Research Has Revealed The 50 Most Popular Song Requests For Funerals

Deciding on a funeral song is harder than it sounds. It’s got to be just right – summing up your whole life in minutes – and there’s only a handful of tunes that fit the bill. When you finally make your pick, though, there’s a good chance it’ll be among these 50 most popular send-off songs. Listen closely to their lyrics, and you’ll understand why they made this list.

50. Frank Sinatra – “My Way”

“And now, the end is near/And so I face the final curtain.” With an opening couplet like that, it’s hardly surprising that Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” has been a funeral staple ever since its release in 1969. And everyone from the Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious to Elvis Presley has put their own spin on this standard, too. But did you know that its music is lifted from a French chanson called “Comme d’habitude?”

49. Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth – “See You Again”

Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s chart-topping hit was born out of devastating circumstances. The track was penned in memory of Paul Walker, the Fast and Furious star who lost his life in a car accident in 2013. And since then, many grieving people have found comfort in its hopeful lyrics about seeing a loved one again.

48. Celine Dion – “My Heart Will Go On”

Celine Dion’s epic power ballad famously featured in the movie Titanic. And now many find that it’s impossible to hear “My Heart Will Go On” without picturing Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack in the icy waters of the North Atlantic. But for some, its theme of everlasting love makes it the perfect choice of farewell song.

47. Sam Smith – “Lay Me Down”

It took a little while for Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down” to become a well-known track to the public. In fact, it was only on a re-recorded third release that added John Legend to the mix that the heartfelt ballad topped the U.K. charts. And the song has now gone on to become a funeral standard thanks to Smith’s affecting vocals and touching lyrics about loss.