Retirement represents an important milestone in people’s lives. After years of hard and productive work, the time has come to finally relax. For some this is exciting and something they have been waiting for a long time, and for others it creates a sad and melancholic feeling. Either way, this most definitely is a new phase of life and it has many positive aspects. This person will have more time for themselves, their hobbies, their grandchildren, and traveling. That is something every working person wishes for.
So, if you are planning a retirement party for someone or for yourself you need to give your best to make this event full of positive energy and happiness. This is a special day and it needs to be celebrated in an appropriate way. When organizing a retirement party, one of the things you’ll need to do is make a party playlist. This playlist needs to consist of the best retirement songs. But, before you start creating it, consider a few things:
- The retiree’s taste
Don’t forget that you are not choosing your favorite songs. If you know the retiree well then you probably know what type of music they like. If you are not quite sure, ask their close family and friends for some advice. It would also be thoughtful to find the greatest hits from this person’s youth so you can remind them of different phases of their life.
- Party guests
Even though the guest of honor should be your main concern, it would also be smart to take into consideration the type of guests at this party and what music is a good choice for them too. Try to combine different sorts of songs so that everyone can enjoy.
Now, to help you get started, we made a few categories with some of the greatest songs for the retirement tribute you can find. Hold tight, as there are more than 150 songs we listed down there, so grab a cup of coffee and let’s dive right into it:
Happy retirement songs
If you want to create a happy and fulfilling atmosphere, we got you covered. These are great picks, especially if this person loved their job. Leaving with a positive attitude is the best way, and it is good to know that an even better phase of life is beginning now.
“Retirement Day” by Sergeant H
“Summer Of ’69” by Bryan Adams
“Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin
“The Best is Yet to Come” by Frank Sinatra
“Good Times Roll” by The Cars
“What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
“I Believe I Can Fly” by James Ingram
“Knee Deep” by Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffet
Remember the working days
Even though the retirement period is just starting, it is good to pay tribute to the working days. They are now going to be part of the past, but the retiree is going to remember them forever. It wasn’t easy working every day and giving your best all the time!
“9 to 5” by Dolly Parton
“A Hard Day’s Night” by Beatles
“Taking Care of Business” by Bachman Turner Overdrive
“Assembly Line” by Randy Montana
“Door to Door” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
“Working Man Blues” by Merle Haggard
“Workin’ For a Livin’ ” by Huey Lewis & The News
“9 to 5 (Morning Train)” by Sheena Easton
“She Works Hard for The Money” by Donna Summer
“Hard Hat and Hammer” by Alan Jackson
“Work is a Four Letter Word” by The Smiths
“Working Girl” by Cher
“Forty Hour Week (For a Livin’)” by Alabama
“Manic Monday” by The Bangles
Songs that will get you dancing
Your playlist must consist of some uplifting beats. This is a party after all! Get all the guests on their feet with some of these songs:
“It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett
“Dance Me to the End of Love” by Leonard Cohen
“Working for The Weekend” by Loverboy
“Riptide” by Vance Joy
“Hymn for the Weekend” by Coldplay
“September” by Earth, Wind & Fire
“Five O’Clock World” by The Vogues
“Stolen Dance” by Milky Chance
“God Bless Saturday” by Kid Rock
“Ready for The Weekend” by Calvin Harris
“Shout” by The Isley Brothers
“I’ll Be There for You” by The Rembrandts
“Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who
“Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
“Mony Mony” by Billy Idol
“Hello, Goodbye” by The Beatles
“Twist and Shout” by The Beatles
“My Generation” by The Who
“Can’t Take it With You” by Allman Brothers Band
“Happy” by Pharrell Williams
“I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas
“Footloose” by Kenny Loggins
“The Twist” by Chubby Checker
” Holiday” by Madonna
“I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack
“Time of my Life” by David Cook
“Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé
“Celebration” by Kool & the Gang
Funny and ironic songs
If the guest of honor didn’t like their job that much and is quite glad to be leaving, you must include some of these sarcastic songs. They celebrate freedom and have a positive and uplifting vibe. But even if the person did like their job it would be fun to have at least a few of these:
“I Want to Break Free” by Queen
“Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles
“Take This Job and Shove It” by Johnny Paycheck
“I’m Free” by Rolling Stones
“Toes” by Zac Brown Band
” I’m Still Standing” by Elton John
“I Feel Lucky” by Mary Chapin Carpenter
“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” by The Animals
“Maggie’s Farm” by Bob Dylan
“Bang on The Drum All Day” by Todd Rundgren
“Shove This Jay-Oh-Bee” by Canibus
“I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair” by George Jones
“Gone” by Montgomery Gentry
“Already Gone” by Eagles
“Work is Overrated” by Chicago Skinny
Nostalgic songs
When you love your job and you have been working for many years, retirement can be a difficult experience. Even though the atmosphere of the party should be kept positive, it is okay to add a few nostalgic songs and to let the person accept the emotions he or she is feeling. Remember to combine these songs with uplifting ones. This shouldn’t be a sad event!
