These Sweet Songs Will Make Anyone Graduating Feel Nostalgic
There are so many reasons why graduating (from high school or college) can be both exciting and a little nerve-wracking. On the one hand, those years of hard work will be honored and you'll soon head into the next chapter of your life! On the other hand, that memorable time spent at a place you once knew so well will soon be coming to an end. A feeling like this is enough to bring on some tears for both students and parents, like Ree Drummond—who couldn't help but shed a few when her kids crossed that stage. What better way to channel an experience like this than with a meaningful tune? That's where this list of the best graduation songs comes in handy.
The songs on this list are perfect to play when you want to reminisce, or they're even fitting for a graduation party! You've got country hits like "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins and pop show-stoppers like "Firework" by Katy Perry, as well as '80s songs like "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper. Pair a sweet song with some inspiring graduation quotes, and get ready to grab the tissues!
As you figure out your own ways to celebrate this year, turn up the tunes and let your emotions flow free. Here are the best graduation songs to create a soundtrack for this tremendous right of passage.
Get inspired with some more graduation ideas:
"Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen
Most memorable lyrics: "I'm gonna have myself a real good time / I feel alive / And the world, I'll turn it inside out, yeah."
See the original post on Youtube
"Lovely Day" by Bill Withers
Most memorable lyrics: "When the day that lies ahead of me / Seemed impossible to face / When someone else instead of me / Always seems to know the way / Then I look at you and the world's alright with me."
See the original post on Youtube
"Night Changes" by One Direction
Most memorable lyrics: "We're only getting older, baby / And I've been thinking about it lately / Does it ever drive you crazy / Just how fast the night changes?"
See the original post on Youtube
"Memories" by Maroon 5
Most memorable lyrics: "There's a time that I remember when I did not know no pain / When I believed in forever and everything would stay the same."
See the original post on Youtube
"Hey Look Ma, I Made It" by Panic! at the Disco
Most memorable lyrics: "I'm gonna be the greatest / In a golden cathedral / I'll be praying for the faithless."
See the original post on Youtube
"Am I Wrong" by Nico & Vinz
Most memorable lyrics: "My prediction; I'mma be on the top of the world / Hope you, hope you don't look back / Always do what you decide."
See the original post on Youtube
"Green Light" by Lorde
Most memorable lyrics: "'Cause honey I'll come get my things, but I can't let go / I'm waiting for it, that green light, I want it."
See the original post on Youtube
"This Is Me" by Keala Settle
Most memorable lyrics: "Look out 'cause here I come / And I'm marching on to the beat I drum / I'm not scared to be seen / I make no apologies, this is me."
See the original post on Youtube
"Remember Me" by Miguel
Most memorable lyrics: "Remember me, though I have to say goodbye / Remember me, don't let it make you cry."
See the original post on Youtube
"Compass" by Lady A
Most memorable lyrics: "So let your heart, sweetheart / Be your compass when you're lost / And you should follow it wherever it may go / When it's all said and done / You can walk instead of run."
See the original post on Youtube
"Life Is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts
Most memorable lyrics: "Life is a highway / I wanna ride it all night long / If you're going my way / I wanna drive it all night long."
See the original post on Youtube
"7 Years" by Lukas Graham
Most memorable lyrics: "Our songs have been sold / We've traveled around the world / And we're still roaming / Soon we'll be thirty years old."
See the original post on Youtube
"Fly" by Hilary Duff
Most memorable lyrics: "Fly / Open up the part of you that wants to hide away / You can shine."
See the original post on Youtube
"I've Had The Time Of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
Most memorable lyrics: "I've had the time of my life / No I never felt this way before / Yes I swear it's the truth."
See the original post on Youtube
"You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins
Most memorable lyrics: "'Cause you'll be in my heart / Yes, you'll be in my heart / From this day on / Now and forever more."
See the original post on Youtube
"We're All In This Together" by High School Musical Cast
Most memorable lyrics: "We're all in this together / And it shows / When we stand / Hand in hand / Make our dreams come true."
See the original post on Youtube
"Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne
Most memorable lyrics: "You're not alone / Together we stand / I'll be by your side / You know I'll take your hand."
See the original post on Youtube
"Looks Like We Made It" by Barry Manilow
Most memorable lyrics: "Oh, we made it / Looks like we made it/ Left each other on the way to another love/ Looks like we made it."
See the original post on Youtube
"We May Never Pass This Way Again by Seals & Crofts
Most memorable lyrics: "Like Columbus in the olden days / We must gather all our courage/ Sail our ships out on the open seas/ Cast away our fears/ And all the years will come and go/ Take us upAlways up / We may never pass this way again."
See the original post on Youtube
"Never Grow Up" by Taylor Swift
Most memorable lyrics: "Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up / Just stay this little / Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up / It could stay this simple."
See the original post on Youtube
"See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa
Most memorable lyrics: "It's been a long day without you, my friend / And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again / We've come a long way from where we began / Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again."
See the original post on Youtube
"Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey
Most memorable lyrics: "Some'll win, some will lose / Some are born to sing the blues / Whoa, the movie never ends / It goes on and on and on and on."
See the original post on Youtube
"Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson
Most memorable lyrics: "I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly / I'll do what it takes 'til I touch the sky / And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change and breakaway."
See the original post on Youtube
"How Far We've Come" by Matchbox Twenty
Most memorable lyrics: "Well I, believe, it all, is coming to an end / Oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend, / Let's see how far we've come / Let's see how far we've come."
