Music carries a funeral slideshow. The photos tell the story of a life, but the song is what the room feels. If you are choosing music for a funeral slideshow, memorial video or celebration of life slideshow right now, this guide is here to make it a little easier.
Below are 90 of the most loved funeral songs, grouped by style, with a line on why families choose each one. Tap any song to listen on Spotify.
Short on time? Start with these ten. Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, I Can Only Imagine, What a Wonderful World, Over the Rainbow, Go Rest High on That Mountain, Supermarket Flowers, See You Again, Dance with My Father and Here Comes the Sun.
How to choose a song for a funeral slideshow
The right song usually sounds like the person in the photos.
The best funeral song is the one that sounds like them. A few questions can help:
- Did they have a favorite song, singer or album? Ask the family what they always played in the car or the kitchen.
- What was their faith? A hymn or gospel song may mean the most to them and to the people in the room.
- What was their spirit? Someone full of laughter may be best remembered with something warm and upbeat, not something sad.
- Who will be watching? A slideshow plays for everyone, so the song should feel right for children, grandparents and old friends alike.
If nothing comes to mind, choose a gentle instrumental. It never competes with the photos.
How many songs do you need for a funeral slideshow?
Most songs run 3 to 4 minutes, and each photo usually shows for 4 to 5 seconds. So one song fits roughly 40 to 50 photos.
| Slideshow length | Songs | Photos |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 4 minutes | 1 | 40 to 50 |
| 6 to 8 minutes | 2 | 80 to 100 |
| 10 to 15 minutes (visitation loop) | 3 or 4 | 120 to 180 |
With two or more songs, a lovely order is gentle first, uplifting last: start soft while the room settles into the childhood photos, then finish with something hopeful as the story reaches the family and the grandkids. For more on photos and length, see our guide on how to make a funeral slideshow.
Hymns and faith songs for a funeral slideshow
Hymns many people in the room will know by heart.
| Song | Artist | Why families choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Amazing Grace | Traditional hymn | A hymn of grace and hope that nearly everyone knows by heart. |
| How Great Thou Art | Traditional hymn | A hymn of praise that lifts hearts toward heaven in grief. |
| It Is Well with My Soul | Traditional hymn | Written by Horatio Spafford after a terrible family loss, finding peace anyway. |
| I Can Only Imagine | MercyMe | Written by Bart Millard after losing his father, imagining meeting God. |
| In the Garden | C. Austin Miles | A gentle hymn about walking and talking quietly with God. |
| The Old Rugged Cross | George Bennard | A beloved old hymn sung at services for generations. |
| On Eagle’s Wings | Michael Joncas | Promises that God will raise us up and hold us close. |
| Abide with Me | Traditional hymn | A quiet prayer asking God to stay near as life’s evening falls. |
| Be Not Afraid | Bob Dufford, SJ | A calming promise that God goes before us through every hardship. |
| Blessed Assurance | Fanny Crosby | A joyful hymn of faith and the comfort of belonging to God. |
| Be Thou My Vision | Traditional Irish hymn | An ancient Irish prayer asking God to guide us through every day. |
| 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) | Matt Redman | Its words look ahead to praising God when our days are done. |
| Goodness of God | Bethel Music & Jenn Johnson | A thankful song about God’s faithfulness through every season of life. |
Gospel songs for a funeral slideshow
Gospel songs bring joy and hope into the room.
| Song | Artist | Why families choose it |
|---|---|---|
| I’ll Fly Away | Albert E. Brumley | An uplifting gospel song about going home to glory, often sung joyfully. |
| Precious Lord, Take My Hand | Thomas A. Dorsey | Written by Thomas A. Dorsey after losing his wife and baby son. |
| His Eye Is on the Sparrow | Traditional gospel | A reminder that God watches over even the smallest life. |
| Going Up Yonder | Walter Hawkins | A rousing gospel song celebrating going home to be with the Lord. |
| Soon and Very Soon | Andraé Crouch | A hopeful gospel song about meeting the King and no more crying. |
| Take Me to the King | Tamela Mann | A heartfelt plea for comfort when we have nothing left to give. |
| I Won’t Complain | Rev. Paul Jones | A grateful gospel song about counting the good days God has given. |
| When We All Get to Heaven | Traditional hymn | A cheerful hymn looking ahead to a joyful reunion in heaven. |
Classic songs for a memorial slideshow
The songs they played on the record player.
