Power Hour Drinking Game: Rules, Playlist Tips and a Safer Way to Play

Power Hour is the playlist drinking game: 60 songs, one minute each, and everyone takes a small drink every time the song changes. It works for any size group and anyone can play. It also adds up way faster than people think, so read the quick math below before you hit play.

What you need

  • A Power Hour playlist: 60 songs that change every 60 seconds (search your music app for “power hour,” or make your own)
  • A shot glass or small cup per player
  • Beer, a light drink, or a non-alcoholic option for each player
  • Water on the table for everyone

How to play Power Hour

  1. Everyone pours their first small drink and starts the playlist together.
  2. Every time the song changes, everyone drinks their glass and refills it.
  3. Keep going for all 60 songs. Anyone can switch to water or sit a round out at any time; there’s no penalty.
  4. Make it to the end of song 60 and you’ve finished the Power Hour.

Quick math before you start

A standard shot glass holds 1.5 oz. Sixty of them is 90 oz of beer, which is about 7.5 beers in one hour. That’s how Power Hour turns into Power Nap. Ways to keep it a party:

  • Half Hour: 30 songs. Same fun, half the damage.
  • Sip, don’t shoot: one sip at every change instead of a full glass.
  • Every other song: drink only on the even ones.
  • Light or non-alcoholic beer: same game, a lot less hangover.
  • Eat first, keep water going, and nobody drives afterward.

You’ll hear about the “Centurion,” a 100-minute version. Nobody’s earning a trophy for that one. Skip it.

Playlist tips

  • Pick songs everyone knows so the room can sing along; the theme does the rest (decade, genre, one artist).
  • Add a clear sound, like an air horn or a bell, at every change so nobody misses it.
  • Download the playlist ahead of time so ads or buffering don’t throw off the minute.

Power Hour variations

  • Name that tune: the last person to name the new song drinks; everyone else skips that round.
  • Movie Power Hour: drink at a set cue in a movie instead of every minute.
  • Teams: pair up and take turns, so each player drinks only every other minute.

FAQ

How many drinks is a Power Hour?

60 small drinks. With 1.5 oz shot glasses of beer, that’s about 7.5 beers; use smaller pours or a Half Hour to cut it down.

Can you play Power Hour without drinking?

Yes. Many groups play it with soda, or turn it into a name-that-tune game.

Can you play Power Hour with liquor?

No. Sixty shots of liquor in an hour is dangerous, full stop. Power Hour is a small-pours-of-beer game, or no alcohol at all.

Doing this on New Year’s Eve? Start at exactly 11:00 PM and song 60 ends at midnight. Here’s the whole New Year’s Eve game plan.

More party games: Circle of Death (Kings Cup), Rage Cage, Slap Cup, Chandeliers, Quarters, flip cup, Boat Race, Beer Die, Beer Ball, Dizzy Bat. See them all on our party games page, or play the classic with the full rules of beer pong.