A look at the best funeral songs and hymns
Choosing the Right Music sinafor A Funeral Can Seem Overwhelming in The Midst of Dealing with Grief so we have created some resources for you:
Tips for picking music for a funeral service
A memorial service is your change to allow people to celebrate life and memories and to have some space to grieve and achieve closure. Since these are different approaches to saying goodbye, the person planning the service needs to consider how the overall tone will be set at this event prior to selecting a playlist.
There was a point in time in which choosing funeral songs meant reviewing a list provided directly by a funeral director and choosing only from a limited number of standard choices. Where possible, these would be arranged for an organ, sometimes even vocals and these songs were most often hymns.
But times have changed and families are looking for something new when it comes to developing a funeral playlist to honor their loved one. Many different instruments can be used from violin to flute to guitar and sometimes soloists might even be able to perform along with an existing track.
Top Tips for Selecting Funeral Songs
The first stage in the process of choosing funeral songs is to think about the person being memorialized. Did this person have a favorite type of music that they often listened to or favorite songs that jump to mind. The funeral music that you select doesn’t have to be something that might fall under the traditional umbrella of funeral music.
Today plenty of family and friends are choosing something that has a personal connection or meaning to the individual being remembered instead selecting from a list of standard choices.
Decide what type of tone should be set over the course of funeral service. List all of the songs that you are considering with that in mind and then make edits. If you are trying to set a more reflective mood, then the music should be in line with that. Consulting other people who knew the person well, including family members, might lead you to suggestions that you wouldn’t otherwise have thought off. A good place to start with is looking at the person's own music library.
If you have access to their music collection, you can get an idea about the kind of songs they listen to most often or the type of music that was most meaningful. Make sure that you review the words all the way through the songs. Sometimes the lyrics can be surprising if you look at them word for word.
Choosing Songs for a Mother or Father
Standout album for songs for a mother's funeral is Songs for my Mother by Irish artist, Ronan Keating, but here a some other top choices:
Choosing Songs for A Son or Daughter
If you have lost a younger child, one avenue to pursue a song selection is picking a simple child song. If the child or baby, son or daughter preferred a particular piece, consider that this could make a very touching addition to funeral songs. Some ideas could include:
| This Little Light of Mine | Listener Kids | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Amazing Grace | Celtic Woman | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Blessed Assurance | Alan Jackson | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| How great thou art | Carrie Underwood | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Borrowed Angels | Kristen Chenoweth | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| You raise me up | Josh Groban | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Tears in Heaven | Eric Clapton | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Where the river meets the sea | John Denver | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Goodnight my Angel | Billy Joel | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| If I Die Young | The Band Perry | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Beautiful Boy | John Lennon | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
Best Funeral Songs for A Wife
Of course, a husband choosing funeral songs for his wife will likely have some sentimental or significant decisions to make. Some of the most meaningful contemporary songs for funerals for a wife include:
| We'll meet again | Vera Lynn | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Angels | Robbie Williams | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | |
| Time to say Goodbye | Sara Brightman and Andrea Bocelli | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | |
| Wonderwall | Oasis | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | |
| Heaven was needing a hero | Jo Dee Messina | Lyrics | Play song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| I wont let go | Rascal Flatts | Lyrics | Play song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Somewhere over the rainbow | Judy Garland | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album |
Best Funeral Songs for A Husband
A wife selecting a funeral playlist for her husband might choose some of these meaningful and touching songs:
| Hallelujah | Jeff Buckley | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Feels Like Home | Chantal Kreviazuk | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Asleep | The Smiths | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| The Blower's Daughter | Damien Rice | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Live like you were dying | Tim McGraw | Lyrics | Play song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| He didn't have to be | Brad Paisley | Lyrics | Play song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| I'm already there | Lonestar | Lyrics | Play song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| I'll be seeing you | Billie Holiday | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Follow the sun | Xavier Rudd | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Spirit in the Sky | Norman Greenbaum | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
Best Songs for Funerals for A Sister or A Brother
It can be devastating to lose a sister or a brother and creating the right funeral playlist requires consideration of your individual relationship with this person.
Some examples of appropriate songs for a sister or a brother include:
No matter how you choose a funeral song playlist, it should be informed by the overall tone of the service and who will be in attendance.
| Wind beneath my wings | Bette Midler | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Somewhere over the rainbow | Israel Kamakawiwoʻole | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| My way | Frank Sinatra | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| What a wonderful world | Louis Armstrong | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Unchained Melody | The Righteous Brothers | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| If something should happen | Darryl Worley | Lyrics | Play song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| If I don't make it back | Tracy Lawrence | Lyrics | Play song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Lead me home | Jamie Johnson | Lyrics | Play song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| You raise me up | Josh Groban | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| One sweet day | Mariah Carey | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
| Tears in Heaven | Eric Clapton | Lyrics | Play Song | Download song | View Album | Browse Artist |
Managing Music Subscriptions after a death
Did you loved one have a membership to a music streaming site like Spotify or downloads on iTunes? These are a great place to review the kind of music that meant the most to your family member or friend.
Once you have reviewed these accounts, keep note of the different streaming memberships and other subscriptions that should be closed out after a loved one passed away. Closing these digital accounts is an important step in protecting the finances of the estate from ongoing charges and could also prevent identity theft.
Our service can help you close out music subscriptions and other memberships so that you can have peace of mind. Contact us today to learn more.