| Song | Artist | Why families choose it |
|---|---|---|
| What a Wonderful World | Louis Armstrong | A gentle reminder of the beauty in everyday life. |
| Over the Rainbow | Israel Kamakawiwoʻole | His soft ukulele version feels peaceful, hopeful and full of light. |
| Unforgettable | Nat King Cole | A tender way to say someone will always be remembered and loved. |
| Smile | Nat King Cole | Music by Charlie Chaplin, gently encouraging us to smile through sorrow. |
| My Way | Frank Sinatra | Celebrates a life lived fully, on their own terms. |
| Wind Beneath My Wings | Bette Midler | A thank you to the person who quietly lifted everyone around them. |
| Bridge Over Troubled Water | Simon & Garfunkel | A promise of comfort and support when times are hardest. |
| In My Life | The Beatles | A fond look back at the people and places we’ve loved. |
| Let It Be | The Beatles | Paul McCartney wrote it after dreaming of his late mother, Mary. |
| Stand by Me | Ben E. King | A promise of loyal love that families feel long after goodbye. |
| Tears in Heaven | Eric Clapton | Written by Eric Clapton after the loss of his young son. |
| You Raise Me Up | Josh Groban | Thanks someone who lifted us up and made us stronger. |
| Time to Say Goodbye | Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman | A soaring, tender farewell sung by two beloved voices. |
| The Prayer | Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli | A gentle prayer for guidance and safe passage, sung with grace. |
| Bring Him Home | Colm Wilkinson | A tender prayer that he finds peace, lovely for a son, husband or father. |
Country songs for a funeral slideshow
Country songs that tell the story of a life.
| Song | Artist | Why families choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Go Rest High on That Mountain | Vince Gill | Vince Gill finished it after losing his own brother. |
| If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away | Justin Moore | Imagines visiting loved ones in heaven for just one more day. |
| Who You’d Be Today | Kenny Chesney | Wonders about the life someone taken too soon would be living now. |
| The Dance | Garth Brooks | Says the love was worth it, even knowing how it would end. |
| Holes in the Floor of Heaven | Steve Wariner | A comforting picture of loved ones watching over us from above. |
| Live Like You Were Dying | Tim McGraw | Celebrates someone who lived boldly and loved deeply every day. |
| Humble and Kind | Tim McGraw | Honors a parent’s simple lessons about living with kindness. |
| Three Wooden Crosses | Randy Travis | A story of faith about what we leave behind for others. |
| Remember When | Alan Jackson | Looks back fondly on a whole life and a love shared together. |
| You Should Be Here | Cole Swindell | Cole Swindell wrote it about missing his late father. |
| Angels Among Us | Alabama | A reminder that loved ones still guide us in our darkest hours. |
| I Hope You Dance | Lee Ann Womack | A loving wish to keep living fully, full of hope. |
Hear these songs with their photos. Make the slideshow on Rememery: everyone adds photos from their phone with one link, you pick the music, and you only pay when you download it.
Modern songs for a memorial slideshow
Newer songs that speak to younger family members too.
| Song | Artist | Why families choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarket Flowers | Ed Sheeran | Ed Sheeran wrote it after his grandmother passed away. |
| See You Again | Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth | Written as a tribute to actor Paul Walker, about meeting again. |
| Hallelujah | Jeff Buckley | A hushed, moving song; many families use only the first verses. |
| Fix You | Coldplay | A tender promise to help carry someone through their sorrow. |
| Angel | Sarah McLachlan | A soft, soothing song about finding comfort in the arms of an angel. |
| I Will Remember You | Sarah McLachlan | A simple vow to hold on to every memory of them. |
| Photograph | Ed Sheeran | About keeping love close through photos, perfect for a slideshow. |
| Somewhere Only We Know | Keane | Recalls a special shared place and the memories made there. |
| Dancing in the Sky | Dani and Lizzy | Pictures a loved one dancing freely in heaven, wondering how it looks. |
| One Sweet Day | Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men | Inspired by loved ones the singers lost; hopes to meet again. |
| I’ll Be Missing You | Puff Daddy feat. Faith Evans & 112 | A tribute to The Notorious B.I.G., about missing someone every day. |
Funeral songs for Mom
Songs that say thank you to a mother.
| Song | Artist | Why families choose it |
|---|---|---|
| A Song for Mama | Boyz II Men | A heartfelt thank you to a mother for all her love. |
| Mama Liked the Roses | Elvis Presley | A tender song of children remembering their mother and her roses. |
| Slipping Through My Fingers | ABBA | A mother’s bittersweet reflection on how quickly time with loved ones passes. |
| Because You Loved Me | Celine Dion | A heartfelt thank you to someone whose love made everything possible. |
| Mother Like Mine | The Band Perry | A loving tribute to a mother who made home feel safe. |
Ed Sheeran’s Supermarket Flowers is also loved for mothers and grandmothers.
