Throughout my teenage years (and for a good part of my 20s) the only date I ever had on New Year's Eve was with Dick Clark. His New Year's Rockin' Eve TV specials provided me with a way to see the big acts of the day in the comfort of my living room. (You know the story: "Last night I saw a rock star in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I'll never know.") Tonight marks the third year the show will be broadcast on ABC without the presence of its creator and long-time host, who passed away on April 18, 2012. Dick conceived the special in 1972, hoping to give viewers a hip alternative to the bland Guy Lombardo New Year's Eve program that had aired every year since 1956. Here's a look at those early shows.