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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.

The Top 10 Funeral Chart – Updated 9th June 2024

What is the most played song at a funeral?

PositionArtistSong Title
1Frank SinatraMy Way
2Vera LynnWe’ll Meet Again
3Gerry & The PacemakersYou’ll Never Walk Alone
4Monty Python & Eric IdleAlways Look On The Bright Side Of Life
5Ed SheeranSupermarket Flowers
6Tina TurnerSimply The Best
7Eva CassidySomewhere over the Rainbow
8Fleetwood MacThe Chain
9Andrea Bocelli & Sarah BrightmanTime To Say Goodbye
10Nat King ColeUnforgettable

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.

PositionArtistSong Title
1Frank Sinatra
My Way
2Vera Lynn
We’ll Meet Again
3Eva Cassidy
Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Album version)
4Bette Midler
Wind Beneath My Wings
5Nat King Cole
Unforgettable
6Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman
Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro) (Italian/English)
7Gerry & The Pacemakers
You’ll Never Walk Alone
8Edward Elgar
Nimrod From Enigma Variations
9Ed Sheeran
Supermarket Flowers
10Louis Armstrong
What A Wonderful World
11Simon & Garfunkel
Bridge over Troubled Water
12Sarah McLachlan
(In The Arms of an) Angel
13Eva Cassidy
Fields Of Gold (Album version)
14Nat King Cole
Smile
15Cat Stevens
Morning Has Broken
16Glenn Miller
Moonlight Serenade
17Westlife
You Raise Me Up
18Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli
Time To Say Goodbye (Italian/English)
19Fleetwood Mac
Albatross
20Monty Python & Eric Idle
Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life (Clean Radio Edit)
21Howard Hodgson
Memoria Medley
22Robbie Williams
Angels
23Luther Vandross
Dance With My Father
24Morecambe & Wise
Bring Me Sunshine
25Tina Turner(Simply) The Best
PositionArtistSong Title
26Whitney Houston

I Will Always Love You
27Jim Reeves
I Love You Because
28Katherine Jenkins
Time To Say Goodbye (Italian/English)
29Westlife
I’ll See You Again
30Louis Armstrong
What A Wonderful World
31Andrew Davis: BBC Symphony Orchestra
Elgar: Enigma Variations – Nimrod
32Donna Taggart

Jealous of the Angels
33Eric Clapton
Tears In Heaven
34Queen
These Are The Days Of Our Lives
35Celine Dion
My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme from “Titanic”)
36ABBA
Dancing Queen
37The Righteous Brothers
Unchained Melody
38Acker Bilk
Stranger On The Shore
39Rod Stewart
Sailing
40Secret Garden
The promise
41Elvis Presley with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Wonder of You
42Eva Cassidy
Songbird
43Tom Jones
Green, Green Grass Of
44Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Iona Brown and Sir Neville Marriner
Home (Original)
Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
45Celine Dion
Because You Loved Me
46John Lennon
Imagine
47John Denver
Take Me Home, Country Roads
48Ralph Vaughan Williams
Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
49Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
50Dani and LizzyDancing 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

PositionHymn Title
1The Lord Is My Shepherd
2Abide With Me
3All Things Bright and Beautiful
4Old Rugged Cross
5Amazing Grace
6How Great Thou Art
7The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended
8Jerusalem
9Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
10Morning 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 TitleArtist
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 StreetTV 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?!