Choosing the music for a funeral a job that may feel like it shouldn’t be difficult. But when you come to do it you’ll probably find it’s a lot harder than you first thought.
You might find yourself wondering how on earth one song is supposed to hold everything a person was.
It’s something I struggled with. When we were planning my mother’s service the music was the part I kept putting off because picking it felt like the most final decision of them all.
You can change your mind about a reading. But a song that plays as the casket comes in stays with everyone in that room forever.
So I’ve put together this list to make that part a little easier. There are over 65 funeral songs here sorted into the kind of mood you might be after. They range from the tear jerkers to hymns to the ones that will leave people with a smile on their face remembering whoever it is.
Each has a few sentences on why it works and a video so you can listen before you decide. Around 90% of funerals now include at least one piece of recorded popular music alongside or instead of hymns, so if you’re going for something more modern then you are in very good company.
Popular and Modern Funeral Songs
These are the songs that get requested again and again. Most of a congregation will know them which matters a lot. Familiar music lets people feel and get emotional.
1. Time to Say Goodbye – Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
Probably the most played funeral song there is. The two voices climbing over each other build to something that feels like a real farewell, even if you don’t speak a word of Italian. It works beautifully as the coffin enters or leaves.
2. Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton
Clapton wrote this after losing his four year old son Conor and you can feel that grief in every line. It asks the question everyone in the room is quietly asking, whether they’ll know your name in heaven. It’s very gentle and honest without ever getting overwrought.
3. See You Again – Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth
Written as a tribute to the actor Paul Walker this became the song that touched a whole generation. The “see you again” promise will really speak to younger mourners and for anyone who finds comfort in the idea of a reunion down the road.
4. Supermarket Flowers – Ed Sheeran
Sheeran wrote this about his grandmother from the perspective of packing away her things from a hospital room. It’s all the small details – the dishes, the flowers, the cards etc. which is exactly how loss really feels.
5. Angels – Robbie Williams
A singalong anthem that somehow became a funeral staple. It makes more sense when you hear a room of people sing it together. The idea of being loved and protected from above is comforting without being too preachy.
6. Fix You – Coldplay
That slow build into the guitars really hits you hard. It’s heavy at first then lifting. “Lights will guide you home” is the line that does it. Good for the moment you want people to let go and have a cry.
7. Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
Four words that say the whole thing. This one is quieter and more reflective than the big ballads. It suits a service for someone who loved music and wouldn’t want a fuss. Would also work very well during a slideshow or a quiet moment.
8. Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley
Leonard Cohen wrote it but Jeff Buckley’s fragile version is the one most people remember. It works in a weird way by not quite being sacred or secular, which makes it perfect for almost any service.
9. Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
This is a ukulele version that’s softer and warmer than the original. It feels more hopeful, with a sense of somewhere better just over the horizon. It that which gives the service a lift. Especially loved for the loss of a child or a young person.
10. My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion
Yes, it’s the Titanic song, but it still works. Without the film it’s really about love outlasting death, which is the message most families want to leave on. Big and sweeping and not afraid to be very emotional.
11. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
Dolly Parton wrote it as a goodbye and Whitney turned it into a powerhouse. As a funeral choice it’s a straight declaration of love that doesn’t need explaining.
12. Stay With Me – Sam Smith
The gospel plea to not be left alone takes on a whole new meaning at a funeral. The choir behind the chorus makes it suit a service very well. It’s a more contemporary pick that older guests will still connect with.
Classic and Timeless Funeral Songs
Some songs never get old. These are the ones a grandparent and a grandchild can both sing along to. Which if you’re trying to get a whole family to be part of the same moment isn’t easy. If you want a guide to the words that go around the music our what to say at a funeral post is good to read alongside.
13. My Way – Frank Sinatra
Officially one of the most requested funeral songs in the world, so you may already want to avoid it. It’s a life looked back on with no regrets, which is a powerful note to send someone off on. A good choice for someone who was a strong minded character who did things their own way.
14. What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
Armstrong’s warm growl over the strings is hard to beat. Instead of dwelling on the loss it celebrates everything that made life worth it – the trees, the skies, the faces. A hopeful close to a service.
15. Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
A promise to carry someone through their hardest times, which is what a grieving family needs to hear. It builds from a whisper to something huge. Works as a tribute to a parent or anyone who held the family together.
