"What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" is a popular song written in 1947 by

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser (; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', among others. He won a Tony ...

as an independent song. It was first recorded by Margaret Whiting in 1947 and first charted for

The Orioles The Orioles were an American R&B group of the late 1940s and early 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal groups who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound. The Orioles are generally acknowledged as R&B's first vocal group. Balt ...

, peaking at No. 9 on ''Billboard''s Best-Selling Retail Rhythm & Blues chart in December 1949. Other charted versions include Danté & The Evergreens (No. 107 on ''Billboard''s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles in December 1960) and Nancy Wilson (No. 17 on ''Billboard''s Christmas Singles chart in December 1965 and No. 24 on the same chart in December 1967). Although it is typically performed in December, that was not the composer's intent. In ''A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls in His Life'', his daughter Susan Loesser explains that "the singer, madly in love, is making a (possibly rash) commitment far into the future. ("Maybe it's much too early in the game. Ah, but I thought I'd ask you just the same – What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve?") It always annoyed my father when the song was sung ''during'' the holidays".

Other recordings

The song has been recorded by many other artists, including: *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

– '' Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas'' (1960) *

Ramsey Lewis Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. (May 27, 1935 – September 12, 2022) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five gold records and three Grammy Awards in his career. His album '' The ...

– '' Sound of Christmas'' (1961) * Nancy Wilson – ''

Yesterday's Love Songs/Today's Blues ''Yesterday's Love Songs/Today's Blues'' is a 1963 studio album by Nancy Wilson, arranged by Gerald Wilson. It was her highest charting album, entering the ''Billboard'' Top 200 on January 25, 1964, and ultimately reaching No. 4. It remained on ...

'' (1963) * Lena Horne – '' Merry from Lena'' (1966) * Lou Rawls – ''Merry Christmas Ho! Ho! Ho!'' (1967) * Johnny Mathis – ''

Give Me Your Love for Christmas ''Give Me Your Love for Christmas'' is the third Christmas album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis and was released by Columbia Records on October 13, 1969. The oldest song selected for this project was the 1934 classic "Santa Claus Is Coming ...

'' (1969) * Donny Osmond – '' Osmond Christmas Album'' (1976) *

The Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct, soft, musical style, combining Karen's contr ...

– '' An Old-Fashioned Christmas'' (1984) * Patti LaBelle – '' This Christmas'' (1990) * Andy Williams – '' I Still Believe in Santa Claus'' (1990) * Joe Williams – '' That Holiday Feelin''' (1990) *

Vic Damone Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola; June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018) was an American traditional pop and big band singer and actor. He was best known for his performances of songs such as the number one hit "You're Breaking My Heart", and ...

– ''All-Star Merry Christmas'' (1991) * Harry Connick Jr. – '' When My Heart Finds Christmas'' (1993) *

The Whispers The Whispers is an American band (music), group from Los Angeles, California, who have scored hit records since the late 1960s. They are best known for their two number one R&B singles, "And the Beat Goes On (The Whispers song), And the Beat G ...

– ''Christmas Moments'' (1994) *

Boney James Boney James (born James Oppenheim September 1, 1961) is an American saxophonist (tenor, alto and soprano), songwriter, record producer and recording artist. He is a four-time Grammy Award nominee (Best Pop Instrumental Album, 2001, 2004, 2014 a ...

– ''

Boney's Funky Christmas ''Boney's Funky Christmas'' is the first Christmas album and fourth studio album by jazz saxophonist Boney James, released in 1996 in music, 1996. Track listing Personnel * Boney James – all other instruments except where noted, tenor s ...

'' (1996) *

Beegie Adair Bobbe Gorin "Beegie" Adair ( Long, December 11, 1937 – January 23, 2022) was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. In a career that spanned 60 years, she played on more than 100 recordings. More than a third of her recordings were with the B ...

– ''A Jazz Piano Christmas'' (1996) *

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

– ''

Christmas Memories ''Christmas Memories'' is the second Christmas album and twenty-ninth studio release by American singer Barbra Streisand. It was released on October 30, 2001, by Columbia. Streisand recorded the album during July, August, and September 2001 in v ...

'' (2001) * Barry Manilow – '' A Christmas Gift of Love'' (2002) *

Lee Ann Womack Lee Ann Womack Liddell (; born August 19, 1966) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Her 2000 single, " I Hope You Dance" was a major crossover music hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart and the Top 15 ...

– ''

The Season for Romance ''The Season for Romance'' is the fifth studio album, and first Christmas album, from Lee Ann Womack, released in 2002. It was released two months after her fourth studio album, ''Something Worth Leaving Behind''. Track listing #"The Season for R ...

'' (2002) *

Diana Krall Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''Billboard'' maga ...

– ''

Christmas Songs Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject m ...

'' (2005) * Bette Midler – ''

Cool Yule ''Cool Yule'' is a holiday album by Bette Midler released on October 10, 2006, through Columbia Records. Midler's first seasonal release, the album features many standard Christmas tunes as well as a reworking edition of her Grammy-winning hit ...

'' (2006) *

Katharine McPhee Katharine Hope McPhee (born March 25, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. In May 2006, she rose to fame as the runner-up on the fifth season of ''American Idol.'' Her eponymous debut album was released on RCA Records on Janua ...

– '' Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You'' (2010) * Rod Stewart – ''

Merry Christmas, Baby "Merry Christmas Baby" is an R&B Christmas standard credited to Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore. In 1947, Johnny Moore's Three Blazers recorded the tune, featuring vocals and piano by Charles Brown. Subsequently, many performers have recorded rend ...

'' (2012) * Seth MacFarlane – '' Holiday for Swing'' (2014) *

Idina Menzel Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on the Broadway stage and having achieved mainstream success across stage, film and music, Menzel has garnered the honori ...

– '' Holiday Wishes'' (2014) *

Kacey Musgraves Kacey Lee Musgraves (born August 21, 1988) is an American country singer. She has won six Grammy Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards, and three Academy of Country Music Awards. Musgraves self-released three solo albums and one as Texa ...

– ''

A Very Kacey Christmas ''A Very Kacey Christmas'' is a third studio album and first Christmas album by American country music artist Kacey Musgraves, released on October 28, 2016, through Mercury Nashville. Overall, it is Musgraves' sixth album, her third studio album, ...

'' (2016) *

Azealia Banks Azealia Amanda Banks ( ; born May 31, 1991) is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, she began releasing music through Myspace in 2008 before being signed to XL Recordings at age 18. In ...

– '' Icy Colors Change'' (2018) *

Sykamore Jordan Ostrom, known professionally as Sykamore, is a country singer-songwriter from Carseland, Alberta, Canada. She released her first EP, ''Self + Medicine,'' in January 2018. In 2015 she was nominated for the Canadian Country Music Associati ...

– promotional single (2020) *

Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...

– '' I Dream of Christmas'' (2021) *

Steve Perry Stephen Ray Perry (born January 22, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the rock band Journey during their most commercially successful periods from 1977 to 1987, and again from 1995 to 1998. He also wrote/co ...

– ''The Season'' (2021)

References

1947 songs American Christmas songs New Year songs Songs written by Frank Loesser Harry Connick Jr. songs Idina Menzel songs {{1940s-song-stub