (Friends Forever)", "Unwritten", "Breakaway", "The Climb" and "Good Life" are the songs today's parents graduated to, which makes them perfect for a family party.

2010s

"Hall of Fame", "Best Day of My Life", "See You Again", "Fight Song" and "Wake Me Up" defined the class photos of the last decade.

2020s

"About Damn Time", "My Future", "Glorious" and "Graduation" by benny blanco and Juice WRLD sound like right now.

High school or college graduation: does the music change?

For a high school graduation, the party is usually a family affair: grandparents, younger siblings and teachers in the same backyard. Choose clean, upbeat songs everyone knows, and keep the emotional ones for the slideshow. A college graduation party skews older and more personal: the songs from freshman year, the dorm, the road trips. In both cases, ask the graduate for five must-play songs; the playlist should sound like them, not like a generic list.

Songs for a graduation post or video

For an Instagram post or a short video, pick a few seconds that match the photo: the chorus of "Good Riddance" for a nostalgic carousel, "Best Day of My Life" for a cap toss, "My Future" for a quiet portrait. For something nobody else will post, use a clip from a song written about the graduate.

Songs to thank a teacher

Graduation is also the moment to thank the teachers who made the difference. "To Sir, with Love" by Lulu is the classic thank-you to a teacher, "Teach Your Children" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fits a retiring educator, and "Thank You for Being a Friend" by Andrew Gold works for a coach or mentor who became more than a teacher.

A graduation party playlist checklist

• Five must-play songs chosen by the graduate.
• Three songs the grandparents will recognize.
• One emotional song for the toast or slideshow.
• Clean versions of every hip-hop and pop track.
• The closing song, decided in advance, so the night ends on a high.

Songs teachers play at the end of the school year

Teachers often close the year with a class sing-along: "Count on Me", "You've Got a Friend in Me", "Happy" for the little ones, and "Good Riddance", "See You Again" or "The Climb" for older students. A short slideshow of the year with one of these songs is an easy way to end the last day on a high note.

How do you plan the music for a graduation party?

• Arrival: upbeat songs at a volume people can talk over.
• Food and photos: the graduate's own favorites, so the playlist feels like them.
• The toast: a short emotional moment, with a slideshow or a dedicated song.
• The end of the night: "Graduation (Friends Forever)" or "Good Riddance", everyone singing.

What is a good song for graduation day itself?

For the drive to the ceremony, choose something that pumps the graduate up: "Hall of Fame", "Don't Stop Me Now" or "Best Day of My Life". For the moment they walk out with their diploma, "Celebration" or "Graduation (Friends Forever)". For the family dinner afterward, let the graduate pick; it is their day, and the songs they choose will always remind them of it.

What makes a good graduation song?

The best graduation songs balance two feelings: pride in what was achieved and nerves about what comes next. Upbeat songs carry the pride; slower songs carry the nostalgia. Check the lyrics before you play a song at a school event, and use clean edits for anything with explicit language. For a speech or a slideshow, a song with a clear message ("you made it", "the best is ahead") works better than a song that is just popular.

A song written about the graduate

All of these songs were written for every graduate. A personalized graduation song is written for one: their name, the school, the late-night study sessions, the teacher who believed in them, the team, the friends, the plans for next year. Played at the party after the toast, it is the moment the graduate remembers. See our guides to a graduation song for your daughter and a graduation song for your son, and more gift ideas in graduation gift ideas.

How to create a graduation song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: pop, country, hip-hop, rock, acoustic and more.
2. Add the graduate's name and up to two more, such as parents or best friends.
3. Share three memories from their school years, each with one concrete detail.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $24.99, or $29.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page with cover art and the lyrics as a PDF, usually within minutes.

Celebrate your graduate with a song nobody else has: create a graduation song and hear four previews for free.