Spring is finally here, and summer is totally within reach. Thank god. A lot of vacation plans might not be working out, but for many people, this time of year really means the end of the school year. Whether your graduation ceremony is happening or not, it’s definitely a time to celebrate regardless. Step one? A killer playlist of the best graduation songs.

And no, not “Pomp and Circumstance,” because there are a lot of other songs out there that are perfect for graduation. Whether you’re graduating in 2024, celebrating someone who is, or just feeling nostalgic, here are some of the best graduation songs of all time.

“Good Riddance” (Time of Your Life) —Green Day

We’ve all heard this song hundreds (if not thousands) of times before, and for good reason: It’s a classic about moving on and taking your memories with you. “It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right/I hope you had the time of your life,” read the lyrics in the chorus, but we all already knew that, because who doesn’t have this one memorized?

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“Graduation” —Vitamin C

Calling all ’90s babies! This one’s for you. This Vitamin C song has been played at just about every graduation since the song first came out in 1999, but it’s easy to see why. The song is about graduating, moving on to the next stage of life, and wondering where you and your friends will be in the future—emotions we’ve all experienced during a transition like this one.

“Unwritten” —Natasha Bedingfield

Not only is this the theme song from The Hills, but it’s also the theme song for anyone who’s about to embark on an exciting new adventure. You’re heading into the unknown, but there’s something awesome waiting out there, trust! Just like Bedingfield sings in the song, the rest is still unwritten.

“Moment 4 Life” —Nicki Minaj

Even though some people are ready to move on and never look back, plenty of graduates are already feeling nostalgic for the years they spent in high school and college. Sound familiar? “Moment 4 Life” is for you. Minaj wants to keep that moment 4 life (get it?), because she feels so alive…and celebrating the end of an era can definitely feel like that too.

“See You Again” —Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth

This song was originally meant to memorialize Paul Walker in Fast & Furious 7 after his passing, but it can also work for any situation where we’re saying goodbye to a good friend who we might not see for a while.

“The Climb” —Miley Cyrus

This one’s a little cheesy, but it’s also kind of inspirational if you think about it. Like Cyrus is telling us in the song, it’s all about the climb, and getting to the point where graduation is finally happening is one heck of a climb. And since Cyrus still performs the song to this day, it seems like she agrees it’s totally relevant.

“Started From the Bottom” —Drake

When this Drake single came out in 2013 (and for years afterward) it seemed like every single Instagram caption included the lyrics “started from the bottom, now we’re here.” And now, for the sake of graduation, it might be time to whip those lyrics out one more time, because you did start from the bottom, and now you’re here, with a degree. That’s worth celebrating!

“Everybody’s Free” (To Wear Sunscreen) —Baz Luhrmann

This song was written to dispense advice to the graduates of the class of 1999, but it definitely still applies. Floss your teeth, try not to be jealous of other people, spend time with your family, and don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts—yep, this kind of advice could apply to us all.

And yes, please wear sunscreen. Your skin will thank you.

"I Hope You Dance" —Lee Ann Womack

This song basically sums up the wishes we all have for anyone we care about when they're setting out on that journey called life. It's basically the hopeful vibe of Oh, the Places You'll Go, but in song form.

"My Wish" —Rascal Flats

Need another song that sums up that "I want all of your dreams to come true in life" vibe? "My Wish" by Rascal Flats does it *very* nicely.

"Today My Life Begins" —Bruno Mars

Excited to get out there and start living that future where everything falls into place and your dreams come true? Then you're in that headspace where graduation feels like the day your life really begins and this is your current soundtrack.

"My Shot" —Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of Hamilton

Just in case you start to feel a lull in that go-take-on-the-world momentum, keep "My Shot" from Hamilton on your personal playlist because, like Hamilton and the United States in 1776, you're "young, scrappy, and hungry."

"Breakaway" —Kelly Clarkson

If following your post-grad dreams means uprooting your life, traveling off the beaten path, and/or risking disappointing people who have a different vision for your life, that's okay. Make like Kelly Clarkson and "make a wish, take a chance, make a change and breakaway."

