The Best Schoolies Anthems Of All Time

All My Friends – LCD Soundsystem (2007)

This one’s super-poignant, but you can still dance like no one’s watching as that striking piano riff gradually builds. All My Friends has a nostalgic feel and would also make a great soundtrack for your post-Schoolies photo montage: “And if the sun comes up, if the sun comes up, if the sun comes up / And I still don't wanna stagger home...” – watch the sunrise, hug your friends and reminisce about the highs and lows of your school years. But, most importantly, celebrate the fact that you all made it through and lived to tell the tale!

School’s Out – Alice Cooper (1972)

Please enjoy this clip we found of Coops performing School’s Out on The Muppet Show, dressed in a graduation cap and gown before later revealing another cozzie underneath (no spoilers here). We also love the full-bodied Muppet monsters dressed as students, resplendent with varsity letters, cheerleading pom-poms and ponytails.

Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey (1981)

“Just a small town girl / Livin' in a lonely world / She took the midnight train going anywhere...” – Journey really capture the essence of Schoolies, the feeling that anything is possible and the world is your oyster, throughout this smash hit (not that they intended to, but anyhoo). Don’t Stop Believin’ just never gets old and this tune’s euphoric tone is contagious beyond belief. Who’s up for some karaoke? 

I Love It – Icona Pop feat Charlie XCX (2012)

We’re pretty sure this banger would’ve been absolutely rinsed during Schoolies the year it was released (and probably also every year since). That repeated chorus – “I don’t care / I love it!” – is a pretty excellent retort for anything you can’t be bothered dealing with at any given time, really. Also, how’s this for an ultimate lyrical slap-down from Schoolies to Toolies? “You're from the '70s, but I'm a '90s bitch...”

Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen – Baz Luhrmann (1999)

“Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '99 / Wear sunscreen...”– obviously this sage advice still applies to the class of 2022. 

An essay by columnist Mary Schmich, originally published in 1997 and commonly known by the title Wear Sunscreen, became the basis for Baz Luhrmann’s spoken word banger, Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen), aka ‘The Sunscreen Song’. The essay was written as a hypothetical commencement speech and contains many golden nuggets of wisdom that school leavers should memorise before they head out into the big wide world, including: “Do one thing every day that scares you”, “Floss” and more. Our personal fave is this absolute life-changer: "Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday” – all expertly narrated by Australian voice actor, Lee Perry.

St Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) – John Parr (1985)

Props to whoever it was that mistakenly thought these chorus lyrics were, “Set them on fire” – our favourite mondegreens are the ones where the song’s actual title is the bit they’re fucking up! 

Musically, this chart-topping movie theme song sounds like throwing your mortarboard hat up in the air and the accompanying music video, which stars the film’s gobsmackingly star-studded cast – Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Andie MacDowell, Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy – interpolates footage from St Elmo’s Fire, including the main characters living their best lives on Graduation Day and, you guessed it, flinging their mortarboards skyward.  

Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds (1985)

Another ace song from a movie, the Molly Ringwald-starring Breakfast Club. Did you know that even though this glittering prize of a track is widely regarded as Simple Minds’ signature song, the band didn’t actually write it? We can’t help but think they’re probably a l’il a bit miffed about that. Anyhow, how satisfying is it to sing along with that endless string of, “La-la-la-la”s toward this song’s conclusion?

Rise Up – Andra Day (2015)

Almost every high school student has had to dig deep at some point to ignore the bullies, find a skerrick of motivation to push on and find some kinda meaning and purpose while also juggling a gazillion life challenges. And trying to decide what they wanna do, career-wise. Breathe. And exhale. Andra Day’s exquisite song Rise Up is the balm we all need when we’re feeling fragile. “All we need, all we need is hope / And for that we have each other…” – you got this, Schoolies! Enter the next phase of your lives feeling confident that you stuck it out and finished high school, which is no mean feat (especially given the homeschooling challenging of the last coupla years). 

Goodbye – Spice Girls (1999) 

I’m not crying, you’re crying! Although not actually about farewelling those fave school chums you’ve treasured hanging out with almost every day, Goodbye perfectly captures the sentiment of closing a chapter in your life. In the Spice Girls’ case, Goodbye bid farewell to Ginger Spice (Geri Halliwell) – this is the first song they released without her vocal contribution, after she left the band – and also the phenomenal success they experienced as a five-piece.

Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) – Green Day (1997)

For those students who couldn’t wait for their high school ‘journey’ to be done and dusted, congrats! This one’s an absolute ripper with super-appropriate lyrics (although we wouldn’t recommend “Tattoos for memories” – probably not in the Schoolies budget). And how good is that string arrangement! It triggers retrospection somehow. All together now: “It's something unpredictable / But in the end, it's right / I hope you had the time of your life...”

We Are Young – fun. feat. Janelle Monáe

"Tonight we are young, so let's set the world on fire. We can burn brighter than the sun” – why not get these lyrics printed on matching T-shirts for your Schoolies posse to wear!? Actually, make sure you choose a brightly coloured T-shirt base so you’re all easily identifiable and stand out like dog’s balls in packed crowds. You’re very welcome. Oh, and there’s also an acoustic version of this song available for more mellow moments.

Vitamin C - Graduation (Friends Forever)

This track is quintessential schoolies. If you graduated in the late ‘90s/early 2000s, chances are this song will unlock core memories and turn you into a blubbering mess. “As we go on, we remember, all the times we had together / And as our lives change, come whatever, we will still be friends forever.” It’s a nice sentiment, but things don’t always go that way, so make sure you make the most of schoolies! Bringing some Vitamin C with you isn’t a bad idea either.

Friend In The Field – Art Vs Science

This one’s more a cautionary tale, but also a fitting reminder to look out for your mates at all times during Schoolies. “Stumblin’ ‘round / Falling down / Need to sleep / Here looks good, ‘til I find my way back home...” – don’t be that human! Upon arrival at every destination/club, work out a meeting point in case you lose your phone or what have you and that way, hopefully, you can avoid losing “a friend in the field”. Safety first, Schoolies! Have heaps of fun, you deserve a rager, but also be sure to always prioritise sticking with your friends and looking out for one another.