What’s the most popular song at funerals in the UK?

What’s the most popular song at funerals in the UK? April 18, 2015

life_of_brian

This little bit of news broke late last year, but it is finally finding its way onto my Facebook feed.

From The Independent: 

People are choosing to make their final farewell an upbeat affair, as Monty Python’s “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life” has been named the most popular song played at funerals.

A study by The Co-operative Funeralcare found that the tune has superseded Frank Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way” for the first time in a decade.

Meanwhile, traditional hymns, football anthems and classic pop songs continue to top the list of the “funeral music chart”, with “The Lord is My Shepherd”, the Match of the Day theme tune and Robbie Williams’ “Angels” featuring in the top 10.

A study of songs played at 30,000 funerals showed that Elvis Presley is the most requested solo singer, while the most popular group is Queen with requested tracks including “Who Wants to Live Forever” and “Don’t Stop Me Now”.

David Collingwood, operations director of The Co-operative Funeralcare, said: “We think we may be seeing a generational shift in attitudes towards funerals, and the choice of music being requested.

“Music plays such an important part in people’s lives that it now acts as the theme tune to their passing. Modern funerals are very much about personal choice, which can be reflected in the choice of music, dress, coffin, flowers, hearses or memorials.”

Read it all. For those who are curious: the link also has the clip of the classic performance of “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life” from the finale of “Life of Brian.”


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