16. Unforgettable – Nat King Cole
The title alone makes the case. Cole’s voice is gorgeous and the song is like a fond memory. A really lovely choice for a slideshow of old photographs or as the guests arrive.
17. Always on My Mind – Elvis Presley
There’s an ache of regret in this one. Talking about the things left unsaid, which is something a lot of us recognize after a loss. Elvis sings it like a quiet apology. It works for a service where the family wants to acknowledge that love isn’t always perfect.
18. Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
The ultimate thank you to the quiet hero who held you up without ever needing any credit. “Did you ever know that you’re my hero” is going to be near impossible to get through without their being tears. A classic choice for a mom, dad or grandparent.
19. Let It Be – The Beatles
Part hymn, part pop song, with a message of acceptance. The “Mother Mary” line makes it a bit more spiritual without being a formal hymn. Also easy for a congregation to sing.
20. In My Life – The Beatles
A reflection on the people and places that shaped a life and how they’re loved more than anything. Its profound and never over the top or becomes too much. One of the most fitting funeral songs the Beatles ever wrote.
21. You’ll Never Walk Alone – Gerry and the Pacemakers
“Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain” is a promise of solidarity that’s perfect for the bereaved. It carries an extra punch for any football family. Designed to be sung by everyone, together.
22. Moon River – Audrey Hepburn
A wistful, drifting little waltz about two friends setting off to see the world. There’s something about it that feels like a gentle send-off rather than a goodbye. Lovely and understated.
23. Imagine – John Lennon
A good fit for a humanist or non-religious service, with its dream of peace and unity. It looks forward rather than back. Best for someone who lived by their ideals.
24. Three Little Birds – Bob Marley
“Every little thing is gonna be alright” is exactly the reassurance grief needs. It’s warm, simple and impossible to feel hopeless to. A brighter choice for someone with a sunny outlook.
Religious Hymns and Gospel Songs
For a church service or a family of faith, the traditional hymns still carry a weight nothing else quite matches. If you’re putting an order of service together, you might also want our funeral prayers and Catholic funeral readings.
25. Amazing Grace
The most requested hymn at funerals, full stop. Written by a former slave trader who found redemption, it’s about being lost and then found, which speaks to grief on a deep level. The bagpipe version in particular brings the house down.
26. How Great Thou Art
A soaring hymn of awe and praise that fills a church effortlessly. It places one life inside something much bigger, which can be a real comfort. A staple for traditional services.
27. Abide With Me
Written by a clergyman who was dying as he penned it, this is a hymn about facing the end with God close by. “Help of the helpless, O abide with me” is as raw as hymns get. Deeply moving and very traditional.
28. The Lord’s My Shepherd (Crimond)
Psalm 23 set to the Crimond tune, and one of the most comforting passages in scripture. The “valley of the shadow of death” verse speaks directly to the moment. A safe and beautiful choice for any Christian service.
29. Be Still My Soul
Set to Sibelius’s Finlandia, this hymn is all about trusting that grief and change are in safe hands. The melody alone is enough to steady a shaking room. Quietly powerful.
30. On Eagle’s Wings
A modern Catholic favorite based on Psalm 91, promising that God will raise you up and hold you. Gentle and reassuring rather than mournful. Very widely used at Catholic funerals.
31. Ave Maria – Schubert
A prayer to Mary that’s been sung at services for two centuries. Even people who don’t follow the words feel the reverence in it. Best performed by a strong soloist.
32. Pie Jesu – Andrew Lloyd Webber
A plea for the dead to be granted rest, often sung by a young treble voice that makes it almost unbearably tender. The Fauré version is just as loved. Heartbreaking and beautiful in equal measure.
33. I Can Only Imagine – MercyMe
A contemporary Christian song wondering what it will be like to finally stand in heaven. It’s hopeful and forward-looking, focused on the reunion to come. A good bridge between traditional faith and modern taste.
34. It Is Well With My Soul
Written by a man who lost his four daughters at sea, this hymn finds peace in the middle of unimaginable loss. That backstory gives it extraordinary strength. For a family leaning hard on their faith.
35. Morning Has Broken – Cat Stevens
A hymn that doubles as a gentle folk song, celebrating each new day as a fresh gift. Lighter and more hopeful than most, it suits a celebration of life. Familiar from both church and the charts.
