Mourners are eschewing traditional hymns in favour of playing contemporary songs at funerals, according to a new UK poll.
Ed Sheeran’s “Supermarket Flowers,” written for his late grandmother, is one of the most popular tunes. Other favourites are “Angels” by Robbie Williams, the Westlife cover of “You Raise Me Up,” and Better Midler’s emotional “Wind Beneath My Wings.”
Topping the list of funeral faves, though, is Frank Sinatra’s recording of “My Way,” written by Ottawa-born Paul Anka.
The survey was conducted by Co-op Funeralcare, a network of more than 1,000 funeral homes in the UK. It found that nearly a quarter of 2,000 adults have made it clear what songs they want played at their funerals.
One in four also said they want songs at their funerals that will make people laugh – which explains why “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from Monty Python’s Eric Idle made the list.
This year’s Top 10 funeral songs:
1. "My Way" – Frank Sinatra
2. "Time to Say Goodbye" – Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
3. "Over The Rainbow" – Eva Cassidy
4. "Wind Beneath My Wings" – Bette Midler
5. "Angels" – Robbie Williams
6. "Supermarket Flowers" - Ed Sheeran
7. "Unforgettable" – Nat King Cole
8. "You Raise Me Up" – Westlife
9. "We’ll Meet Again" – Vera Lynn
10. "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" – Eric Idle