As the end of 2017 draws near, many Americans will be watching the famous Times Square Ball Drop on their televisions, counting down the final seconds until the New Year.

ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin Eve” television special has become synonymous with the holiday and has become the flagship program covering New Year’s Eve festivities. However, Dick Clark wasn’t the first, or most prominent person to have helped millions of Americans welcome in the new year.

So before we close the curtain on 2017, let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable guests to have hosted New Year’s Eve specials.

The first name to appear on MeTV‘s list is Guy Lombardo.

Lombardo, also known as “Mr. New Year’s Eve,” effectively began the tradition of using media to help celebrate New Year’s Eve with the masses.

On Dec. 31, 1956, Lombardo and his big band the “Royal Canadians” debuted their black-tie television parties. However, it wasn’t the first time Lombardo celebrated the event in front of an audience as he hosted an annual radio broadcast for 27 years prior to televising the event.

While Lombardo was essentially the godfather of New Years Eve programming, he wasn’t the most recognizable name on the list — that honor goes to George Carlin.

NBC tasked Carlin with hosting their newly created “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” special to ring in 1974.

The broadcast famously took place aboard the Queen Mary and saw memorable musical performances from Tower of Power, The Pointer Sisters, Linda Ronstadt and Billy Preston.

As noted by MeTV, the night would mark the final time NBC produced the annual special before transferring the rights to ABC who placed Clark as the show’s host.

After the switch to ABC, Clark’s “New Years Rockin’ Eve” struggled to pull in favorable ratings as the show was a direct competitor of the already established Lombardo and his “Royal Canadians.”

However, when the big band leader passed away in 1977, Clark’s program took the top spot in New Years Eve programming, but not without competition from network rival CBS.

Their program, “Happy New Year, America,” ran from 1979 until 1995 and was primarily hosted by singer Andy Williams. However, other celebrities such as Gladys Knight, Terry Bradshaw and Brent Musburger would step in to cover the ball drop.

CBS’ special wasn’t the only program that experimented with multiple celebrity guests. “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” also saw its own array of alternate hosts.

One prominent example of celebrity replacements was “Dukes of Hazzard” actor John Schneider and “Happy Days” actress Erin Moran who welcomed in the 1980s.

Moran and Schneider hosted alongside performances by The Village People, Chic and Blondie.

However, Clark remained the prominent host of the special until 2007, when it was announced that “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest would take over hosting duties due to Clark’s deteriorating health.

This year’s edition of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” is set to air on Dec. 31 at 8:00 p.m. EST. The special will be hosted by Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy and will feature performances by Nick Jonas, Camila Cabello and Sugarland. (For more from the author of “Do You Remember These New Year’s Eve Hosts From the Past?” please click HERE)

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