Top 10 Best Graduation Songs for Graduation Playlist 2024

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Graduation is a special event that only comes around a limited amount of times in your lifetime. It marks a special milestone and represents new paths being opened and choices available. Due to all the changes it brings it usually marks the end of an era. Make sure you put a good bookend on the chapter and plan out a playlist that will excite and pull at the heartstrings of the graduating class. Here are ten graduation songs that are sure to make everyone nostalgic and make for a very memorable evening.

1. "Changes," David Bowie (1971)

David Bowie is an absolute legend to so many people, the range and emotion in his voice is nothing short of incredible. “Changes” has beautiful high and low parts to it and a catchy meaningful chorus. It’s about going through changes and trying to face them head on but even though we are all going through changes constantly somehow we’re still ourselves afterwards.

My favorite lyrics:
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
There's gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time

2. "We Are Young" by Fun (2012)

“We Are Young” is great song to kick off your graduation. It is a requiem for what it is to be young, to go out and enjoy yourselves, to be able to stay up with your friends until the early hours of the morning and to just be plain silly before having to grow up. The chorus ‘tonight, we are young…’ will get the crowd right into the spirit of the evening. It is also easy to sing along to or dance to.

My favorite lyrics:
Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter
Than the sun

3. "I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLachlan (1999)

This song is a must for goodbyes and new beginnings. Sarah’s voice is so beautiful and full of emotion that it really transcends “I Will Remember You” to a whole new level. It captures a lot of the scary aspects of moving on while giving hope to a future by reinforcing you’ll always be remembered and also have good memories to carry you through.

My favorite lyrics:
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

4. "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" by Pink Floyd (1979)

Does “Another Brick in the Wall” really need any introduction at all? A classic song people of all ages love and relate to. It perfectly encapsulates feelings everyone goes through in high school and reminds of people what they’ve finished. Most people know these lyrics and will be jazzed up to hear this classic.

My favorite lyrics:
We don't need no education
We dont need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
All in all you're just another brick in the wall.

5. "School's Out" by Alice Cooper (1997)

This is the song that gets everyone pumped for leaving school. As soon as you hear the guitar building for the chorus you can feel the energy rising in you, compelling you to belt out ‘schools out for summer, schools out forever…’ along with the song. “School’s Out” is another song that’s well known and easy for a crowd to sing along to (at the very least everyone will know the chorus!).

My favorite lyrics:
School's out forever
School's out for summer
School's out with fever
School's out completely

6. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day (1997)

You need at least one Green Day song in your graduation music list. Green Day have so many songs that completely bring you back to what it was to be a teenager from struggling with peer pressure to moving on. “Good Riddance” is a short song compared to others but it’s a powerful song that conveys its message about turning points and being at a crossroads very well. Its also an upbeat song that is wonderful to dance to.

My favorite lyrics:
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life

7. "It's Time," Imagine Dragons (2012)

“It’s Time” is nicely paced song about growing up and moving on but still keeping true to yourself by not letting the world change who you are. It is a great message for people about to take the next step on their journey into the world and reinforces that everyone should be proud of who they are.

My favorite lyrics:
It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am

8. "Miles Apart," Yellowcard (2003)

“Miles Apart” is a great graduation song because it’s all about the connections we have between our friends. No matter how much we may want to stay in our comfort zones and be in an endless time loop with our friends, a time comes when we have to move on. This isn’t as bad as it sounds though as it reinforces how we carry important people and memories in our hearts and use that to propel us through the rocky times ahead.

My favorite lyrics:
We'll be miles apart
I'll keep you deep inside
You're always in my heart
A new life to start
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart

9. “Firework" Katy Perry (2010)

One of my personal favorites, not only is it easy to sing and catchy it has such a beautiful message and music video. “Firework” is all about how no matter how lost, alone or worthless you feel there is a fire inside of you. You are special and talented and only need some confidence really shine like a star. The song is all about finding inner strength and beauty inside all of us and is a great message to send newly graduated people off with.

My favorite lyrics:
Do you know that there's still a chance for you?
'Cause there's a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
'Cause baby, you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth

10. “Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds (1985)

It’s only fitting the last song is a tear jerker. Not everyone gets to experience a graduation and it marks a huge milestone in your life. At the end of the night you want to go out with a bang, pick something memorable like “Don’t You Forget About Me”. Besides the obvious Breakfast Club flashbacks that are sure to get the waterworks going the song’s lyrics are also amazing. The song is about moving on but wanting to be remembered and wanting to remember your friends.

My favorite lyrics:
Don't you try to pretend
It's my feeling we'll win in the end
I won't harm you or touch your defenses
Vanity, insecurity
Don't you forget about me

Memorize Bets Times with a Video

We feel so surprised when checking the yearbook after years, but with a video, we can memorize more happy times. There are many slideshow makers or video makers for graduation creation. Here I recommend you to try Wondershare Filmora video editor. With Filmora, you can make your graduation video in a few minutes. Because it features plentiful templates, transitions, and effects, as well the royalty-free music tracks for your graduation video.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison