Retirement songs for the party, the speech and the send-off
30 songs · Updated 27 September 2026
A retirement party has a strange job to do. It has to thank someone for decades of work, make them laugh about leaving it, and point them towards whatever comes next. The music can do a lot of that for you.
We split this list by moment: the walk-out, the speech and the slideshow, the easy-life songs for the years ahead, and the ones that get the office dancing. Each song links to Spotify and YouTube.
Funny send-offs
Songs about work and leaving it. Good for the entrance, the exit or the gift-opening.
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- 5
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For the speech and the slideshow
Looking back at the career, the colleagues and the milestones.
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- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
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Or have one written about them
A song about their actual career, the coffee order everyone knows, the projects that went sideways, the people they trained, is a gift the whole team can give together. Tell TunedForYou the stories and we will write a song with their name in it. You hear a preview before you decide.
You tell us about them, we write and sing it, and you hear a preview before you decide.
What comes next: songs about the easy life
Beaches, porches, long drives and nowhere to be.
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- 25
Party starters
For when the speeches are done and people want to dance.
- 26
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- 29
- 30
How to choose
Ask about their taste first
A retirement party is for one person. A quick word with their partner or closest colleague about the music they actually like beats any list.
Keep the joke songs light
Take This Job and Shove It is funny when the retiree loved the job. If they are leaving on bad terms, skip it.
Time the slideshow
Allow about ten photos per minute. A four-minute song like My Way holds around forty photos without rushing.
Plan three moments
An entrance song, a song under the speech or slideshow, and a first dance-floor song. Everything else can be a background playlist.
Questions people ask
What is a good song for a retirement party?
Funny picks like 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton and Working for the Weekend by Loverboy work for the entrance. My Way by Frank Sinatra and The Best by Tina Turner suit the speech or slideshow.
What is a funny retirement song?
Take This Job and Shove It by Johnny Paycheck, Hit the Road Jack by Ray Charles and Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye by Steam are the usual crowd-pleasers.
What song should play during a retirement slideshow?
My Way, Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen and Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day all fit a look back at a career.
What is a good song about starting retirement?
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding, Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett and Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles are all about slowing down and enjoying what comes next.
Can we get a song written for a colleague who is retiring?
Yes. TunedForYou writes a personalised song from the stories you share: their name, their role, the moments the team remembers. You hear a preview first and only pay if you want the full song.
More song lists
Looking for a song written just for them? Personalised songs for dad · Personalised songs for grandparents
Or have one written about them
Their name, your stories, the things only the two of you would get. Written and sung for them.
Write a retirement song