Funerals are never easy, and the last thing on your mind when planning one is what tracks you’ll want to play. The best funeral songs help listeners deal with death and grief, find hope, and maybe even be a little bit comforted while listening to them. In this article, we’ve put together the 65 best funeral songs of all time to help make a tough time just a little bit easier.
1. Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace is easily one of the most popular funeral songs of all time and is pretty much a staple when it comes to any funeral playlist. There’s an endless number of versions out there, from beautiful vocal performances to emotional bagpipe tunes. No matter what style of funeral you’re going to have, this is a tender and emotional option.
2. You Raise Me Up – Josh Groban
Perhaps the best uplifting funeral song you’re going to be able to find, Josh Groban’s version of You Raise Me Up is an amazing track for a celebration of life ceremony. It’s all about finding strength and comfort during a time of loss, providing hope for the future, and setting up an amazing atmosphere to honor a departed loved one.
3. Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley
Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah has had over 300 singers cover the soulful song. But no one is quite as powerful as Jeff Buckley’s version, and this is why you’ll find his most commonly used for funerals. The flow of the verses, and the soft, gentle tune give way to a poetic melody that brings emotion to the surface as we listen. Hallelujah is an expression of joy or praise toward God with many biblical references, a good combination for a standard Christian funeral.
4. Time To Say Goodbye – Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli
Time To Say Goodbye is sung mostly in Italian, but this multi-lingual opera is sure to bring goosebumps up to your arms. It’s the powerful emotions of this track and the sentiment about saying goodbye to someone you treasure that make it such a great option for a funeral song. It’s also hard to beat the vocal performance of either Sarah Brightman or Andrea Bocelli.
5. Go Rest High On That Mountain – Vince Gill
Vince Gill’s Go Rest High On That Mountain is a hauntingly beautiful funeral song. It’s full of sadness and was written as a farewell to the artist’s brother. It’s a personal favorite of mine as well. If you’re looking for a track to help lay your loved one to rest, it’s hard to find a better song than this one.
6. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
There are several versions of I Will Always Love You to choose from, but the most famous of these came from Whitney Houston. The track follows the loss of a romantic love but declares that despite the loss, the narrator will always love the one who is gone. It’s a beautiful sentiment when applied to the loss of a loved one, making it one of the best funeral songs out there.
7. Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton
Tears In Heaven has become one of the most popular funeral songs in history thanks to its incredible sadness and the way it brings out the emotions in listeners. It’s the lament of a father who has lost a child, trying to find hope that he’ll see them again one day while dealing with the grief and pain of their loss.
8. Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
Sometimes, you just want to honor the person who raised you, supported you, or helped you get where you are today. Bette Midler’s Wind Beneath My Wings is the perfect song for that situation, discussing how we’re able to achieve more in life with the right support system. It’s a great way to honor the person who was there for you when you needed it.
9. Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole
Somewhere Over The Rainbow is one of the most uplifting songs ever written, whether you need help during a funeral or in everyday life. It’s a cheery and light track that helps you remember to have hope in the darkest of times, lightening the mood without being forceful and hopefully cheering listeners up just a little bit as they reminisce on the life of the one who has passed on.
10. Broken Halos – Chris Stapleton
Broken Halos was an incredibly popular song in recent years, but it makes an excellent tribute to a country music lover who has passed on. It discusses all the associated grief and heartache that comes when someone we care about passes, eloquently describing the feelings of the people mourning and helping them find an outlet for their pain.
11. See You Again – Wiz Khalifa Feat. Charlie Puth
Wiz Khalifa’s See You Again became a modern hit single when it was used in the film tribute to Paul Walker in The Fast And The Furious franchise. It’s a relatively new song compared to a lot of the options on this list, but that doesn’t take anything away from how touching it is. Overall, it’s a great track to say goodbye to someone you hope to see again one day.
12. Forever Young – Rod Stewart
Forever Young is about how those who have passed on before us will always remain young in our memories. It’s a beautiful tribute, removing all of the pain, problems, and aging that come along over time and reminding listeners of the way they remember their own loved one who has passed on.
13. My Way – Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra’s My Way is an amazing song for a celebration of life or a funeral ceremony. It talks about living a full life and reflects on the ways things went from the perspective of a person at the end. They face it with a grin, as they’ve always done things their way and stood up for what they believed in.
14. How Do I Live – LeeAnn Rimes
How Do I Live questions how a person is supposed to go on after losing somebody they love. It’s undeniably a sentiment many funeral attendees will be thinking to themselves after a loss, so it’s perfect to reflect the life of someone who will be missed.
