It’s harder to build a New Year’s playlist than it is for other winter holidays. NPR has some tips on finding the right music to ring in the new year.
ADRIAN MA, HOST:
OK. OK. Wait a tick. Wait a tick. It is December 30, people. Let us officially press pause on the Christmas tunes that have been boring their way into our collective skulls for weeks now and get some fresh songs, OK? How about some music for the New Year’s? Sounds pretty good, right? Except, you know, when I started to think about it this week, I realized that, compared to other winter holidays, there aren’t that many New Year’s-themed songs. I mean, of course, one comes to mind.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “AULD LANG SYNE”)
GUY LOMBARDO: (Singing) Should auld acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne.
MA: That, of course, is “Auld Lang Syne.” And, you know, I love a tradition as much as the next person. But I can’t help but think that there have got to be other options for New Year’s playlists besides, you know, a folk song from over two centuries ago. Luckily for us, we are now joined by Ann Powers, NPR music critic and correspondent. Ann brings us a few alternative musical choices to help ring in 2024. What’s up, Ann?
ANN POWERS, BYLINE: Hey, Adrian. Let’s party.
MA: Ann, I am ready. But I’ve been racking my brain the past few weeks trying to think of other New Year’s anthems, you know. Of course, there is “Auld Lang Syne,” but that song is like 200 years old and there are X number of interpretations of it. But are there other songs out there that I’m not thinking of that are actually New Year’s jams?
POWERS: Well, Adrian, of course, pop music is all about cashing in on our sentiments and our special occasions. So there have been cases of pop groups writing songs specifically for New Year’s. For example, the Swedish supergroup ABBA. They have a song called “Happy New Year.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “HAPPY NEW YEAR”)
ABBA: (Singing) Happy New Year. Happy New Year. May…
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