178 Funeral Songs for All Types of Ceremony
Below you will find a variety of funeral music ideas to suit all types of ceremonies for any family relation of friend.
Depending on what sort of funeral you have, you may feel it appropriate to have music at the beginning, during and/or at the end of the ceremony.
As with poetry, the choice is yours.
To get your grey matter working, we have created this page to help serve as your inspiration.
We have an updated ‘top 10 chart’ of the most recent, popular funeral songs, a list of the all-time most popular songs as well as songs and music broken down into various categories. I hope this helps you understand the various options out there for you and your family/friends to make the ceremony as perfect as it can be.
- What is the most played song at a funeral?
- Most Popular Funeral Songs of All Time
- Upbeat Funeral Music
- Reflective Funeral Music
- Funeral Music for the Older Generation
- Modern Funeral Music
- Jazz Music
- Piano Music
- Disney Music
- Traditional & Non Traditional Music
- Funeral Songs for Husband
- Funeral Songs for Wife
- Funeral Songs for Men
- Funeral Songs for Women
- Elvis Funeral Music
- Funeral Songs By Queen
- Beatles Funeral Music
- Funeral Music by Bach
The Top 10 Funeral Chart – Updated 9th June 2024
What is the most played song at a funeral?
Position | Artist | Song Title |
---|---|---|
1 | Frank Sinatra | My Way |
2 | Vera Lynn | We’ll Meet Again |
3 | Gerry & The Pacemakers | You’ll Never Walk Alone |
4 | Monty Python & Eric Idle | Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life |
5 | Ed Sheeran | Supermarket Flowers |
6 | Tina Turner | Simply The Best |
7 | Eva Cassidy | Somewhere over the Rainbow |
8 | Fleetwood Mac | The Chain |
9 | Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman | Time To Say Goodbye |
10 | Nat King Cole | Unforgettable |
Most Popular Funeral Songs of All Time
We have worked with the team at Obitus.com to showcase the most popular funeral songs of all time.
We have combined their data from the numerous ceremonies they conduct along with data we have gathered to bring the most comprehensive and accurate list of songs.
Position | Artist | Song Title |
---|---|---|
1 | Frank Sinatra | My Way |
2 | Vera Lynn | We’ll Meet Again |
3 | Eva Cassidy | Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Album version) |
4 | Bette Midler | Wind Beneath My Wings |
5 | Nat King Cole | Unforgettable |
6 | Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman | Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro) (Italian/English) |
7 | Gerry & The Pacemakers | You’ll Never Walk Alone |
8 | Edward Elgar | Nimrod From Enigma Variations |
9 | Ed Sheeran | Supermarket Flowers |
10 | Louis Armstrong | What A Wonderful World |
11 | Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge over Troubled Water |
12 | Sarah McLachlan | (In The Arms of an) Angel |
13 | Eva Cassidy | Fields Of Gold (Album version) |
14 | Nat King Cole | Smile |
15 | Cat Stevens | Morning Has Broken |
16 | Glenn Miller | Moonlight Serenade |
17 | Westlife | You Raise Me Up |
18 | Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli | Time To Say Goodbye (Italian/English) |
19 | Fleetwood Mac | Albatross |
20 | Monty Python & Eric Idle | Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life (Clean Radio Edit) |
21 | Howard Hodgson | Memoria Medley |
22 | Robbie Williams | Angels |
23 | Luther Vandross | Dance With My Father |
24 | Morecambe & Wise | Bring Me Sunshine |
25 | Tina Turner | (Simply) The Best |
Position | Artist | Song Title |
---|---|---|
26 | Whitney Houston | I Will Always Love You |
27 | Jim Reeves | I Love You Because |
28 | Katherine Jenkins | Time To Say Goodbye (Italian/English) |
29 | Westlife | I’ll See You Again |
30 | Louis Armstrong | What A Wonderful World |
31 | Andrew Davis: BBC Symphony Orchestra | Elgar: Enigma Variations – Nimrod |
32 | Donna Taggart | Jealous of the Angels |
33 | Eric Clapton | Tears In Heaven |
34 | Queen | These Are The Days Of Our Lives |
35 | Celine Dion | My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme from “Titanic”) |
36 | ABBA | Dancing Queen |
37 | The Righteous Brothers | Unchained Melody |
