Which New Year's Eve song became famous through Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians?

“Auld Lang Syne” became famous as a New Year's Eve song in North America through Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians.

Lombardo's big-band performances helped establish the song as a midnight standard, especially through radio broadcasts and later television appearances. His orchestra played it at New Year's celebrations for decades, making the tune strongly associated with the moment when one year changes into the next.

The song itself is much older than Lombardo's broadcasts. Robert Burns wrote or adapted the familiar poem in the eighteenth century, and the title is a Scots phrase meaning “for old times' sake.” Its themes of friendship, memory, and parting made it suitable for year-end ceremonies even before the recording era.

Lombardo's role was popularization rather than authorship. The Royal Canadians did not write the poem, and the song is also used at farewells, reunions, and other transitions. Its New Year's association is particularly strong in Canada, the United States, and other English-speaking regions.