"I Will Remember You" —Sarah McLachlan

Because graduation is a time for celebration and looking to the future, but it's also a time for getting sad AF and wallowing in how much you're going to miss the people you're leaving behind as you take those Next Big Steps.

"How Far We've Come" —Matchbox Twenty

When you survive something as daunting and trying as high school or college, you need to take a second, take a breath, and appreciate what an accomplishment that really is. "How Far We've Come" is the song that will remind you to do just that.

"Whenever You Remember" —Carrie Underwood

The best graduation songs elevate the chapter that's closing to the stuff of legend even as you're barely done with it. In "Whenever You Remember," Carrie Underwood lays out an exact roadmap for how to remember the "good old days."

"Long Live" —Taylor Swift

When you're living through the trying times, they're hard and painful. When you look back on them with the forgiving lens of nostalgia, you'll wax poetic about how you had the "time of your life fighting dragons" with the people who lived your struggles with you. Lesson: Rising to challenges is tough, but worth it and no one who wasn't there for said challenge will ever truly get it, so appreciate the people who fought the dragons by your side, a la Taylor Swift.

"You're Gonna Miss This" —Trace Adkins

Speaking of those challenging times—when you're in them, it's easy to wish you were past them. But once you're past them, somehow, you'll manage to wish you were back there. "You're Gonna Miss This" is a reminder that, well, you're gonna miss this period of life.

"Wide Open Spaces" —The Chicks

Sure, you'll miss what you're leaving behind, but graduation is also a time to look forward and to move on and figure out who you're going to be. That, as The Chicks so wisely taught us, requires "wide open spaces," "new faces," and room to make big mistakes.

"Here's to the Night" —Eve 6

Sometimes, the best way to honor a milestone like graduation is to look back on the iconic moments that will forever define that era of your life. "Here's to the Night" will take you back to the most epic nights of your life, with the people you'll never forget.

"100 Years" —Five for Fighting

What is it about graduations that make us get all introspective and zoom-out-big-picture at the same damn time? Whatever it is, this song leans into that vibe, hard.

"No Such Thing" —John Mayer

John Mayer evoked explicit school images in this track, which included lyrics about running through the halls of his high school and screaming at the top of his lungs. Why all the running and screaming? Because he "just found out there's no such thing as the real world"—something that a lot of recent grads can relate to, TBH.

"I Was Here" —Beyoncé

Graduating means moving on and it's only natural to want to know that you've left your mark on whatever it is you're leaving behind. Beyoncé's "I Was Here" is your anthem if you're focused on the legacy you're leaving in your wake.

"A Moment Like This" —Kelly Clarkson

It doesn't matter who you are, you're going to have That Moment that you look back on forever. Graduation is a time to reflect on that moment and Kelly Clarkson is here to help you give it a shout out.

"Seasons of Love" —Rent cast

Yeah, "Seasons of Love" is about looking back on one year and most graduations are about looking back on four years. Yeah, "Seasons of Love" is from a Broadway musical and not from an introspective pop or country artist. But damn it if "Seasons of Love" doesn't just feel like a graduation song, right? Because doesn't it feel like you can measure the time you're graduating from "in daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee, in inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife"? No, you're crying.

"Closing Time" —Semisonic

Here's the thing about graduation: It doesn't really matter if you're ready for it or not, it happens anyway. It marks the end of an era, even if that's an era you'd kind of like to keep being in. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. Drink it out. It's okay.

"Never Grow Up" —Taylor Swift

It doesn't matter if you're graduating from middle school or getting your fifth PhD, graduations will always make you feel like time is flying by and at least part of you will wish you could travel backwards to simpler times. Listen to "Never Grow Up" to let Taylor Swift sing to you and reinforce that instinct.

"Rivers and Roads" —The Head and the Heart

Life is going to take you and all the people you know along different paths to different destinations, but that's okay. Have a good cry and remind yourself that it's okay because you'll reach them again when you need to.

"Back Home" —Andy Grammer

And when you reach those people again, you'll raise your glass and beat to the same drum (la-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah). Srsly though, graduation isn't a forever goodbye and your future reunions will recapture the feelings you're leaving behind, believe it or not.