38 | Acker Bilk | Stranger On The Shore |
39 | Rod Stewart | Sailing |
40 | Secret Garden | The promise |
41 | Elvis Presley with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | The Wonder of You |
42 | Eva Cassidy | Songbird |
43 | Tom Jones | Green, Green Grass Of |
44 | Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Iona Brown and Sir Neville Marriner | Home (Original) Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending |
45 | Celine Dion | Because You Loved Me |
46 | John Lennon | Imagine |
47 | John Denver | Take Me Home, Country Roads |
48 | Ralph Vaughan Williams | Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending |
49 | Israel Kamakawiwo’ole | Somewhere Over the Rainbow |
50 | Dani and Lizzy | Dancing In The Sky (2016 Single version) |
Funeral Song Ideas By Feelings
Take a look at the different categories below to find the perfect funeral music to ensure the perfect ceremony.
Upbeat Funeral Music
Not everyone wants or enjoys an overly emotional funeral service, the music played can be a great way to set the tone for a more upbeat and happy service.
Whilst not all music will be suitable for a funeral service, there are some upbeat songs that can help lighten and even bring joy to what is typically a very emotional day.
Songs in this list include artists like Bob Marley & Louis Armstrong with songs such as ‘Spirit in the Sky’ and ‘What a wonderful world’
Read the most popular uplifting music for a funeral
Reflective Funeral Music
Unfortunately for most, it takes a tragic event like a funeral to really reflect on not only their life, but their relationships and how they have spent/are spending their time.
Music and certain songs have the transformative effect of taking you back to a certain time or place in your life. Sometimes good, sometimes bad or sometimes a particularly difficult or testing time.
By choosing the right song, not only are you encapturing the deceased life but you are also providing a point of reference for everyone in attendance, something they will remember.
Read our recommendations for the perfect songs to reflect upon a life lost
Funeral Song be Era
Every era is defined by their music, from the swinging sixties to the pop tastic 90’s – look below for some of the most iconic eras and the most popular songs
Funeral Music for the Older Generation
Funerals are most commonly for grandparents and parents, so choosing a song for their era, when they were in their heyday can be a fitting tribute to a much-loved family member.
By including a familiar song, you will bring back fond memories, not just of the deceased but also of a time in the life of those in attendance.
Provoking memories and emotions is what can make a standard funeral service, into one that lasts in the memory.
If you are planning a funeral, then our list of music suggestions for grandparents provides ideas from the 1940s up to the 1980s and everything in between.
Modern Funeral Music
At the opposite end of losing a grandparent is losing a child or someone still very much young at heart.
These events can be catastrophic and finding the perfect song to commemorate a lost soul can be so difficult.
Popular culture and modern songs range from many difficult genres and finding the perfect one will be a very personal choice.
Building upon our Top 10 funeral chart above, you can read some of the more modern music that has been chosen for a funeral service to, hopefully, give you some unique ideas for the perfect background sound.
Funeral Songs By Genre
From Jazz to Rock’n’Roll everyone will have had their favuorite music past times and picking the perfect song to commemorate their life is so important.
Jazz Music
If Jazz music was a bit part of their life, then choosing the perfect Jazz funeral music will be a huge part of the ceremony.
From Louis Armstrong to B.B.King, we have a great list of the most popular songs for a ceremony to remember.
Piano Music
A calm & reflective funeral might call for something a bit more classical.
Pianos are a popular choice of an instrument at funerals and we have listed some of the most popular funeral music featuring a classical piano vibe to help you with some musical inspiration.
