• Find the right songs for your graduation party.graduation poster image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
  
  It's important to have the right music playing at your graduation party. Whether you graduated from high school, college or grad school, or earned your Ph.D., you'll want music that fits the theme of your big day and keeps the party moving.
  
  

"Unsatisfied," by the Replacements

• Sample lyric: "Look me in the eye/And tell me that I'm satisfied/Were you satisfied?" Graduation is often a bittersweet experience and one filled with anxiety and uncertainty. Few bands capture the angst of being young like the Replacements. "Unsatisfied" not only captures that turmoil, it also rocks with the energy of a party anthem.
  
  

"Closing Time," by Semisonic

• Sample lyric: "Closing time/Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." That line, taken from the writings of the Roman philosopher Seneca, effectively describes for many the experience of graduation. One of the major pop hits of 1999, "Closing Time" is still a popular fixture at graduation parties.
  
  

"Class of '57," by the Statler Brothers

• Sample lyric: "And the class of '57 had its dreams/Oh, we all thought we'd change the world with our great works and deeds/Or maybe we just thought the world would change to fit our needs." Although "Class of '57" was released in 1972, its message is still timely, and the distinctive vocal harmony of the Statler Brothers makes for uplifting party music.
  
  

"Last Night of the World," by Bruce Cockburn

• Sample lyric: "If this were the last night of the world/What would I do?/What would I do that was different/Unless it was champagne with you?" Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn is not as well known in the U.S. as he is in his native land, but "Last Night of the World" is an upbeat rock song that effectively captures the feeling that this is the best night of your life.
  
  

"Back in the Day," by Ahmad

• Sample lyric: "Back in the days when I was young I'm not a kid anymore/But some days I sit and wish I was a kid again." "Back in the Day" was a 1994 hit single that was revitalized by the 1999 film "The Wood," which used Ahmad's hip hop song as a flashback device. This is an ideal song to get people out on the dance floor at your graduation party.