Kick Off Graduation Season by Listening to These Ultra-Nostalgic Songs
When graduation approaches, you just get flooded with a whole wave of emotion. You're celebrating a great achievement! The world just opened up a little more, life symbolically lurched forward and with that movement brings up all this excitement, dread, pride, nostalgia, and triumph. But remember one thing: the graduation songs playing during the ceremony or during the graduation party will forever remind you of that big moment. Whether you want to be transported back in time or need a playlist while you open graduation gifts, these songs will go way beyond the (sometimes!) stuffy pomp and circumstance marches. They capture the feelings that mark this milestone, even if they're not precisely songs about graduation.
As you turn your focus to the future and your life ahead, remember that it's not easy to say goodbye to the friends and teachers who have been by your side the past four years. To ease the bittersweet moment, we've compiled a list of graduation songs that can bring you comfort before you throw your hat in the air: County 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! (Psst: when Bryce Drummond graduated, Ree needed a few tissues herself.)
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.
"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"Moment 4 Life" by Nicki Minaj
Most memorable lyrics: "In this very moment, I'm king / In this very moment, I slayed Goliath with a sling / This very moment I bring / Put it on everything, that I will retire with the ring."
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"Happy" by Pharrell Williams
Most memorable lyrics: "Huh (Because I'm happy) / Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof (Because I'm happy) / Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth (Because I'm happy) / Clap along if you know what happiness is to you."
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"School's Out" by Alice Cooper
Most memorable lyrics: "School's out for summer! School's out forever!"
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"Jack & Diane" by John Mellencamp
Most memorable lyrics: "Saying ‘Oh yeah / Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone’ /They walk on."
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"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)."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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.'"
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"Something Big" by Shawn Mendes
Most memorable lyrics: "If we stomp our feet the ground will shake / If we clap our hands the walls will break / Yell so loud, won't forget our names' / Cause something big is happening."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds
Most memorable lyrics: "Tell me your troubles and doubts / Giving everything inside and out and / Love's strange, so real in the dark / Think of the tender things that we were working on / Slow change may pull us apart / When the light gets into your heart, baby / Don't you, forget about me."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper
Most memorable lyrics: "If you're lost you can look and you will find me / Time after time / If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting / Time after time / If you're lost, you can look and you will find me / Time after time / If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting / Time after time."
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"Roar" by Katy Perry
Most memorable lyrics: "I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter / Dancing through the fire / 'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar / Louder, louder than a lion / 'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar."
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"You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones
Most memorable lyrics: "You can't always get what you want / You can't always get what you want / You can't always get what you want / But if you try sometimes, well, you might find / You get what you need."
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"Greatest Love Of All" by Whitney Houston
Most memorable lyrics: "I decided long ago / Never to walk in anyone's shadows / If I fail, if I succeed / At least I'll live as I believe / No matter what they take from me / They can't take away my dignity."
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"The Edge of Glory" by Lady Gaga
Most memorable lyrics: "I'm on the edge of glory / And I'm hanging on a moment of truth / Out on the edge of glory / And I'm hanging on a moment with you."
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"Rise Up" by Andra Day
Most memorable lyrics: "And I'll rise up / I'll rise like the day / I'll rise up / I'll rise unafraid / I'll rise up."
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"See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth
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 / When I see you again."
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"We Are Young" by fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
Most memorable lyrics: "TonightWe are young / So let's set the world on fire / We can burn brighter than the sun."
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“All My Friends” by LCD Soundsystem
Most memorable lyrics: "Oh, if the trip and the plan come apart in your hand / You look contorted on yourself your ridiculous prop / You forgot what you meant when you read what you said / And you always knew you were tired, but then / Where are your friends tonight?"
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"In My Life" by The Beatles
Most memorable lyrics: "There are places I'll remember / All my life though some have changed / Some forever, not for better / Some have gone and some remain / All these places have their momentsWith lovers and friends I still can recall / Some are dead and some are living / In my life I've loved them all."
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"Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve
Most memorable lyrics: "I can change, I can change / But I'm here in my mold / I am here in my mold / But I'm a million different people / From one day to the next / I can't change my mold."
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"Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day
Most memorable lyrics: "As my memory rests / But never forgets what I lost / Wake me up when September ends / Summer has come and passed / The innocent can never last / Wake me up when September ends."
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"Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield
Most memorable lyrics: "I am unwritten / Can't read my mind / I'm undefined / I'm just beginning / The pen's in my hand / Ending unplanned."
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"Graduation (Friends Forever) by Vitamin C
Most memorable lyrics: "As we go on, we remember / All the times we had together / And as our lives change, come whatever / We will still be friends forever."
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"Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen)" by Baz Luhrmann
Most memorable lyrics: "Don't worry about the future / Or worry, but know that worrying / Is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing Bubble gum / The real troubles in your life / Are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind / The kind that blindsides you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday / Do one thing every day that scares you."
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