Disney Music
Traditional & Non Traditional Music
From hymns and poems to pop and R&B each funeral should be unique. There are a number of traditional songs that are played at funerals every week, please see our list of top 10 funeral songs.
Of late, more people opt to have non religious, celebration of life events which includes a more humanist approach to funeral services, part of that means a rise in non-religious funerals and funeral music.
Funeral Songs By Relation
Whether you are choosing a song for your Mothers funeral or a song for a Brother, getting the selection right is hard. Below are some fuenral music ideas to help make the choice that little easier.
Funeral Songs for Husband
Funeral Songs for Wife
Funeral Songs for Men
Saying goodbye to your Dad is a life changing event. He would have stood for a lot and stood by you for your whole life. Making the ceremony perfect and unique is important and the music will play a part in that. From classic rock tunes to more traditional love songs, we have a list of funeral song ideas for your beloved Fathers ceremony & songs suitable for a grandfathers funeral.
Funeral Songs for Women
Saying goodbye to the women of your life is a heart retching event. We have created a list of the most poignant and popular funeral songs for both Mother and a Grandma to help the whole family express their sadness at such a hard time.
Funeral Songs By Artist
Everyone has that artist who they can relate to, sing all of their songs and puts them in a good mood. Finding that sense of belonging and being heard is a perfect fit for a funeral song and will bring back so many memories.
Elvis Funeral Music
The king of rock and roll during the 1960’s, Elvis has millions of fans across the world and some of the most iconic songs. Ranging from Rock’n’roll to gospel and choir songs, Elvis hits are a popular choice for funerals
Funeral Songs By Queen
A selection of the most famous songs from Queen that are commonly chosen for a funeral. From “Who Wants to Live Forever” to “Love of My Life,” these emotional tributes will help remember a true Queen fan in the best way possible.
Beatles Funeral Music
Celebrate the life of a true Beatles fan in the best way possible. From “Yesterday” to “Twist and Shout,” the Fab Four created a musical movement of a generation. Find out which of the Beatles hits are most popular for a funeral service and a final goodbye.
Funeral Music by Bach
Bach has enriched music halls across the world since his popularity exploded after his death. One of the many reasons Bach’s music serves so perfectly at funerals is because of Bach’s interesting ideologies regarding death. Bach created and conducted numerous pieces of music relating to death, we have selected the most suitable and our favourites.
Top 10 funeral hymns
The below hymns are the most popular funeral music hymns used in ceremonies across the country
Position | Hymn Title |
---|---|
1 | The Lord Is My Shepherd |
2 | Abide With Me |
3 | All Things Bright and Beautiful |
4 | Old Rugged Cross |
5 | Amazing Grace |
6 | How Great Thou Art |
7 | The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended |
8 | Jerusalem |
9 | Make Me a Channel of Your Peace |
10 | Morning has Broken |
Alternative Funeral Music Ideas
The below tracks are common music titles used, that a bit more alternative to every day songs but can capture the nature of a lost loved one
Song Title | Artist |
---|---|
Another One Bites the Dust | Queen |
Disco Inferno | The Trammps |
Bat Out of Hell | Meatloaf |
Spirit in the Sky | Doctor and the Medics |
Ring of Fire | Johnny Cash |
Songs of Praise | TV theme |
Only Fools and Horses | TV theme |
Z Cars | TV theme |
Benny Hill | TV theme |
Top Gear | TV theme |
Radio 4 Shipping Forecast | Radio theme |
Channel 4 Horse Racing | TV theme |
Emmerdale | TV theme |
Coronation Street | TV theme |
If alternative funeral music inspiration is something you are looking for, then a German electronic dance label “Get Physical”, has recently put together a compilation album called Final Song #1 – possibly the only album ever dedicated to funeral/memorial music choice. By asking numerous DJ’s and music producers for their personal choice of “final song”, the album has some outstanding old and new tracks on it covering many different genres from dance, indie and even Chilean folk?!