55 Best Retirement Songs for the Party, the Slideshow and the Farewell

What is a good song for a retirement party?

The retirement songs people request most are funny freedom anthems: "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton, "Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive and "I Want to Break Free" by Queen. For the toast, the sentimental favorites are "My Way" by Frank Sinatra and "Thank You for Being a Friend" by Andrew Gold. The best playlist mixes both: laughs while people arrive, a lump in the throat during the speeches, and a beach song to send the retiree off.

Funny retirement songs

1. "9 to 5", Dolly Parton: the office anthem, finally sung as a goodbye.
2. "Takin' Care of Business", Bachman-Turner Overdrive: they took care of it for decades.
3. "I Want to Break Free", Queen: freedom at last.
4. "Take This Job and Shove It", Johnny Paycheck: only if the boss has a sense of humor.
5. "Working for the Weekend", Loverboy: now every day is the weekend.
6. "School's Out", Alice Cooper: perfect for a retiring teacher.
7. "Hit the Road Jack", Ray Charles: a cheeky send-off.
8. "Born to Be Wild", Steppenwolf: for the retiree with a motorcycle plan.
9. "Freedom! '90", George Michael: a dance-floor declaration of independence.
10. "Free Fallin'", Tom Petty: a laid-back sing-along for the open road ahead.
11. "Ramblin' Man", The Allman Brothers Band: for the one heading out in an RV.
12. "Vacation", The Go-Go's: a permanent one, this time.

Beach and vacation retirement songs

13. "Margaritaville", Jimmy Buffett: the retirement dream in one song.
14. "Cheeseburger in Paradise", Jimmy Buffett: simple pleasures, no alarm clock.
15. "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett: and now it always is.
16. "Toes", Zac Brown Band: the beach retirement anthem.
17. "Knee Deep", Zac Brown Band featuring Jimmy Buffett: island time.
18. "Somewhere on a Beach", Dierks Bentley: for the retiree who already booked the trip.
19. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", Otis Redding: about slowing down by the water.
20. "Island in the Sun", Weezer: breezy and carefree.
21. "Gone Fishin'", Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby: a playful duet for the angler.
22. "Three Little Birds", Bob Marley: a gentle reminder to stop worrying.

Sentimental retirement songs

23. "My Way", Frank Sinatra: a career done on their own terms.
24. "Thank You for Being a Friend", Andrew Gold: for the colleague who became family.
25. "The Times of Your Life", Paul Anka: nostalgic and gentle.
26. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", Green Day: bittersweet, for a long career.
27. "Wind Beneath My Wings", Bette Midler: for a mentor.
28. "Thank You for the Music", ABBA: perfect for a music teacher or a choir director.
29. "You've Got a Friend", Carole King: a promise to stay in touch.
30. "In My Life", The Beatles: about the people who mattered along the way.
31. "Forever Young", Rod Stewart: a blessing for the years ahead.
32. "Lean on Me", Bill Withers: for a team that leaned on them.
33. "Thanks for the Memory", Bob Hope's signature song.
34. "Happy Trails", Roy Rogers and Dale Evans: the classic goodbye.
35. "So Long, Farewell", from The Sound of Music: a playful ending.

Upbeat songs to celebrate a new chapter

36. "Celebration", Kool & the Gang: the classic party opener.
37. "Happy", Pharrell Williams: easy, joyful and family friendly.
38. "Don't Stop Me Now", Queen: retirement is just getting started.
39. "Walking on Sunshine", Katrina and the Waves: bright and bouncy.
40. "Good Life", OneRepublic: grateful and upbeat.
41. "I Gotta Feeling", Black Eyed Peas: for the dance floor.
42. "What a Wonderful World", Louis Armstrong: a warm way to end the evening.
43. "Here Comes the Sun", The Beatles: a new chapter, literally sunnier.

Country retirement songs

44. "Don't Blink", Kenny Chesney: a 102-year-old's advice about time.
45. "You're Gonna Miss This", Trace Adkins: about cherishing every stage.
46. "Chicken Fried", Zac Brown Band: the simple things.
47. "Small Town Saturday Night", Hal Ketchum: easygoing country nostalgia.
48. "Livin' on Love", Alan Jackson: for a retiree heading home to their sweetheart.

