The next few weeks are going to be chock-full of celebrations as millions of students graduate from high school and college. And whether you're throwing a graduation party for a loved one or simply attending a friend's event, you'll need three key items: a cake, a camera and a killer playlist.
We can't help with the first two, but we have put together a soundtrack for your shindig. Here 11 songs, ranging from happy to sad to just plain nostalgic, to play as you recognize the proverbial closing of one door and opening of another. Hit play, crank the volume and grab your favorite graduate for a dance.
Listen to Newsweek's 2017 Graduation playlist here and see a breakdown of the songs below.
Song: "Graduation (Friends Forever)"
Artist: Vitamin C
Lyric that will make you cry and wipe your eyes with your robe: "I guess I thought that this would never end / And suddenly it's like we're women and men"
Song: "How Far We've Come"
Artist: Matchbox Twenty
Lyric that will make you cry and wipe your eyes with your robe: "Say your goodbyes if you've got someone you can say goodbye to"
Song: "Closing Time"
Artist: Semisonic
Lyric that will make you cry and wipe your eyes with your robe: "Time for you to go out to the places you will be from"
Song: "Youth"
Artist: Troye Sivan
Lyric that will make you cry and wipe your eyes with your robe: "What if we run away / What if / What if we left today / What if / We said goodbye to safe and sound"
Song: "7 Years"
Artist: Lukas Graham
Lyric that will make you cry and wipe your eyes with your robe: "It was a big big world, but we thought we were bigger / Pushing each other to the limits, we were learning quicker"
Song: "Campus"
Artist: Vampire Weekend
Lyric that will make you cry and wipe your eyes with your robe: "How am I supposed to pretend / I never want to see you again?"
Song: "Bittersweet Symphony"
Artist: the Verve
Lyric that will make you cry and wipe your eyes with your robe: "I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down"
Song: "Tonight, Tonight"
Artist: the Smashing Pumpkins
Lyric that will make you cry and wipe your eyes with your robe: "You can never ever leave without leaving a piece of youth"
Song: "Brave"
Artist: Sara Bareilles
Lyric that will make you cry and wipe your eyes with your robe: "Let your words be anything but empty / Why don't you tell them the truth?"
Song: "I'll Be There For You"
Artist: the Rembrandts
Lyric that will make you cry and wipe your eyes with your robe: "When the rain starts to pour / I'll be there for you / Like I've been there before"
Song: "Forever Young"
Artist: Alphaville
Lyric that will make you cry and wipe your eyes with your robe: "Let us die young or let us live forever / We don't have the power but we never say never"
