Rick Springfield’s ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ Performance Has Fans Talking (For All the Right Reasons)

ABC assembled a star-studded lineup of performances to help ring in 2026 on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest. However, one musician stood out to many fans more than others.

Diana Ross headlined the annual holiday special, while stars such as 50 Cent, Chance the Rapper, Charlie Puth, Chappell Roan, Ciara, Demi Lovato, Little Big Town, Mariah Carey, New Kids on the Block, Pitbull, and Post Malone performed in both New York City and Las Vegas. The latter city saw none other than Rick Springfield bring the house down with a performance of his classic hit “Jessie’s Girl.”

“1981 2026. “Jessie’s Girl” never gets old! @rickspringfield,” the show’s official Instagram page captioned a clip of his performance on Wednesday, January 1. Springfield’s appearance was a hit with fans, as the post’s comments were filled with love for the Grammy winner and actor.

“Awesome Love his music and loved him as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital He still rocks!!” one person commented, while another added, “Rick is still rocking it, he sure knows how to get the crowd going!!.”

“This just makes me smile. Good for him!” someone else shared. A different user wrote, “WOW AWESOME ,” while another person stated, “Rick still has it.”

Fans over on Facebook also gushed over Springfield. “Rick Springfield found the Fountain of Youth and won’t tell anyone of its whereabouts,” one user joked in reaction to a clip of his NYE performance. “THAT MAN IS HOT ENOUGH TO MAKE ME FORGET HE’S A WHOLE YEAR OLDER THAN MY DAD,” another person quipped.

One person wrote that Springfield and Ross were the highlights of the night, sharing, “Rockin Eve used to be fun, but show how far bad music has gotten, but so happy to see Rick, Rock!!” Others were swooned by his voice, with one user writing, “God, that man is aging like a fine wine. Dear Jesus.” Another joked, “That man could sing to me about fire hydrants.”

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“Loooooovvvvve me some Rick Springfield!!!! Since 1981 baby!!! He’s the only reason (Pitbull too) I watched!! I just hope he is going to sing more than one song! Seems like everyone in NYC got to sing FOUR songs!!!” a different Facebook user commented. “And Rick has ALOOOOT more music than just Jessie’s Girl!! People need to realize this man is oozing talent from every pore on his body!! 76 going on 27.. still going strong.. and he’s even recording another new album as we speak!”

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Over on YouTube, one person called Springfield “ageless,” while another dubbed him the “best performance of the night.” Someone else wrote, “I love how there’s no lip syncing and no backing tracks, you can actually hear his great voice. No one else can do this anymore.”

Springfield is no stranger to appearing on the TV screen. In addition to his impressive music career, Springfield has also gained prominence for his roles in shows such as High Tide, Californication, and Supernatural. He also famously starred as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital from 1981 to 2014.

In recent years, Springfield has appeared on shows such as American Horror Story, Sideswiped, The Goldbergs, and Duncanville. This year, he appeared in an episode of Hulu’s All’s Fair and released his latest album, Big Hits: Rick Springfield’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 2. Springfield continues to tour, with many upcoming shows set for 2026.

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