Ten, nine, eight... This New Year party playlist is built around the countdown itself, with 50 songs about clocks, midnight, second chances and starting again, from Prince's 1999 and The Final Countdown to Feeling Good, One Day Like This and Dog Days Are Over.
Where our New Year's Eve party songs focus on pure floor fillers, this list tells the story of the night: resolutions in the first hour, a race to twelve o'clock and a hopeful last section for the first minutes of January.
The Full Tracklist
Fresh start warm up
- Feeling Good - Nina Simone (1965)
- Beautiful Day - U2 (2000)
- Changes - David Bowie (1971)
- Brand New Day - Sting (1999)
- New Rules - Dua Lipa (2017)
- A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke (1964)
- Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles (1969)
- Better Days - OneRepublic (2020)
- Good Feeling - Flo Rida (2011)
- Lovely Day - Bill Withers (1977)
- Start Again - OneRepublic ft. Logic (2018)
- Time to Pretend - MGMT (2007)
- It's My Life - Bon Jovi (2000)
- New Shoes - Paolo Nutini (2006)
- Dog Days Are Over - Florence + the Machine (2008)
- Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield (2004)
- Hall of Fame - The Script ft. will.i.am (2012)
Countdown to midnight
- 1999 - Prince (1982)
- The Final Countdown - Europe (1986)
- Countdown - Beyoncé (2011)
- Midnight City - M83 (2011)
- Time of My Life - David Cook (2008)
- Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae (2011)
- Good Times - Chic (1979)
- Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets (1954)
- Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper (1983)
- This Is the Life - Amy Macdonald (2007)
- Clocks - Coldplay (2002)
- Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen (1984)
- We Found Love - Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris (2011)
- Freed from Desire - Gala (1996)
- Show Me Love - Robin S (1993)
- Feel So Close - Calvin Harris (2011)
- Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) - C+C Music Factory (1990)
First dance of the year
- Kernkraft 400 - Zombie Nation (1999)
- Sandstorm - Darude (1999)
- Better Off Alone - Alice Deejay (1999)
- One Day Like This - Elbow (2008)
- Hey Jude - The Beatles (1968)
- Fix You - Coldplay (2005)
- Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac (1977)
- Forever Young - Alphaville (1984)
- Champagne Supernova - Oasis (1995)
- With or Without You - U2 (1987)
- Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra (1977)
- Keep On Movin' - Soul II Soul (1989)
- Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead (1979)
- Should I Stay or Should I Go - The Clash (1982)
- Get Ready for This - 2 Unlimited (1991)
- Wonderful Life - Black (1987)
Why these songs work
New Year is the one party with a built in plot, so we've ordered the songs to rise towards midnight rather than peak too early.
Lyrics about time, change and fresh starts give guests something to sing at each other while they hug, cheer and promise to join the gym.
The closing third slows into big hearted singalongs, ideal for linked arms and a Hogmanay style finale.
Bring this playlist to life at a silent disco
Run the countdown across three channels:
- Red: fresh start and midnight anthems.
- Blue: our New Year's Eve playlist for nonstop party hits.
- Green: our club classics playlist for the after midnight ravers.
Ringing in the new year at a hotel, rugby club or village hall in South Wales or West Wales? Full Service puts our team on site until the bells. DIY kits head out by courier before Christmas to the UK mainland and Northern Ireland. Book your New Year silent disco.
Frequently Asked Questions
What songs are good for the New Year countdown?
The Final Countdown, 1999, Feeling Good and One Day Like This are made for the last minutes of the year.
How is this different from your New Year's Eve playlist?
That list is all party hits. This one is themed around fresh starts, time and midnight, so the two work well on separate channels.
How many songs are on the playlist?
50, roughly three and a half hours, so start it around 9pm and you'll reach the finale just after twelve.
When should we book silent disco for 31 December?
New Year's Eve is our busiest night, so book by October or early November if you can.
Is it free?
Yes. The countdown collection sits on the V360 Silent Disco Spotify profile, costing listeners nothing.
More free playlists
Previous playlist: Bonfire Night Playlist | Next playlist: Taylor Swift Playlist
Hire silent disco headphones
Count down to a brilliant year with light up headphones and a playlist that peaks at midnight.
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