“Good Riddance by Time of Your Life” by Green Day
“The Power of Good-Bye” by Madonna
“Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond
“Don’t You by Forget About Me” by Simple Minds
“Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
“I’ll Remember” by Madonna
“Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey
“You’ve Got a Friend” by James Taylor
“Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole
“In My Life” by The Beatles
“Hotel California” by The Eagles
“My Way” by Frank Sinatra
“I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash
“People Are Crazy” by Billy Currington
“It’s Just a Matter of Time” by Graeham Goble
“You’re Still the One” by Shania Twain
“House of the Rising Sun” by the White Buffalo
Retirement songs for teachers
If the person who is retiring was a teacher, then you need special songs for him or her. The teaching profession is a difficult one because you have to give your best every day and be a role model for the young ones. You also need to be caring and loving to every student. This is why songs for this playlist need to be chosen in the same manner. They need to represent love and gratitude for all their hard work.
” Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole
“Thank You For Being a Friend” by Andrew Gold
“Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler
“Legacy” by Nichole Nordeman
“School’s Out” by Alice Cooper
“I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy
“Thank You For The Music” by ABBA
Retirement songs for nurses and doctors
Doctors and nurses need to be appreciated in our society because they are doing a very important job. Our health, and thus our life, depends on them. Every day there are saving lives and putting their needs second. Now it is their big day and it needs to be celebrated properly.
“Lean on Me” by Bill Withers
“Young at Heart” by Frank Sinatra
“Saving Us” by John Thomas, & Kevin McCove
“Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)” by Robert Palmer
“Bye Bye Friends” by Everly Brothers
“Doctor’s Orders” by Carol Douglas
“We’ve Only Just Begun” by The Carpenters
“Doctor Feelgood” by Aretha Franklin
“Give You A Hand” by Dawn Lunsford
“Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding
“Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffett
Songs for a tribute video
Another great idea that you must try is making a tribute video. Make a slideshow with your favorite photos from the office. Start with the oldest photos you can find and end with the newest one. This will bring out many emotions, as well as some beautiful memories. You can use some upbeat songs for retirement videos or some that are more emotional, you choose. Here are some ideas:
“Forever Young” by Rod Stewart
“Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield
“True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper
“Happy Trails” by Roy Rogers
“These are the days” by Van Morrison
Bonus songs
If you need more retirement songs for your playlist, search through the list down below, where you will find songs from many different categories and for everyone’s taste:
“New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra
“Beautiful Day” by U2
“Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf
“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor
“Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
“Turn! Turn! Turn!” by The Byrds
“I Don’t Care Anymore” by Phil Collins
“Hall of Fame” by The Script
“Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen
“Cold Beer with Your Name on It” by Josh Thompson
“I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor
“It’s a Beautiful Morning” by The New Rascals
“It’s a Beautiful Day” by Michael Buble
“Leaving on a Jet Plane” by Peter, Paul & Mary
“Survivor” by Destiny’s Child
“Take It Easy” by The Eagles
“Time to Say Goodbye” by Sarah Brightman
“Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson
“Don’t Look Back” by Boston
“Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac
“The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers
“The Job That Ate My Brain” by Ramones
“The Times They Are A-Changing” by Bob Dylan
“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister
“Na Na Hey Hey” by Jeronimo
“Happily Retired Now!” – The Happy Retirement song
“Retirement Song” – by The Longest Johns
“Another One Bites The Dust” by Queen
“End of the Line” by Travelling Wilburys
“We’ll Meet Again” by Johnny Cash
“Closing Time” by Semisonic
“Best Day of My Life” by American Authors
“Sempre Libera” by Renee Fleming
“Party Train” by The Gap Band
“We Got the Beat” by the Go-Gos
“We are the Champions” by Queen
“LA Freeway” by Guy Clark
“Happy Trails” to You by Roy Rogers
“Closing Time” by Semisonic
“This could be the best day of my life” by Bruno Mars
“Consequence Free” by Great Big Sea
“Work Shoes” by Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker
“Good Time” by Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers
“I Feel Good’ ” by James Brown
If you succeed in creating a perfect playlist, know that half of the work is done. Music is one of the main party factors that affect people’s mood and create the atmosphere. Pick each song with great care and you will be on the right path to the best retirement party ever!
