New Year's Eve Playlist: Party Rock Anthems That Aren't 'Party Rock Anthem'

As you prep for your annual evening of New Year's Eve debauchery, you needn't look far for some aural inspiration as many a musician has penned a paean to late-night revelry. So forget the trials and tribulations of 2011 and get ready to carouse into twenty-twelve with this collection of 11 songs to keep the merrymaking going well into the wees.

LCD Soundsystem, 'Drunk Girls'
James Murphy has said he wrote this tune because he wanted a "dumb song." With a chanted refrain and tongue firmly planted in cheek, it's the perfect primer for New Year's Eve shenanigans -- a boozy battle of the sexes with a soft, gushy centre ("I believe in waking up together"). It's also a highly entertaining music video directed by Spike Jonze which features the band being tormented by a bunch of hoodlums in panda suits.


Justice, 'D.A.N.C.E.'
This French duo has made a career out of disco-fied club bangers that will get anyone (even your most bookish buddy) up on the dancefloor. Featuring a sing-songy kids' chorus and a groovy bassline, the song is a tribute to someone's killer dance moves ("The way you move is a mystery"). Also worth checking out: the gorgeous video that accompanies the song (the one with the cleverly animated t-shirts).


Little Boots, 'New In Town'
The British songstress also known as Victoria Hesketh hit big in 2009 with this song about being broke and still having a ball ("I don't have a lot of money but we'll be fine/no, I don't have a penny but I'll show you a good time"). The video features homeless people and gang-bangers getting down like Britney's backup dancers. 'New In Town' is a song that's still fitting for these cash-strapped times. Who needs cash when you've got choreographed dance moves?


Rihanna, 'Cheers (Drink to That)'
Here's a song for anyone who's been feeling like life's a pain in the ass, so you might as well just gather your favourite people around and have a cold one. Rihanna's your personal drinking buddy as she raises a glass to, as R. Kelley once called it, the "freakin' weekend," sounding both world-weary and defiant ("Don't let the bastards get you down"). The video's a collection of Miss Fenty on stage and off, and Canada's own party girl, Avril Lavigne, pops up for a cameo.


Skrillex, 'Weekends!!!'
The patron saint of party boys the world over, dubstep hero Skrillex peppers this track with an entreaty from L.A. pop-rapper Sirah: "I think you and my friends should hang out on the weekend." Skrillex has said of the track, "There's nothing behind the meaning of it," which seems obvious. It's simply You + Me + Weekend = Awesome. (And the three exclamation points mean it's going to be really really really fun!!!)


KISS, 'Rock n Roll All Night'
There is absolutely no subtlety here -- Gene Simmons and his face-painted cohorts sing about shunning personal responsibility and just letting 'er rip. Screw the morning! Who needs it? ("You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy.") The boys exhort fans to keep the party going day and night while wearing outfits that could only have been considered cool in the '70s. (I personally like the guy with the kitty face.)


Chemical Brothers, 'Hey Boy Hey Girl'
There once was a time when UK electronic duo the Chemical Brothers were the kings of the hedonistic club scene. 1999's 'Hey Boy Hey Girl' is a trancey, slightly menacing dance track, emblematic of a night that goes on. And on. And on. The tripped-out video features a girl who starts to hallucinate that everyone around her -- dancers, cabbies, bathroom stall canoodlers -- is a skeleton. Here we go, indeed.


Major Lazer, 'Keep It Goin' Louder'
DJ/producers Diplo and Switch created a number of hot-night-out tracks with their reggae-tinged project Major Lazer. 'Keep It Goin' Louder' sees an auto-tuned Ricky Blaze imploring, "Girl, I wanna party with you" and cute twins Nina Sky doing the catchy hook: "I got the girls in the truck 'bout six chicks deep and you know if we're rolling that it's straight sexy." The video is truly effed-up, featuring full-figured club girls with computer-warped faces floating around in Diplo's bizarro world.


Metric, 'Dead Disco'
Canada's favourite dance-rock outfit got the country to shake it with this track from 2003's 'Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?'. It's more an indictment of empty partying than a celebration ("Dead disco, dead fun, dead rock n roll, remodel, everything's been done"), but the song itself is an unabashed butt-shaker. Plus, Emily Haines electrified a generation of indie-rock geeks with her moves and mini-dress in the accompanying music video.


Florence and the Machine, 'Shake It Out'
Florence Welch has said she wrote this song to find a cure for a hangover. The answer she comes up with seems to be get right back out on the dancefloor. ("It's hard to dance with the devil on your back, so shake him off"). Though the original tune is a lovely way to greet the New Year after a few too many, try the bangin' remix by Benny Benassi to avoid the morning altogether.