Happy New Year! 7 Facts About ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ That Are Worth Celebrating
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve with Dick Clark has been a TV tradition ever since it began ringing in the New Year in 1972. And this year, it continues — the 2025 Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest will air live Tuesday, Dec. 31, starting at 8pm EST on ABC.
This year’s special will feature performances from the West Coast Party, including Alanis Morissette with special guest Reneé Rapp, Dasha, DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic Live! starring Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh, Ernest, HARDY, Kesha, Laufey, Natasha Bedingfield, and T-Pain. Additionally, Blake Shelton will perform from Las Vegas, Luis Fonsi from his native Puerto Rico, and TLC will join the star-studded Times Square lineup in New York.
How much do you know about the history of the show that Americans have been celebrating with for over 50 years?
Everett Collection
Facts you might not know about Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve telecast:
1The first New Year’s Eve special was a 1929 radio show, broadcast on CBS Radio with Guy Lombardo and his big band. It aired nationwide from the Roosevelt Grill in the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. On December 31, 1956, Lombardo’s first New Year’s TV special aired on the CBS network, and ran from 1965-1970, broadcast live from New York City’s Times Square.
2In 1972, NBC-TV decided to mount their own New Year’s Eve special, and court a younger demographic than CBS. Their special, called Three Dog Night’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, featured the band Three Dog Night and Dick Clark reporting from Times Square.
3The 1973 show was titled New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and hosted by George Carlin and Dick Clark in Time Square.
ABC/Courtesy: Everett Collection
4The show moved to ABC-TV in 1974–75, and Clark became the main host. That year, it was titled Chicago’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 1975 with musical guests Chicago, the Beach Boys, the Doobie Brothers, Herbie Hancock, and Olivia Newton-John.
5After Dick Clark suffered a stroke, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2005 had to find a new host quickly; Regis Philbin took on the role that year.
6In 2006, the year following Clark’s stroke, Ryan Seacrest became co-host of New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Seacrest previously hosted Fox-TV’s competing New Year’s Eve show.
7New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2012 marked Dick Clark’s final appearance on the program before his death on April 18, 2012.
Bob D’Amico/ABC/Courtesy: Everett Collection
Remind 