It’s your funeral for favourite swansong: Top funeral songs of the nation revealed
The most popular songs played at funerals have been revealed – with no traditional hymns in the top 10 for the first time.
Frank Sinatra’s My Way topped the chart drawn up by Co-op Funeralcare, followed by Time To Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, and Over The Rainbow by Eva Cassidy.
New entries in this year’s study are Ed Sheeran’s Supermarket Flowers, and You Raise Me Up by Westlife.
No traditional hymns are in this year’s top 10, drawn up from research among the Co-op’s funeral directors, who conduct up to 100,000 services a year.
More adults are telling their families which songs they want played at their funeral, while a growing number ask a family member to sing at their farewell, said the Co-op.
David Collingwood, Director of Funerals at the Co-op said: “We all live such unique lives and funerals should completely reflect that. Each element of a funeral is a very personal decision which is why the music choice plays such an important and impactful role.
“We’re always encouraging people to be more open about their funeral wishes, making it clear to their loved ones what they would want for themselves when the time comes.”
“Even knowing what song someone would have wanted can bring such comfort at an incredibly hard time.”
A survey of 2,000 adults by the Co-op found that one in four wanted music played at their funeral to make people laugh.
Popular rock songs played at funerals included Led Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven and Meat Loaf’s Bat Out Of Hell, while Angels by Robbie Williams is the most requested pop tune, said the Co-op.
Other popular requests include theme tunes from TV sports programmes such as Match of the Day, or programmes including Only Fools And Horses and Last Of The Summer Wine.
