No one likes the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. It’s a surprisingly long and dreary period of time that, whether you’re still on vacation or back to work for a brief moment, never really amounts to anything fun. Thankfully, that it culminates with a series of global celebrations to ring in the new year somehow makes it all worth it — especially since Twitter’s recent “if you play” meme is here with plenty of serious (and silly) soundtrack options. Just in case listening to Mariah Carey attempt an about-face from last year’s lip sync scandal isn’t in your wheelhouse, of course.
The meme, which began inexplicably in mid-December, quickly caught on as more and more people began suggesting various songs, clips, and other media for New Year’s Eve revelers to play (and when to play them). In addition to the particular track, the most popular submissions also included instructions for what specific time to start playing them. Why? So that a desired lyric, guitar riff, or drum beat would hit just as the clock strikes midnight for the first seconds of 2018. Needless to say, many of the options are so good, you may want to recruit multiple smartphones and stereos for the task.
If you play 'In The Air Tonight’ by Phil Collins on December 31st at 11:56:40 the drum break will play right as the clock strikes midnight. Start off your new year right.
— Phil Collins (@PhilCollinsFeed) December 21, 2017
https://twitter.com/samuelgrants/status/942115056250171392
https://twitter.com/blondedocean/status/941699802772967424
https://twitter.com/tmcripple/status/942099020733755392
https://twitter.com/LinsonJamess/status/942575195553914880
if you play the first high school musical movie at exactly 11:53:24 on december 31st you will be able to ring the new year in at the same time as troy and gabriella
— hadia (@haahdia) December 18, 2017
If you play Africa by Toto on January 1st at 12:29:16 the lyric “she’s coming in 12:30 flight” will play right as the clock strikes 12:30. Start off your new year right.
— steely dani (@fitsofpleasure) December 23, 2017
wanna start your new year in the most "killer" way possible? play mr brightside on december 31 at 11:56:26 PM and the final "bumm bumm buummm" will play right as the clock strikes 12, christening you into the new year as mr brightside. your mr brightside now. come out of ur cage
— jonny sun (@jonnysun) December 18, 2017
Of course, not everything suggested for the meme is necessarily a song. (Or completely serious, for that matter).
https://twitter.com/prayyoucatchbey/status/943728478335225856
if you play "i saw the sign" at exactly 11:58:33 pm on new years eve, ace of base will show up at your house holding a sign that will open up your eyes
— AtticusFinch79 (@AtticusFinch79) December 26, 2017
If you start watching The End of Time Part 2 at 10:53:33 P.M. on New Year’s Eve, The Doctor will say “I bet you're gonna have a really great year." right when the clock strikes midnight.
Start off your new year right.
— izel in the jungle 🪬 (@thatsveryme) December 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/DAREDEVlllS/status/942454268719706112
If you play the #SVU opening at exactly 11:59:44 pm on New Year’s Eve, you’ll hear the "DUN DUN”, one of the most iconic sounds of all time, as the clock strikes midnight. Ring in 2018 right.
— 𝐋𝐀𝐖 & 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 (@lawandordertv) December 21, 2017
If you start watching Shrek on December 31st at 11:48.48, Donkey saying “i’m makin waffles” will be perfectly synced with the switch from 2017 to 2018 at midnight. Which is a great way to end and start the year. 🐴
— matt (@dogfather) December 17, 2017
if you play Taylor Swift's "Reputation" album at 11:04:06pm on NYE, you can sleep through the whole album and still have 15 seconds to wake up before midnight
— matt gehring (@mattryanx) December 21, 2017
If you start an episode of Golden Girls at 11:59:48 on New Year’s Eve, Dorothy will bite her fist exactly at midnight. pic.twitter.com/PDf1ozBz69
— Mike Denison (@mikd33) December 23, 2017