According to Wikipedia, "Rockin Eve" became an annual tradition starting in 1972. The Times Square ball drop was happening long before that. How was the celebration in Times Square different than it is now, with all of it's media superstars? Also, what were party hosts tuning in to for "the countdown" in the radio and early TV era.
MODS: I asked this question a few years ago but the response was deleted. Sorry for the repost but I thought it would be a good discussion for today.
Before Dick Clark, the famous band leader Guy Lombardo was widely recognized as "Mr. New Year's Eve," and his New Years Eve television broadcast was far and away the most watched TV program every New Year's - so much so that Lombardo frequently joked that he'd "take New Year's Eve with me" when he died (yes, he really was that popular). Lombardo had started doing New Years Eve broadcasts in 1928 (on the radio), moved to TV in 1956, and remained the most popular face of New Years Eve until his death in 1977.
The format of the TV program was actually quite similar to Clark's, in that ended with a live count down from Times Square and showed the ball drop at midnight. But instead of rock groups, music was provided by Lombardo's band (The Royal Canadians). They mostly played 40s and 50s-style hits (think Irving Berlin, Sinatra, Broadway hits, etc), and were often joined by a guest vocalist or two. Instead of broadcasting from times square (as the Clark broadcast does today), most of Lombardo's show was shot in the ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, where the band played, and an MC would introduce different numbers, vocalists, etc. and throw in a few jokes or skits here and there. Just before midnight, the show would cut to a different host in Times Square for the countdown and ball drop, then return to the Astoria ballroom while the band played "Auld Lang Syne."
To get a feel for the broadcasts, check out an early example of Lombardo's TV broadcast here, and his last broadcast here. It feels very hokey and old-folksy to us today, but it's important to recognize that this was very widely recognized as the New Years Eve broadcast throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Even though Clark's broadcast started in 1972, Lombardo continued to get higher TV ratings (more viewers) right up to his death in 1977. The recording of "Auld Lang Syne" that you most often hear at midnight is also a recording of the Royal Canadians, since Lombardo played a big role in popularizing that as the "new year's song."
If you're curious about Lombardo himself, there's a decent write-up here.