The Funeral SongWrite a song
Funeral songs

Best Funeral Songs

A shorter, curated list of the songs we hear families and funeral directors return to most often. Not the full master list — just the picks worth knowing first.

The list

The songs

Suggested in no particular order — choose what fits them best.

Song 01 · 20
Hymn

Amazing Grace

Traditional

The most chosen funeral song in the US and UK. Works in nearly any service, in nearly any style.

Song 02 · 20
Tender ballad

Wind Beneath My Wings

Bette Midler · 1988

The most chosen secular song for a parent or grandparent.

Song 03 · 20
Hymn

How Great Thou Art

Traditional

The standard Christian hymn after Amazing Grace. Strong choice for traditional services.

Song 04 · 20
Uplifting

You Raise Me Up

Josh Groban · 2003

Recognisable, hopeful, and a frequent choice for the end of a service.

Song 05 · 20
Spiritual

Hallelujah

Jeff Buckley / Leonard Cohen · 1994

Widely used across both religious and non-religious services.

Song 06 · 20
Classical crossover

Time to Say Goodbye

Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman · 1995

Powerful for the recessional. The build of the piece carries a large room.

Song 07 · 20
Tender ballad

Tears in Heaven

Eric Clapton · 1992

A familiar choice for memorials. The acoustic arrangement suits smaller services.

Song 08 · 20
Classical / Sacred

Ave Maria

Schubert / Bach-Gounod

A long-standing choice for Catholic and traditional Christian services.

Song 09 · 20
Catholic

On Eagle's Wings

Michael Joncas · 1979

The most recognised Catholic funeral piece.

Song 10 · 20
Uplifting

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole · 1993

Gentle and hopeful. A common slideshow choice.

Song 11 · 20
Tender ballad

In My Life

The Beatles · 1965

Warm and simple. Works for a parent, grandparent, or close friend.

Song 12 · 20
Classic

I'll Be Seeing You

Billie Holiday · 1944

A favourite for older generations. Speaks directly to memory.

Song 13 · 20
Classic

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel · 1970

A song about being held up by another person. Fits a parent, partner, or close friend.

Song 14 · 20
Classic

What a Wonderful World

Louis Armstrong · 1967

Warm and recognisable. A common closer for the slideshow.

Song 15 · 20
Country

If Tomorrow Never Comes

Garth Brooks · 1989

The standard country pick. The lyric is about making sure loved ones knew they were loved.

Song 16 · 20
Country / Christian

Go Rest High on That Mountain

Vince Gill · 1995

Widely used in the US South. Works for any age and gender.

Song 17 · 20
Christian

I Can Only Imagine

MercyMe · 1999

The most chosen modern Christian song for memorials.

Song 18 · 20
Modern ballad

Supermarket Flowers

Ed Sheeran · 2017

Written by Ed Sheeran for his grandmother's service. The most chosen modern ballad.

Song 19 · 20
Modern

Angels

Robbie Williams · 1997

Among the most chosen songs at UK funerals.

Song 20 · 20
Modern

Photograph

Ed Sheeran · 2014

Pairs naturally with a photo slideshow.

One song, written for them

Still nothing feels right?

If no existing song captures who them was, we'll write one. Original lyrics built around your stories, them's name, and the things you loved.

How to use this list

Think of this as the shortlist to start from. If you only have ten minutes to pick a song, one of these twenty will fit most services.

From here, you can narrow by who the person was — see our songs for Mom, songs for Dad, or songs for the older generation lists — or by tone, using country, Christian, or uplifting.

When none of these fit

The best song for a service is often not on any list — because it is a song that means something specific to your family. If you can't find it among these picks, we write original funeral songs around the specifics of your person. From $49, delivered in three days.

Common questions

Questions families ask

Amazing Grace is the most universally chosen funeral song across cultures, services, and generations. After that, the right answer depends on who the person was.
Related

Other ideas

One song, written for them

Write a song just for them.

Share who them was — the stories, the things you loved — and we'll write and produce an original song with them at the heart of it.