Guy Lombardo was first to hit the television airwaves on Dec. 31, 1956 with a broadcast on CBS from the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. (He had been doing NYE radio broadcasts since 1928.) With his big band, the Royal Canadians, Lombardo moved to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in 1959. He became so synonymous with the night, he was called "Mr. New Year's Eve." It was Lombardo that is primarily responsible for making "Auld Land Syne" the countdown's theme song.
While Lombardo did his big band thing for the older crowd, "American Bandstand" host Dick Clark figured it was time to offer an alternative for the younger crowd. On Dec. 31, 1972, Clark produced "Three Dog Night's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1973," an NBC special featuring the '70s rock band — along with Helen Reddy and Al Green — prerecorded aboard the Queen Mary docked in Los Angeles. Clark did the
first countdown
live from Times Square — an incredibly anti-climactic one compared to his later years.
It seems like we've been watching the ball drop in Times Square for ages and ages. However, it wasn't until Clark's "New Year's Rockin' Eve" that millions of Americans ever saw it. Lombardo's program stayed in the Waldorf ballroom and counted down.
To ring in 1974, Clark decided to go with just "New Year's Rockin' Eve" as the show's title, although he was still not the host. That job went to hot-at-the-time comedian George Carlin . He hosted from the Queen Mary, with The Pointer Sisters, Tower of Power, Billy Preston and Linda Ronstadt, while Clark again counted down in Times Square.
While Clark's new broadcast was doing well (it moved to ABC in 1975), it still wasn't able to beat Lombardo's in the ratings until after the bandleader died in 1977. From there on, "Rockin' Eve" was king of the night. While Guy's brother, Victor, took over the big band, CBS dropped the Waldorf show in favor of "Happy New Year, America," which lasted until 1995 (although it never threatened Clark's Rockin' show).
ABC decided against airing "New Year's Rockin' Eve" on Dec. 31, 1999. The weight of the moment prompted the alphabet network to go with a special "ABC 2000 Today," with Peter Jennings hosting and reporters stationed around the world. Of course, they went to Clark at the critical moment in Times Square.
On Dec. 4, 2004, the 75-year-old Dick Clark suffered what was termed a "minor stroke." For the first time since it began in 1972, Clark would be unable to countdown the new year from Times Square. Regis Philbin was tapped to take over for that year .
Fox jumped into the New Year's Eve party with a program of its own. In 1991-92, the network aired "New Year's Eve Live," hosted by Penn & Teller. The show would not air again until 2005 — perhaps because of Clark's stroke, Fox saw a chance to capture the ratings crown. That year, Fox got "American Idol" personality Ryan Seacrest to host. It would be Seacrest's first and last hosting stint on Fox. The next year ...
Clark returned for the Dec. 31, 2005 broadcast, but with a new (and eventually permanent) co-host, Ryan Seacrest. Viewers returned also, gathering more than 20 million viewers.
The former Playmate and MTV personality joined "New Year's Rockin' Eve" in 2010 as a field correspondent. In the eight years since, McCarthy's job has mainly been walking around Times Square interacting with the crowd. In 2013, she famously made out with a solider .
The Dec. 31, 2011 edition of "New Year's Rockin' Eve" would be the final time Clark rang in the new year. The host died April 12, 2012.
ABC continues to keep Clark's name in the show title, although it's now become "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest." The 2018 show will feature Camila Cabello, BTS, Kelly Clarkson and, most importantly, Mariah Carey for a chance at a redo from last year's botched lip-sync .
While a lucky (or crazy) few get to experience the traditional ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve, millions more of us watch the countdown on TV.
Mariah Carey's 2016/17 crash and burn was only the latest in a rich history of Dec. 31 broadcasts.
Let's look back the history of New Year's Eve on TV.