Memorial Service Songs

The body isn’t there. That single fact changes everything. Memorial services are about remembering, not saying goodbye, so the music can be less formal. You can play the jazz they loved, the Beatles song from their wedding, or the country track they played on every road trip. The rules are looser, which means your choices matter more.

A funeral happens within days of death, usually in a church or funeral home with the body present. The music follows protocols — hymns, classical pieces, scripture-adjacent songs. A memorial service happens later, in any venue, and the music reflects the person rather than the occasion. You’re not comforting people through acute grief — you’re gathering people who’ve already processed the initial shock and want to celebrate a life together.

Memorial songs are music chosen to honour and remember someone who has died. The most popular memorial songs are “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler, and “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli. Memorial songs differ from funeral songs in tone — they celebrate the person’s life rather than focus on the moment of loss.

The best memorial songs share a quality: they’re about looking back with gratitude rather than looking forward with dread. “What a Wonderful World” doesn’t mention death at all — it’s about seeing beauty in ordinary things, which is exactly what you’re trying to honour at a memorial service.

Memorial songs for loved ones lost include “I Will Remember You” by Sarah McLachlan, “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth, “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton, and “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler. The best memorial songs for loved ones lost share one quality: the artist wrote them from genuine experience of grief.

Eric Clapton wrote “Tears in Heaven” after losing his four-year-old son. Ed Sheeran wrote “Supermarket Flowers” about clearing out his grandmother’s hospital room. Sarah McLachlan wrote “I Will Remember You” about a friend who died of a heroin overdose. That authenticity is why these memorial songs for loved ones lost resonate with mourners who recognise their own grief in the music.

Start with their actual music. Check their Spotify, their CD collection, their car radio presets. Ask their friends what they played on road trips. The songs they chose for themselves will always resonate more than anything you select trying to be appropriate.

Think in sections: people arriving (something warm, instrumental or familiar), the eulogies (nothing too loud — let the words lead), the slideshow or photo montage (this is where the most emotional songs work best), and closing (send people off with something uplifting). Different moments need different energy. Don’t shuffle a playlist — sequence it.

Know your venue. A church has expectations about volume and content. A restaurant or garden party doesn’t. A memorial at their favourite pub can play AC/DC; a chapel service probably can’t. Match the music to the space, not just the person.

For a dedicated celebration-of-life playlist with a different energy from a memorial service, see our guide to [songs for a celebration of life](/celebration-of-life-songs).

A memorial flows through five moments, and each one wants a different energy — reflective at the centre, lifting at the close. These are hand-picked for the sequence; arrange them in order rather than shuffling a playlist.

As guests arrive — something warm and low-key while people find seats and greet one another. "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, or a gentle instrumental such as Satie's "Gymnopédie No. 1" set the tone without demanding attention.

During the eulogy and tributes — keep it quiet so the words lead; play the song just before or just after the speaking, never underneath it. "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler and "You Raise Me Up" (made famous by Josh Groban) honour the person without overpowering the speaker.

For the photo slideshow — the emotional peak, where a song with a story does the most work. "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran, "The Living Years" by Mike + the Mechanics (a son's words to his late father), and "Forever Young" by Rod Stewart carry images and memory better than almost anything else.

A moment of quiet reflection — one still song that lets people sit with their grief. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel, "I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLachlan, or "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen give the room permission to feel.

Closing and sending out — end on hope, not heaviness. "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles, "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley, or "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers send people back into the day a little lighter than they came.