The most requested pieces of music for funerals held at East Lancashire Crematorium have been revealed.
More families are now opting for pop or rock songs to say farewell to their loved ones, as opposed to traditional hymns and religious or classical music, according to the crematorium in Radcliffe, near Bury.
Sad, moving, or reflective songs chosen to pay tribute to the deceased still dominate the top choices, but there has been in an increase in recent years of more uplifting tunes from pop and rock genres, as there has been a shift in attitude at funeral from mourning a loss to celebrating a life.
The legendary hit ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra takes the top spot at East Lancashire Crematorium, and is joined in the top 10 by the likes of Bette Midler’s ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ and Ed Sheeran’s ‘Supermarket Flowers’.
Bradford City, Celtic and Liverpool anthem 'You'll Never Walk Alone' by Gerry and the Pacemakers is also a popular choice.
Personal favourites of the deceased are also chosen regularly for their send-off, with The Beatles and Elvis Presley popular among older generations.
Top 10 most commonly requested music for funerals at East Lancashire Crematorium in 2022:
- Frank Sinatra – My Way
- Bette Midler – Wind Beneath My Wings
- Nat King Cole – Unforgettable
- Eva Cassidy – Somewhere Over the Rainbow
- Vera Lynn – We’ll Meet Again
- Sarah McLachlan – (In the Arms of an) Angel
- Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World
- Gerry & the Pacemakers – You’ll Never Walk Alone
- Ed Sheeran – Supermarket Flowers
- Nat King Cole - Smile
East Lancashire Crematorium business leader Amy Hrycan said: “We all live such different and unique lives now that it’s natural for people to want to make a funeral as individual and personalised as possible.
“The importance of music in our lives is demonstrated by our research which shows it’s the third most common topic for a family to discuss prior to a funeral.
"Popular music is now a major part of many funerals and we’ve invested in specialist equipment to ensure we provide the highest quality service.”
What songs do you want played at your funeral? Let us know in the comments.
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