75 Funeral Slideshow Songs Sorted by Mood and Genre

The most popular funeral slideshow songs are "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong, "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley, "Amazing Grace," and "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth. But the best song is always the one that makes people think of your person, not the one that "sounds like a funeral song."

Below are 75 songs organized by mood so you can find the right fit fast.

A note before the list: think about who your person was, not just what "sounds like a funeral song." If your dad loved Johnny Cash, play Johnny Cash. If your grandmother's favorite thing was Motown, go with Motown. The best song is the one that makes people think of them.

That said, if you're stuck and need a starting point, here are 75 that work.

Gentle & Reflective

Quiet and warm. Good for services with a somber, respectful tone.

1. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
2. "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
3. "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley
4. "The Parting Glass" by The Wailin' Jennys
5. "Canon in D" by Pachelbel
6. "Fields of Gold" by Eva Cassidy
7. "Clair de Lune" by Debussy
8. "Moon River" by Andy Williams
9. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel
10. "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel
11. "Ave Maria" by Schubert
12. "River Flows in You" by Yiruma
13. "Nimrod" (from Enigma Variations) by Elgar
14. "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber
15. "Gymnopédie No. 1" by Erik Satie

Bittersweet & Hopeful

Sad but not heavy. A sense of gratitude underneath the grief.

16. "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth
17. "Supermarket Flowers" by Ed Sheeran
18. "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton
19. "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler
20. "I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLachlan
21. "You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins
22. "Forever Young" by Rod Stewart
23. "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper
24. "If I Could" by Regina Belle
25. "Angels Among Us" by Alabama
26. "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion
27. "One More Day" by Diamond Rio
28. "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd
29. "In My Life" by The Beatles
30. "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers

Uplifting & Celebratory

For a celebration of life. Focus on joy and gratitude rather than sadness.

31. "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
32. "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles
33. "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers
34. "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King
35. "You Are My Sunshine" by Johnny Cash (or any version)
36. "My Way" by Frank Sinatra
37. "What I'd Say" by Ray Charles
38. "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King
39. "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers
40. "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley
41. "Dancing Queen" by ABBA
42. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day
43. "Let It Be" by The Beatles
44. "I'll Be Seeing You" by Billie Holiday
45. "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole

Country

These hit hard if country was their thing. Some of these are specifically about loss and they don't try to hide it.

46. "Go Rest High on That Mountain" by Vince Gill
47. "Live Like You Were Dying" by Tim McGraw
48. "If Heaven" by Andy Griggs
49. "The Dance" by Garth Brooks
50. "Angels Among Us" by Alabama
51. "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe
52. "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" by Steve Wariner
53. "When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley ft. Dolly Parton
54. "Believe" by Brooks & Dunn
55. "You Should Be Here" by Cole Swindell

Gospel & Hymns

For families with a faith tradition. Many of these have beautiful instrumental versions too.

56. "Amazing Grace" - any rendition
57. "How Great Thou Art" by Carrie Underwood (or traditional)
58. "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" by Mahalia Jackson
59. "Going Home" by Dvorák (Largo from New World Symphony)
60. "On Eagle's Wings" by Michael Joncas
61. "Be Not Afraid" by John Michael Talbot
62. "It Is Well with My Soul" by Horatio Spafford
63. "Nearer, My God, to Thee" - traditional
64. "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" by Thomas A. Dorsey
65. "I'll Fly Away" by Albert E. Brumley

Instrumental & Piano

No lyrics to compete with the photos. Good if there will be a speaker talking over the slideshow.

66. "River Flows in You" by Yiruma
67. "Experience" by Ludovico Einaudi
68. "Nuvole Bianche" by Ludovico Einaudi
69. "Clair de Lune" by Debussy
70. "Time" by Hans Zimmer (Inception soundtrack)
71. "Comptine d'un autre été" by Yann Tiersen (from Amélie)
72. "The Ludlows" by James Horner (from Legends of the Fall)
73. "A Thousand Years" - piano cover (The Piano Guys)
74. "Watermark" by Enya
75. "Gabriel's Oboe" by Ennio Morricone (from The Mission)

How to pick

A few things to keep in mind:

• Length matters. If your slideshow is 5 minutes, pick a song that's close to 5 minutes (or one that fades well). Two short songs back to back works too.
• Think about the audience. A younger crowd might connect with a pop song. An older congregation might prefer hymns. Match the room.
• Instrumental is safer. If a pastor or family member is speaking during the slideshow, lyrics can compete. Piano or orchestral arrangements avoid this.
• Their favorite song trumps everything. If they had a favorite song, even if it's unconventional, that's the right choice. We've seen slideshows set to "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Fly Me to the Moon" and both were perfect.

A note about music in slideshows

Most funeral homes prefer to play music through their own sound system rather than embedding it in the slideshow file. Audio embedded in PowerPoint can be unreliable: volume issues, format compatibility, etc. Talk to the funeral director about how they handle it. In most cases, you provide the slideshow and the song separately, and they sync them up.