36. Going Home (Dvořák)
Drawn from the Largo of Dvořák’s New World Symphony, this frames death not as an ending but simply as going home. That image alone makes it one of the most comforting pieces you can choose. Often sung by a soloist.
Country Funeral Songs
Country music has never been shy about death, faith and family, which makes it a natural fit for a send-off. These are the ones that come up time and again at services across the country.
37. Go Rest High on That Mountain – Vince Gill
Gill started writing this after the death of a fellow singer and finished it after losing his brother, and you can hear that double loss in it. It’s practically become the country funeral anthem. The harmonies on the chorus are glorious.
38. I’ll Fly Away
An old gospel standard about shaking off this world’s troubles and flying home. It’s upbeat, almost joyful, which makes it perfect for a celebration of life. Gets toes tapping even through tears.
39. If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away – Justin Moore
This one imagines driving up to heaven for the afternoon to see the people we’ve lost. That simple, human wish is what makes it hit. Especially fitting for a close-knit family.
40. Who You’d Be Today – Kenny Chesney
A song about wondering who someone might have become if they’d lived. It’s tailor-made for the loss of someone young, gone before their time. Tender and aching.
41. Angels Among Us – Alabama
The comforting idea that the people we’ve lost are still watching over us as angels. It’s warm and reassuring rather than sad. A lovely choice to close on a note of hope.
42. Humble and Kind – Tim McGraw
Less a goodbye and more a list of everything a good person tried to pass on. It plays beautifully as a tribute to someone who lived by simple, decent values. Doubles nicely alongside a eulogy.
43. The Dance – Garth Brooks
The whole message here is that the pain of the goodbye was worth it for the joy of the dance. It reframes loss as the price of having loved at all. One of the great funeral songs, full stop.
44. Whiskey Lullaby – Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss
A haunting duet about grief and the toll it takes, with a chorus that floats like a lullaby. It’s a heavier, more sombre pick. Choose it where the family wants real honesty rather than comfort.
45. Daddy’s Hands – Holly Dunn
A daughter’s tribute to her father, remembering his hands as both gentle and strong. It’s specific and personal in a way that makes it land. A natural pick for the loss of a dad.
Instrumental and Classical Pieces
Sometimes words get in the way. An instrumental gives people room to sit with their own thoughts, which is why these work so well as people arrive, during reflection or as the service ends.
46. Nimrod (Enigma Variations) – Elgar
This slow, swelling piece is the sound of British remembrance, and for good reason. It builds with enormous dignity to a peak that feels like a final salute. Stunning for the moment of committal.
47. Clair de Lune – Debussy
Soft, rippling piano that sounds like moonlight on water. It creates a calm, reflective space without ever tipping into sadness. Perfect for a slideshow or quiet contemplation.
48. Canon in D – Pachelbel
Gentle, circling and endlessly comforting, this is as common at funerals as it is at weddings. The repeating theme has a steadying, hopeful quality. Lovely as guests are being seated.
49. Adagio for Strings – Barber
Possibly the saddest piece of music ever written, and it knows it. The long, aching climb is grief given a sound. Reserve it for the moments you want people to fully feel the weight.
50. Gymnopédie No.1 – Satie
Sparse, slow and tender, with space between every note. It’s melancholy without being heavy, which makes it easy to sit with. A beautiful backdrop for reflection.
51. Méditation from Thaïs – Massenet
A single violin singing over the orchestra, almost like a voice in prayer. It’s intimate and deeply moving. Best where you have a good musician to do it justice.
52. The Swan (Le Cygne) – Saint-Saëns
A graceful cello melody gliding over rippling piano, named for the swan’s legendary final song. The image suits a farewell perfectly. Elegant and serene.
53. Air on the G String – Bach
Calm, warm and dignified, this is one of the most peaceful pieces in the classical repertoire. It lends a service a quiet sense of grace. Works at the start or the close.
Uplifting and Celebration of Life Songs
Not every service wants to end in tears. More and more families are choosing a celebration of life instead, and these songs are made to send everyone out with a smile and a good memory rather than a lump in the throat.
54. Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
Pure joy at full volume. For someone who lived life flat out and wouldn’t want a sad face in the room, nothing beats this. Guaranteed to lift the mood as people leave.