15. One More Day – Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio’s One More Day might not be the first track that comes to mind when you’re thinking of a funeral song, but every line it contains fits extremely well. It holds all the yearning it needs to represent the feeling of wishing for one more day with a person you can no longer call or visit.
16. Ave Maria – Franz Schubert
Ave Maria is one of the most famous Latin religious songs played at funerals. You can find versions with lyrics or go with plain instrumentals, but if you do go with the lyrical version, it’s best played at the funeral of someone with a deep faith. Regardless, it’s a beautiful track and one that will leave a haunting nostalgia in the air.
17. Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinéad O’Connor
Nothing Compares 2 U is one of the best songs of the 1980s, with a version coming from both Prince and Sinéad O’Connor in that decade. It mainly focuses on how time passes slowly and painfully when you’ve lost the person you love, but it’s an amazing tribute to an amazing life that works incredibly well for funerals.
18. Candle in the Wind – Elton John
Elton John’s Candle In The Wind was one of the most popular funeral songs of the 20th century. It mainly deals with the loss of someone you hardly knew, which works well as a funeral song if you didn’t get the chance to meet the person who has passed on.
19. Smile – Nat King Cole
Smile is written with parents in mind. Nat King Cole sings this beautiful track and provides all of the advice you’d expect to get from one or both of your parents. It’s the perfect funeral song to allow you to reminisce on all the fond memories and little pieces of advice you got from your parents over the years.
20. Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi
Lewis Capaldi is one of the best modern songwriters when it comes to capturing the raw feelings of emotions in his songs. Someone You Loved was written in the wake of his grandmother’s passing, covering the emptiness and pain that comes when someone you love has passed away.
21. Abide With Me – Audrey Assad
Abide With Me is one of the most comforting hymns you can play at a funeral. The entire point of the song is that God will always be beside you, offering comfort and supporting you even when it feels like the world is collapsing around you. It’s a good track to play for a funeral.
22. Dance with My Father – Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross wrote Dance With My Father as a way to remember and honor the memories he had of his late father. It reminisces on all the times they spent together as he wishes for just one more moment to make a memory.
23. Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
Unchained Melody is steeped in longing, the exact feeling that leaves so many broken after a painful loss. Wanting one more moment with the person who has passed and knowing it can’t happen hurts. This song is one of the few that captures this specific angle of grief, painting the picture of how you’re truly feeling when you lose someone you love.
24. How Great Thou Art – Carrie Underwood
How Great Thou Art is another popular hymn that has cemented a place as one of the most popular religious funeral songs. For this entry, we went with a Carrie Underwood recording that features her incredible vocal prowess and really brings up the raw emotion that should accompany the entry in the context of a funeral rather than a worship service.
25. Goodbye’s (the Saddest Word) – Céline Dion
Goodbye’s (The Saddest Word) is a heart-wrenching song about a mother passing away. Just as she was strong for you throughout your life, when her time comes it’s your time to be strong for her. Be present, support them, and always fondly remember your loved ones who have passed on.
26. You’ll Never Walk Alone – Judy Garland
You’ll Never Walk Alone is a great uplifting song to remind those in mourning that their loved one is never really gone. All of the memories with them and their advice live on in you, allowing you to never be left alone to face the problems of life without them despite them no longer being present.
27. When The Saints Go Marching – Louis Armstrong
When The Saints Go Marching is a jazz standard and is meant to bring a bit of joy to a depressing time in your life. It’s a very popular funeral song on brass horns, celebrating the life of the person who has passed on and how they’ve gone on to a better place alongside their Savior.
28. Danny Boy
Danny Boy is a classic song played on the bagpipes. Its deep tones with emotional lyrics are perfect for a funeral, as they bring out the sad emotions you’re going through but also offer the comfort warranted at that time. It’s a great way to open or close a funeral service and another of the most popular choices.
29. Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
Spirit In The Sky mainly discusses what the afterlife is like and brings up a deep spirituality throughout its lyrics. It’s more of an uplifting and uptempo song than many others on the list, finding a place in funerals thanks to the comfort and joy it brings rather than being a somber way to honor someone you’ve lost.
30. Angel – Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan’s song Angel might be best known for commercials about abused animals, but the sentiment behind the lyrics does make for a good funeral song. It talks about the departed flying away from all of the problems in the world and hopefully finding comfort in the arms of an angel.
31. River of Tears – Alessia Cara
Alessia Cara’s single River Of Tears is meant to deal with the loss of a romantic relationship, but it’s become a popular funeral song thanks to the message of hope the ending of the track contains. It covers the deep pain of loss, but after each verse, the chorus gives listeners hope for the future.