See the original post on Youtube
"I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas
Most memorable lyrics: "Let's paint the town, we'll shut it down / Let's burn the roof, and then we'll do it again."
See the original post on Youtube
"School's Out" by Alice Cooper
Most memorable lyrics: "School's out for summer! School's out forever!"
See the original post on Youtube
"We Are the Champions" by Queen
Most memorable lyrics: "We are the champions, my friends / And we'll keep on fighting till the end / We are the champions / We are the champions."
See the original post on Youtube
"It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" by Boyz II Men
Most memorable lyrics: "And I'll take with me the memories / To be my sunshine after the rain / It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday."
See the original post on Youtube
"Goodbye" by Spice Girls
Most memorable lyrics: "Goodbye my friend / I know you're gone, you said you're gone / But I can still feel you here / It's not the end / Gotta keep it strong."
See the original post on Youtube
"Good Life" by OneRepublic
Most memorable lyrics: "I say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight / Like this city is on fire tonight / This could really be a good life."
See the original post on Youtube
"Good Old Days" by Macklemore & Kesha
Most memorable lyrics: "All the love you won't forget / And all these reckless nights you won't regret / Someday soon, your whole life's gonna change / You'll miss the magic of these good old days."
See the original post on Youtube
"Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)" by Kid Cudi
Most memorable lyrics: "I'm on the pursuit of happiness and I know / Everything that shine ain't always gonna be gold, hey / I’ll be fine once I get it, yeah, I'll be good."
See the original post on Youtube
"Long Live" by Taylor Swift
Most memorable lyrics: "You held your head like a hero / On a history book page / It was the end of a decade / But the start of an age."
See the original post on Youtube
"I'll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts
Most memorable lyrics: "Your mother warned you there'd be days like these / But she didn't tell you when the world has brought / You down to your knees that / I'll be there for you / (When the rain starts to pour) / I'll be there for you / (Like I've been there before)."
See the original post on Youtube
"I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack
Most memorable lyrics: "Don't let some Hell bent heart leave you bitter, / When you come close to sellin' out reconsider, / Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance, / And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance. / I hope you dance... I hope you dance."
See the original post on Youtube
"I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLachlan
Most memorable lyrics: "Want to feel your warmth upon me / I want to be the one / I will remember you, will you remember me? / Don't let your life pass you by / Weep not for the memories."
See the original post on Youtube
"Firework" by Katy Perry
Most memorable lyrics: "If you only knew what the future holds / After a hurricane comes a rainbow / Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed / So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road / Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow / And when it's time, you'll know."
See the original post on Youtube
"You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins
Most memorable lyrics: "She was staring out the window of that SUV / Complaining, saying "I can't wait to turn eighteen" / She said 'I'll make my own money, and I'll make my own rules.'"
See the original post on Youtube
"I Was Here" by Beyoncé
Most memorable lyrics: "I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here / I did, I've done, everything that I wanted / And it was more than I thought it would be / I will leave my mark so everyone will know I was here."
See the original post on Youtube
"Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney
Most memorable lyrics: "'Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand / You can't flip it over and start again / Take every breathe God gives you for what it's worth."
See the original post on Youtube
"Future" by Paramore
Most memorable lyrics: "So I'm writing the future / I'm leaving a key here / Something won't always be missing / It won't always feel empty, here."
See the original post on Youtube
"Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" by Green Day
Most memorable lyrics: "So take the photographs and still frames in your mind / Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time / Tattoos of memories, and dead skin on trialFor what it's worth, it was worth all the while / It's something unpredictable / But in the end, it's right / I hope you had the time of your life."
See the original post on Youtube
"Whenever You Remember" by Carrie Underwood
Most memorable lyrics: "When you look back on times we had / I hope you smile / And know that through the good and through the bad / I was on your side when nobody could hold us down / We claimed the brightest star / And we, we came so far."
See the original post on Youtube
"Photograph" by Nickelback
Most memorable lyrics: "Every memory of walking out the front door / I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for / It's hard to say it, time to say it / Goodbye, goodbye."
See the original post on Youtube
"It's A New Day" by will.i.am
Most memorable lyrics: "Yea I woke up this morning / Feeling brand new 'cause the dreams that I've been dreaming / Has finally came true."
See the original post on Youtube
"The Climb" by Miley Cyrus
Most memorable lyrics: "The struggles I'm facing / The chances I'm taking / Sometimes might knock me down, but / No, I'm not breaking."
See the original post on Youtube
"100 Years" by Five for Fighting
Most memorable lyrics: "I'm 15 for a moment / Caught in between ten and 20 / And I'm just dreaming / Counting the ways to where you are."
See the original post on Youtube
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Most memorable lyrics: "I hear babies cry and I watch them grow / They'll learn much more / Than we'll know / And I think to myself / What a wonderful world, world."
See the original post on Youtube
"We're Going to Be Friends" by The White Stripes
Most memorable lyrics: "Tonight I'll dream, while I’m in bed / When silly thoughts go through my head / About the bugs and alphabet / And when I wake tomorrow, I'll bet / That you and I will walk together again / I can tell that we are going to be friends."
See the original post on Youtube
"A Moment Like This" by Kelly Clarkson
Most memorable lyrics: "Everything changes but beauty remains / Something so tender, I can't explain / Well, I may be dreaming but still lie awake / Can't we make this dream last forever? / And I'll cherish all the love we share."
See the original post on Youtube
You Might Also Like