55. (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
Easygoing, sun-warmed and content, this is the sound of someone at peace. The whistled outro always brings a smile. Lovely for a laid-back personality.
56. Forever Young – Rod Stewart
A father’s blessing wishing every good thing on the people he loves. It’s hopeful and full of heart rather than grief. A warm note to send a family home on.
57. Lovely Day – Bill Withers
It’s almost impossible to feel low while this is playing. Choosing it says you’d rather remember the good days than dwell on the loss. A bright, generous send-off.
58. Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
“It’s been a long, cold, lonely winter” but the sun is coming back, which is exactly the message grief needs over time. Gentle, optimistic and universally loved. A hopeful close to any service.
59. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life – Monty Python
A cheeky, whistling singalong that’s become one of the most requested funeral songs in Britain. For a person with a big sense of humor it’s the perfect last laugh. Sends everyone out grinning.
60. Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
Nobody can resist the “ba ba ba” and that’s the whole point. It turns a roomful of mourners into a choir for a few minutes. A joyful tribute to someone who loved a good party.
61. I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack
A wish that the people left behind keep living fully and never sit life out. It carries the message a lot of us would want to leave. Hopeful and quietly inspiring.
62. Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
That fuzzy guitar riff and the line about going to the place that’s the best make it oddly uplifting for a funeral. It’s confident and cheerful about what comes next. A fun, offbeat choice.
63. You Are My Sunshine
Simple, familiar and tender, this is often the song a parent sang to a child or the other way round. That personal history is what makes it land so hard. Sweet without being saccharine.
64. Smile – Nat King Cole
Written by Charlie Chaplin, it’s a quiet encouragement to smile even when your heart is breaking. That’s a brave, beautiful sentiment for a service. Understated and lovely.
65. Dancing Queen – ABBA
If there was ever a dance floor they ruled, this is the one. It’s a celebration through and through, made for someone who brought the fun wherever they went. Send them off the way they’d have wanted.
66. Lean on Me – Bill Withers
A song about carrying each other through the hard times, which is exactly what mourners are doing for one another in that room. Warm, communal and easy to sing. A comforting note to gather around.
67. Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World – Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
The medley version weaves two of the most-loved funeral songs into one, all carried on that warm ukulele. It holds sorrow and gratitude at the same time. A gorgeous way to end a service.
How to Choose the Right Funeral Song
There’s no wrong answer but a few questions can help you to narrow down your choices. Think about what they loved listening to, not just what feels appropriate for a funeral service. The most moving choices are usually the most personal ones.
- Match it to the moment. A big, swelling song suits the coffin entering or leaving. But something softer, maybe an instrumental, works better during reflection or a slideshow.
- Think about who’s in the room. A familiar song that everyone can hum will bring people together far more than a beautiful one nobody knows.
- Decide on the mood. Do you want people to have a real cray or to leave smiling? The song choice sets that tone.
- Check the venue’s rules. Some churches only allow hymns or sacred music so it’s a good idea to ask before you get your heart set on a pop song.
- Read the lyrics all the way through. A lot of songs sound perfect until you get to verse three and it takes an unexpected turn and becomes very inappropriate or just wrong for a funeral. So make sure you listen to the whole thing through first.
Funeral Song FAQs
What is the most popular funeral song?
Time to Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman is consistently named the most requested funeral song, closely followed by Frank Sinatra’s My Way and the hymn Amazing Grace. The ranking changes hands from year to year but those three almost always are at the top.
How many songs do you need for a funeral?
Most services use three pieces of music: one as people enter, one for a moment of reflection partway through and one as everyone leaves. You can use fewer or more depending on the format you choose but three is the standard.
Can you play non religious songs at a funeral?
Yes, although it does depends on the venue. Crematoriums and celebration of life services usually allow any music you like. Some churches ask that you to only use hymns or sacred pieces. It’s always worth checking with whoever is leading the service first.
What is a good upbeat funeral song?
For a celebration of life some popular upbeat choices are: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by Monty Python, Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen and What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. These send mourners out on a note of joy and instead of sorrow.
Final Thoughts
Whatever you choose do yo best not to overthink it. You can’t really make a wrong decision when it come to music as long as it’s right for the deceased. A song that makes you think of them the second it starts is the right song.
And once the music is sorted if you’re still working out what to say our guides on writing a eulogy, funeral poems and what to say at a funeral are all here to help you through the rest.
