Modern Funeral Songs
If the person was younger, or you want music from the last twenty years rather than older standards, this list collects the modern picks families return to most often.
The songs
Suggested in no particular order — choose what fits them best.
Supermarket Flowers
Written by Ed Sheeran for his grandmother's service. The most chosen modern ballad for memorials.
Photograph
Pairs naturally with a photo slideshow.
See You Again
A common choice when younger family members are involved.
Fix You
About being broken and being put back together. Frequently chosen for celebrations of life.
All of Me
Often chosen for a spouse or partner's service. The piano arrangement suits a smaller room.
Memories
Written about loss. Has become one of the most chosen modern songs at services.
Hello
Chosen by families for services where 'I'm sorry for everything that I've done' fits the relationship.
Skyfall
A heavier, cinematic piece. Fits services that want a larger emotional arc.
A Thousand Years
About loving someone across time. Frequently chosen for a partner's service.
When I'm Gone
Released shortly before Joey Feek's own passing. Now a memorial standard.
Tears in Heaven
Still the most chosen post-1990 ballad for memorials.
I Will Always Love You
Whitney's version carries a larger room. Often used at the recessional.
One Sweet Day
Written as a memorial to friends lost. Frequently chosen at services in the African American Christian tradition.
I Can Only Imagine
The most chosen modern Christian song at memorials.
10,000 Reasons
Common at memorials in contemporary evangelical churches.
Goodness of God
A more recent modern worship choice for memorials.
Better Place
About someone making the world better just by being in it. Common at celebrations of life.
Yesterday
The Beatles original or a modern acoustic cover. Fits services bridging older and younger generations.
Stay With Me
A modern ballad commonly chosen for services with a younger audience.
Angels
Among the most chosen songs at UK funerals.
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.
Why modern songs work well at services
Modern songs can land harder than hymns at a service for a younger person — but they need to be picked carefully:
- The room should know the song — or at least the chorus. A song people can hum along to in their heads carries the moment.
- Watch the lyric. Some pop songs that sound right turn out to be about something else. Read the second verse before committing.
- Tempo matters. Most modern pop songs are too upbeat for the service itself but fit perfectly for the slideshow or reception.
When you want a modern song written for them
If you want a song in a modern style — pop ballad, acoustic, R&B, modern worship — written for the person, we can write and produce one. From $49, delivered in three days.
Questions families ask
Other ideas
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.