32. Well Done – Deitrick Haddon
Well Done is a celebration rather than a lament. It’s a song of victory in death, victory by living a worthy life and earning a place in heaven. The track itself is meant to provide comfort to those in mourning, reminding them that the departed has gone on to a better place. Despite the pain, it’s a time to celebrate rather than be sad.
33. Hold Back the River – James Bay
Emotions can wash over you like a river, especially powerful ones like grief when you’ve lost someone. Hold Back The River is about holding those feelings back and how impossible it can feel. It’s about missing someone and wanting to spend time with them again, something relatable that makes it an excellent funeral song.
34. If I Die Young – The Band Perry
If I Die Young isn’t a traditional funeral song, but it is a fitting farewell to someone who passed much earlier than their loved ones expected. It deals with death in a careful and calm way, telling the listener how they want to be seen after their death and hoping to comfort the people who grieve for them.
35. If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away – Justin Moore
This hit single from Justin Moore is all about wishing for more time with a departed loved one. Since heaven is so far away, you can’t talk to or visit the person who’s passed on. This song reflects the desire to be able to call up the people you won’t have the chance to anymore and a wish for things to be different.
36. If Tomorrow Never Comes – Garth Brooks
If Tomorrow Never Comes mainly deals with the fears parents have about leaving their children alone before they’re ready. It’s meant to ponder and impart all the love you have for the people who have been left behind, reminding them that they aren’t alone.
37. The Old Rugged Cross – Alan Jackson
The Old Rugged Cross is the perfect song to play at a religious funeral service. It’s meant to remind us to be happy when our loved ones are called home to be with God, offering comfort and hope to the faithful and telling them that their loved one is safe and cared for.
38. Angels Among Us – Alabama
Alabama sings this song to remind people that each of us will—or can—go to Heaven one day, meaning every person you interact with is a kind of angel. When someone passes, they’ve returned home rather than just left us, reminding people to celebrate their life and rejoice that they’ve made it back to where they belong.
39. Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
Wish You Were Here is the perfect song for a veteran or someone who has fought their way through life to make something of themselves. It’s an amazing tribute track, full of great guitar riffs, but that isn’t what makes it a good funeral song. There are long pauses in the track, and it’s a long song unto itself, allowing plenty of time for reminiscing on the life of the one who has passed on.
40. Wake Me Up When September Ends – Green Day
Green Day’s Wake Me Up When September Ends perfectly captures the emotions of most people going to a funeral. It’s introspective, reflective, and somber, but it also captures the feelings of longing and sadness after losing someone.
41. 50 Ways To Say Goodbye – Train
There isn’t a limit to the number of ways people say goodbye to their loved ones, nor is there one for the number of ways to accept that they’re gone. The song 50 Ways To Say Goodbye is a beautiful track that talks about all the ways you can say goodbye to a friend or family member, making it a great choice for a funeral song.
42. Butterfly Kisses – Bob Carlisle
Bob Carisle’s Butterfly Kisses is typically a track for a funeral where someone has lost a daughter, but it wasn’t initially written as a funeral song. It discusses a father watching his daughter grow up and eventually be given away at her wedding, reflecting on their time together and cherishing the memories they made together.
43. It Is Well With My Soul – Audrey Assad
It Is Well With My Soul may seem more like a worship song than an option for a funeral. However, the comfort it brings is exactly what you need on that day. Repeating the lines of everything being well can be a sort of mantra to get you through a tough time or a loss, relying entirely on your faith.
44. I Can Only Imagine – MercyMe
I Can Only Imagine is a haunting song about imagining a world with the person who has passed on still in it. It mostly deals with wanting to see them again and imagining in your mind the time you finally get to see them once again.
45. Save a Place For Me – Matthew West
Save A Place For Me is a song that asks for the departed loved one to save a place for the narrator wherever they end up going. It’s a beautiful sentiment that will relate well to people at a funeral, as you want your loved one to make sure you have a spot near them when it’s your time to meet them again.
46. You Can Close Your Eyes – James Taylor
You Can Close Your Eyes is a great funeral song because it revels in the sadness of losing someone while also accepting that they’re gone. It’s meant to be a sad but accepting farewell to the person who has passed, offering both comfort and a platform to grieve in a single track.
47. Supermarket Flowers – Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran wrote Supermarket Flowers to help cope with the death of his grandmother. It was never intended to be released, only serving as an outlet for him until his grandfather insisted he release it. The song itself perfectly captures the feelings of loss in the wake of losing a loved one.
48. ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus – Casting Crowns
‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus has an awesome message for Christians attending a funeral. While it’s obviously a sad day when you lose someone, the faith and hope you have in heaven and in the place they’ve gone can give you the comfort that you’ll see them again.