"For Good" —Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth

Yes, graduating means leaving behind some important people, but just because you go different directions doesn't mean that relationship you had stops mattering. In fact, remember that the people who came into your life during this chapter that's closing have shaped who you are and changed you permanently. Just like Elphaba and Glinda, it's impossible to know if they changed you for the better, but they did definitely change you for good.

"Goodbye" —The Spice Girls

Graduation inevitably means saying goodbye to a lot of people, some that you really want to leave behind and some that you can't imagine not having by your side. Remember the wisdom of The Spice Girls though, because "it's not the end."

"Graduation" —Kero Kero Bonito

"Today is my graduation / So long to education / Didn't learn a thing anyway!" — literally every person that has graduated from school, ever. Kero Kero Bonito knows how much of a drag the educational experience is, and gives it a bubbly kiss off with upbeat synths to make you pumped for the future.

"Party In The U.S.A." —Miley Cyrus

You really thought that a graduation playlist would be safe from Miley's ~patriotic hit~? Think again! While the song is a blast to hear at barbecues and beach parties on Memorial Day, Labor Day and the Fourth of July, the 2010s banger actually captures the apprehension that fresh graduates are bound to experience, from that "tummy turnin'" and "homesick" feeling, to the pressure of living up to a whole new set of expectations.

"Celebrate" —Kool & The Gang

If "I just finished college!!!!" being one of the top comments won't convince you that "Celebrate" needs to be on your post-grad playlist, let the cheerful vocals and upbeat horn sections — and the song's ability to cause everyone across generations to bust a move, of course — turn you into a believer.

"Best Day of My Life" —American Authors

Okay, let's be real for a sec — graduating, no matter which level of schooling it is, is a major achievement. You did the work, you got the degree, and are getting out of there. So yeah, it's completely valid for it to be one of the best days of your life, and what better way to celebrate than with everybody's fave American Authors song?

"We're All In This Together" —High School Musical Cast

NGL...I felt pretty robbed when I found out that my high school experience was nothing like Disney's High School Musical. At the very least, the community gem that is "We're All In This Together" really helped to capture the strength of the friendships forged, friendships so strong that not even graduation could tear apart.

"Don't Stop Believin'" —Journey

Closing the door on your educational journey (no pun intended, swear), requires an equally epic song to get you pumped for whatever the years ahead hold. Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" is that song — whether you're a small town girl leaving home for the first time or a city boy looking to find himself, the track leaves its listener both optimistic and hopeful about the future.

"Dog Days Are Over" —Florence + The Machine

After suffering through years of examinations, the pressure of getting into the school of your dreams and finally having some semblance of WTF life will be like post-grad, a major weight has been lifted. Florence + The Machine said it best — with graduation being so close you can taste it, the dog days are indeed over, and damn does it feel good.

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" —Simple Minds

Any track from The Breakfast Club is bound to resonate, but nothing compares to Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)." Along with the apprehension graduating to embark on newer, more dynamic endeavors comes the fear of fading away from your friend group. Don't worry, though — the besties that truly matter will stick by your side through it all.

"Young Blood" —The Naked and Famous

If it was good enough to be featured in Degrassi: The Next Generation for the show's 2011 graduating class, then it's good enough to be featured in your grad playlist, TBH. The Naked and Famous's biggest song to date captures the wistfulness and naïveté of the graduating class, despite 99 percent of said grads pretending they have their sh*t totally figured out. Ah, youth.

"We Are Young" — Fun. feat. Janelle Monae

Before Jack Antonoff started creating your favorite pop songs by Taylor Swift, he popped out in the 2010s with the song you heard literally everywhere — Fun.'s "We Are Young." A perfect grad song if there ever were one, it captures the the graduating class's eagerness to be free and wild, if only for a small moment in time before real life kicks in.

"Bad Decisions" —The Strokes

There's something about graduation being around the corner that makes people a little less inhibited and a bit more bold. So before saying the final hurrah, make one last bad decision, and make it count.