Songs by profession

49. Teachers: "To Sir, with Love" by Lulu.
50. Teachers: "Teach Your Children" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
51. Nurses and doctors: "Lean on Me" or "You've Got a Friend", for the people who cared for others.
52. Military: "God Bless the U.S.A." by Lee Greenwood.
53. Truck drivers and travelers: "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson.
54. Firefighters: "Hero" by Mariah Carey, played with a smile.
55. Office workers: "9 to 5", the only choice.

Songs from the decade they started working

The fastest way to win over a retiree is to play the music from the year they started working.

Started in the 1970s

Fleetwood Mac, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Eagles and Billy Joel: "September", "Take It Easy" or "Piano Man".

Started in the 1980s

"Working for the Weekend", "9 to 5", "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Walking on Sunshine".

Started in the 1990s

"Friends in Low Places", "Free Fallin'", "Good Riddance" and a little Shania Twain.

Songs for a husband or wife who is retiring

When your partner retires, the party is also the start of a new chapter for the two of you. Choose songs about time together: "Then" by Brad Paisley, "Livin' on Love" by Alan Jackson or "What a Wonderful World", and add a personal touch with a song about the trips you have planned. See our ideas for a retirement song for your husband and a retirement song for your wife.

A send-off for the boss

When the boss retires, the playlist can tease a little: "Takin' Care of Business", "Hit the Road Jack" or "9 to 5" get a laugh, as long as the speeches that follow are sincere. A team gift with a song that lists the projects, the inside jokes and the lessons they taught is a gift a manager rarely receives. More ideas in our retirement gifts for a boss.

A video message from the team

For a remote team or a big company, a short video with messages from colleagues, set to a sentimental song, is easy to organize and travels well. Ask everyone for a 15-second clip, edit them together and play it at the party or send it by link on the last day.

How do you build a retirement party playlist?

• Arrival: upbeat songs from the retiree's era (if they started working in the 1980s, play the 1980s).
• Dinner: easy listening and their personal favorites, at conversation volume.
• Speeches: silence, then one sentimental song.
• The gift: the perfect moment for a slideshow or a song about their career.
• Send-off: "Happy Trails", "Margaritaville" or "Celebration" as they leave.

More planning tips in our retirement party ideas.

What song should play during a retirement slideshow?

A slideshow of their career, from the first ID badge to the last team photo, works best with two songs: something nostalgic for the early years ("The Times of Your Life", "In My Life") and something warm for the end ("Thank You for Being a Friend", "My Way"). At four to six seconds per photo, a four-minute song carries 40 to 60 photos. Ask colleagues for photos at least two weeks in advance, and include a few from their very first years on the job.

Funny or sentimental: which tone is right?

It depends on the person and the workplace. A retiree who loved their job and their team usually wants a mix: laughs about the commute, the coffee machine and the meetings, then a sincere thank-you. Someone counting the days might enjoy a cheekier playlist. When in doubt, keep the funny songs for the party and the sentimental ones for the speeches.

What to write in the retirement card?

Keep it personal: one specific memory, one thing they taught you, one wish for what comes next. Avoid jokes about age. Our guide on what to write in a retirement card has examples for colleagues, bosses and family.

A song written about their career

All of these songs were written for everyone. A personalized retirement song is written for one person: their name, the company, the first day, the projects they led, the coffee order everyone knew, the people they trained and what they will finally do with their free time. Played after the speeches, it gets laughs in the first verse and applause at the end. See our guides to a retirement song for a coworker and a retirement song for dad, and our retirement gift ideas for a colleague.

How to create a retirement song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: country, rock, swing, pop, acoustic and more.
2. Add the retiree's name and up to two more, such as their team or their spouse.
3. Share three moments from their career, 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 the one that fits the party.

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 the whole team can share and the lyrics as a PDF for the card.

Send them off with a song about everything they built: create a retirement song and hear four previews for free.