49. In Christ Alone – Lauren Daigle
This song from Lauren Daigle is all about reaffirming your faith in Jesus Christ, which is the perfect angle for bringing comfort to believers in their time of strife. This track is for the departed believer, reminding the audience that there is a way to see them again and make it to the same place that they have gone, as long as they know and believe the word of God.
50. What A Day That Will Be – Drew Parker
What A Day That Will Be is all about when God comes down and calls all of his faithful followers home. It’s a celebration that you’ll meet back up with your loved ones and finally see them again, offering hope in a future in heaven for the faithful alongside the people they love.
51. Gone Too Soon – Daughtry
Gone Too Soon captures the emptiness and longing that comes with losing someone before you’re ready for them to go. It’s especially poignant as a funeral song if a child has passed on, as it talks about the things they could have become and maligns the fact that they aren’t going to see what could have been.
52. When I Get Where I’m Going – Brad Paisley Feat. Dolly Parton
Brad Paisley’s When I Get Where I’m Going is a comforting funeral song that describes all the things he’s planning on doing once he gets to heaven. This includes taking a walk with his grandfather, something he hasn’t been able to do for a long time. It’s meant to give people some comfort in the fact that they’ll see their loved one again one day.
53. Hero – Mariah Carey
Hero by Mariah Carey is the perfect song to dedicate to a parent when it’s their time to move on. It’s all about the inner strength that it takes to keep going when you don’t have hope for the future and don’t know how to carry on. Both of those feelings can paralyze you when you lose a loved one, and this track can help you find a way out.
54. Let It Be – The Beatles
Let It Be is a song for the broken-hearted and downtrodden. It’s meant to bring comfort to people going through a hard time, making it especially powerful in the context of a funeral. The main message is to let the things you cannot control go and find some level of acceptance.
55. The Best – Tina Turner
The Best is an upbeat and uptempo track that is a great way to celebrate the life of someone who has always been there for you. As a funeral song, it’s a reminder of how great the person who has passed on was during their life and all the things they did for you.
56. Unforgettable – Nat King Cole
Unforgettable is simply an amazing funeral song because it instills the thought that the person who has gone on was an unforgettable and important part of your life.
57. Fix You – Coldplay
Fix You is a good representation of the pain that comes with the loss of a loved one, allowing funeral-goers to grieve. However, it also carries a message of hope and reminds listeners that they aren’t alone in their sadness.
58. Three Little Birds – Bob Marley & the Wailers
Three Little Birds is one of the most famous reggae tracks of all time, but it’s also an amazing funeral song. The chorus is especially powerful, reminding listeners that everything is going to be alright, no matter how much it hurts right now.
59. Don’t Worry Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin
Bobby McFerrin’s Don’t Worry Be Happy is one of the most famous songs on this list and might stand out as not being a track you think of first for funerals. It’s actually a great way to pay tribute to a lost loved one though, as it can help bring comfort to those in attendance and is a special reminder that worrying won’t change anything or help you find peace.
60. Heaven Was Needing a Hero – Jo Dee Messina
Heaven Was Needing A Hero is a great tribute song for anyone who has passed on that you looked up to and admired.
61. What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong’s hit single What A Wonderful World just might be the pick-me-up you need during a funeral. The song mainly looks around at the state of the world and finds the small things worth being happy about. No matter what else is going on, there are still plenty of wonderful things to think about in life, a good reminder on a sad day.
62. Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own – U2
Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own is the perfect reminder that you aren’t alone in your grief and that finding support is a perfectly acceptable way to make it through a tough time.
63. My Father’s Eyes – Eric Clapton
My Father’s Eyes was written by Eric Clapton after his son was born, with his own fatherhood standing fresh in his mind. It made him want to be the best father he could, talking about many of the traits he wanted to find in himself. This ended up making for an excellent funeral song when a beloved father passed away.
64. You’re My Best Friend – Queen
You’re My Best Friend is a stunningly perfect tribute song and a great way to celebrate the life of someone who has passed on.
65. Don’t Forget to Remember Me – Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood’s song Don’t Forget To Remember Me is one of the best ways to say goodbye to your mother. It deals with a person growing up and saying farewell to their mother but also asking that you remember and be there for her despite being gone. It’s a beautiful tribute track and one that is utterly relatable and emotional in the right setting.
Recommended Next:
As a contributing writer for Music Grotto, Dakotah writes and produces professional music/media content. He works closely with editorial staff to meet editorial standards and create
quality content for the Music Grotto website. Dakotah is passionate about music in a wide variety of genres, from hip-hop to country and lo-fi to metal, and he enjoys creating music pieces for Music Grotto.