Funeral songs for Dad
Songs for the father who walked beside us.
| Song | Artist | Why families choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Dance with My Father | Luther Vandross | Luther Vandross’s tender wish for one more dance with his late father. |
| My Old Man | Zac Brown Band | A son’s grateful tribute to the father who shaped him. |
| The Living Years | Mike + the Mechanics | A moving reminder to say what matters to the people we love. |
| Daddy’s Hands | Holly Dunn | A daughter’s warm memories of her father’s strong, gentle hands. |
| Just Fishin’ | Trace Adkins | A father’s quiet days fishing with his daughter, remembered with love. |
Songs for a grandparent’s slideshow
Songs for the grandparents who held the whole family together.
| Song | Artist | Why families choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Grandma’s Hands | Bill Withers | Bill Withers’s loving memories of the grandmother who cared for him. |
| Grandpa (Tell Me ’Bout the Good Old Days) | The Judds | A sweet longing for the simpler days a grandfather remembers. |
| In Color | Jamey Johnson | A grandfather’s old photos come alive with the stories behind them. |
| Remember Me | From Disney Pixar’s Coco | From Coco, a film about keeping loved ones close by remembering them. |
Upbeat celebration of life songs
For someone who loved a good time, let the music smile too.
Not every slideshow needs to be sad. For someone who loved a party, these bring a smile through the tears:
| Song | Artist | Why families choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Here Comes the Sun | The Beatles | A hopeful song about light returning after a long, hard winter. |
| Three Little Birds | Bob Marley & The Wailers | A comforting promise that every little thing is going to be all right. |
| Lean on Me | Bill Withers | A reminder that friends and family carry each other through hard times. |
| You’ve Got a Friend | James Taylor | A warm promise of friendship, perfect for honoring a loyal friend. |
| Don’t Stop Believin’ | Journey | An upbeat favorite for a celebration of life full of hope. |
| Sweet Caroline | Neil Diamond | A joyful sing along for someone who loved good times together. |
| Celebration | Kool & the Gang | A joyful choice for families celebrating a life well lived. |
| Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) | Green Day | A warm look back at the time of your life, often played at goodbyes. |
Instrumental music for a funeral slideshow
Instrumentals let the photos speak.
Instrumentals work for any faith or family, and they never compete with the photos:
| Song | Artist | Why families choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Canon in D | Johann Pachelbel | A calm, graceful piece that lets the photos speak for themselves. |
| Clair de Lune | Claude Debussy | Soft, moonlit piano that brings a peaceful stillness to any tribute. |
| Ave Maria | Franz Schubert | A beloved prayer set to music, comforting for families of faith. |
| Air on the G String | Johann Sebastian Bach | A serene, flowing melody that feels like a quiet goodbye. |
| Gymnopédie No. 1 | Erik Satie | Gentle, unhurried piano that leaves room for memories and reflection. |
| Adagio for Strings | Samuel Barber | One of the most moving pieces of mourning music ever written. |
| River Flows in You | Yiruma | A tender, modern piano piece that feels both sad and hopeful. |
| Gabriel’s Oboe | Ennio Morricone | A graceful melody from the film The Mission, full of quiet beauty. |
| Danny Boy | Traditional Irish, on piano or bagpipes | A beloved Irish farewell, often played on bagpipes at memorial services. |
Will the song be muted if I share the slideshow online?
It can be. Many families post the slideshow on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube after the service so relatives far away can watch. Those platforms often mute or block well known recorded songs. If you plan to share it, choose royalty free music or an instrumental for the copy you post, and keep the famous song for the version played at the service.
Tips for using music in a memorial slideshow
- Match the mood to the photos. Softer music for childhood and early years, brighter music as the family grows.
- Let the last photo land with the last note. Ending on a smiling photo as the music fades is what people remember.
- Use a short clip of their voice. A few seconds of them laughing or singing between songs can be the most moving moment of all.
- Play it through once before the service, with sound, on the screen it will play on.
Make a funeral slideshow with music in minutes with Rememery
Rememery’s funeral slideshow maker makes the music the easy part:
- Music by style: hymns and faith, gospel, piano, strings, acoustic, uplifting, peaceful, country, classical, jazz and Celtic. Press play to listen before you choose.
- Or add a song of your own, like their favorite.
- Everyone adds photos and videos from their phone with one link, and you approve each one and drag them into order.
- A live preview with the music as you build it, ready to play full screen at the service or download.
A Funeral Slideshow is $75, and you only pay when you are ready to download it. Many families add a Legacy Website, where every photo, the obituary and messages from everyone who visits live in one place, with the Slideshow + Legacy Website bundle for $175.