<P> Prior to the premiere of New Year's Rockin' Eve, the most well - known New Year's Eve program was the annual big band remote of bandleader Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, broadcast from the ballroom of the Waldorf - Astoria Hotel . Guy Lombardo hosted 48 straight New Year's Eve broadcasts on CBS until his death in 1977, beginning on radio in 1928 (and for a period, splitting with NBC Radio following midnight ET), and on CBS Television from 1956 to 1976 (which also featured coverage of the ball drop in Times Square). Lombardo was also well known for his band's performance of the song "Auld Lang Syne" at midnight, which helped make the standard synonymous with the New Year's holiday in North America . </P> <P> At the time, Dick Clark was well - known to viewers as the host of American Bandstand, a music series produced from the studios of Philadelphia television station WFIL - TV (now WPVI - TV) and broadcast by ABC (which itself aired a New Year's Eve special on December 31, 1959). </P> <P> In the 1970s, Clark felt that Guy Lombardo's New Year's specials were outdated and did not appeal well to younger viewers; he believed that only older viewers would be interested in big band music accompanied by "people dancing cheek - to - jowl in their tuxedos and funny hats ." In response, he decided to produce a more youthful New Year's Eve special of his own to compete . Clark's new program would be known as New Year's Rockin' Eve, a name chosen to signify the major contrast between his special and the more formal atmosphere of Guy Lombardo's special . The first edition, Three Dog Night's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1973, was aired by NBC on December 31, 1972 and was hosted by the members of the rock band Three Dog Night . The special featured pre-recorded musical performances from the ballroom of the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California by Blood, Sweat & Tears, Helen Reddy, Al Green, and Three Dog Night . Clark served as a reporter from Times Square for live coverage of the ball drop and arrival of 1973 . The second special, New Year's Rockin' Eve 1974, also on NBC, was hosted by comedian George Carlin and featured pre-recorded musical performances by The Pointer Sisters, Billy Preston, Linda Ronstadt and Tower of Power once again from the Queen Mary ballroom . Beginning with the 1975 edition, the program moved to ABC and Clark assumed hosting duties; billed as Chicago's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1975 and seen as part of ABC's Wide World of Entertainment late - night block, the first ABC edition was headlined by the rock group Chicago, with guests The Beach Boys, The Doobie Brothers, Herbie Hancock and Olivia Newton - John, in segments pre-recorded at MGM Studios in Hollywood . </P> <P> After Guy Lombardo's death in 1977, CBS and the Royal Canadians attempted to continue their New Year's Eve broadcasts from the Waldorf - Astoria for 1977--78 . However, the effects of Lombardo's absence led to a decline in viewership, allowing New Year's Rockin' Eve to overtake the Royal Canadians in viewership in only its fifth year on - air . The threat of the new special also prompted CBS to drop the Royal Canadians entirely in 1979 in favor of a new special, Happy New Year, America, which premiered for New Year's Eve 1979--80 . With its recent success, Clark began hoping that New Year's Rockin' Eve would become a television tradition of its own, lamenting that "Lombardo would always win (in New York) because of the Waldorf and 35 years of tradition, but we finally got it wrested ." Clark's hopes soon became reality, as New Year's Rockin' Eve had displaced Guy Lombardo as the most popular and most - watched New Year's Eve special on American television in the years following . </P>

Who's singing at the ball drop tonight