Attention seniors: It’s almost that time! Over the next few weeks, high schoolers and college students across the country will don their caps and gowns and attend their graduation ceremonies, ready to leave the nest and make their mark on the world.
And just like with any major life milestone, graduation deserves the perfect soundtrack to commemorate the moment, so here at Billboard we rounded up a grad-ready playlist of 22 choices from Green Day‘s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” to OneRepublic‘s “Good Life” and beyond. And now we want to know which song will be your Class of ’22 anthem!
Of course, you can’t go wrong with Vitamin C‘s seminal turn-of-the-century classic “Graduation (Friends Forever).” In fact, the instantly nostalgic 1999 single was so iconic that 20 years later, it inspired Benny Blanco and the late Juice WRLD to record their own version of the song’s sentiment with 2019’s “Graduation.”
There are also throwback hits to choose from, like Queen‘s “Don’t Stop Me Now” and Alice Cooper‘s “School’s Out,” as well as modern pop classics like Katy Perry‘s “Firework” and fun.‘s “We Are Young” with Janelle Monáe.
And while Taylor Swift may have dropped a new “Feelin’ ’22” merch collection particularly ideal for this year’s crop of graduates, her Speak Now album closer “Long Live” holds universally sentimental memories no matter which year you move your tassel and throw your cap.
In the mood for something a bit more bittersweet? Try Billie Eilish‘s “My Future,” Lorde‘s “Ribs,” “Prom” by SZA or something entirely different. Vote in Billboard‘s graduation-themed poll below.
