My Way still tops funeral play list but Tina Turner comes in fourth

My Way’ has topped the funeral song chart for the third year running according to SunLife’s 2023 Cost of Dying report with one in every 30 funerals playing Frank Sinatra’s 1969 hit. SunLife’s report reveals that, after Frank Sinatra’s 1969 hit, the most popular song is ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ by Gerry & The Pacemakers followed by ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.

Coming in at number four is Tina Turner’s classic ‘Simply the Best’ while the ‘Monty Python comedy song ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’, AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ and ‘Angels’ by Robbie Williams all make the top 15. However, if we were to choose our own funeral music ‘My Way’ would not be the top choice; we’d rather have Norman Greenbaum’s uplifting 1969 hit ‘Spirit in the Sky’ – a song that doesn’t even make it into the top 15 most played songs at funerals.

In fact, there are quite a few songs in the top 15 songs we would choose that do not appear in the ‘actual most played’ list, including Meatloaf’s ‘Bat out of Hell, ‘Comfortably Numb’ by Pink Floyd and Blue Oyster Cult’s ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper’, a list that reveals Brits’ sense of humour when it comes to thinking about their own send-off.

Most played vs most wanted

Most played funeral songs in the UK	Most wanted funeral songs in the UK
My Way – Frank Sinatra	Spirit In The Sky
You'll Never Walk Alone- Gerry and the Pacemakers	My Way– Frank Sinatra
Time To Say Goodbye - Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli	Time To Say Goodbye - Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli
Simply the Best – Tina Turner	You'll Never Walk Alone- Gerry and the Pacemakers
Somewhere Over The Rainbow	Dancing In The Sky
Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler	Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life – Monty Python	Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life – Monty Python
Angels – Robbie Williams	Angels – Robbie Williams
Sailing – Rod Stewart	Bat Out Of Hell - Meatloaf
Highway To Hell - AC/DC	Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd
I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston	Don't Fear The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
We’ll Meet Again – Vera Lynn	Flying Without Wings - Westlife
Danny Boy - various	In The Arms Of An Angel – Sarah McLachlan
Bring Me Sunshine – Morecombe and Wise	Ripples - Genesis
Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye – Gracie Fields	Stairway To Heaven – Led Zeppelin

Organisers reported feeling additional pressure to ‘get it right’, and some regretted not discussing funeral wishes while their loved one was alive. In fact, only 25% of those organising a funeral knew their loved one’s preference for funeral music – 18% didn’t know any of their loved one’s preferences at all.

That is perhaps why the most popular ‘send-off’ music played at funerals is a hymn - ‘Abide with Me ‘which is played at one in 20 funerals, but in reality, only a quarter (25%) of people want a hymn at their own funeral, and of those that do, the most popular is ‘Amazing Grace’.

With the average funeral now costing £3,953, and the average total cost of dying (the funeral plus professional fees and send-off/wake costs) reaching £9,200, knowing exactly what loved ones want can help prevent overspending and keep costs lower.

SunLife also offers a fun funeral songs generator quiz to encourage families to open up discussions about funeral wishes in a light-hearted way. By generating and discussing your preferred funeral song, you can open the door to what can sometimes feel like an awkward conversation.

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