A gentle guide
Best songs for a funeral slideshow.
The right song does most of the emotional work in a memorial slideshow. Below are songs families ask for most often — grouped by tone and by relationship — with a few notes on when each one tends to land. Pick what feels true to your loved one; there is no wrong choice.
How to choose in five minutes
- Start with tone — reverent, uplifting, or bittersweet.
- Pick a song your loved one would recognize and love.
- Check the length matches your slideshow (3–6 min is typical).
- Test one verse over a few photos before committing.
- When in doubt, "Amazing Grace" or "What a Wonderful World" never miss.
Uplifting
Hopeful & warm
Songs that celebrate a life well-lived.
What a Wonderful World
Louis Armstrong
Gentle, hopeful, universally beloved.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Tender ukulele — works for almost any life.
Here Comes the Sun
The Beatles
Warmth and quiet joy.
I Can Only Imagine
MercyMe
Faith-forward, comforting.
Fly Me to the Moon
Frank Sinatra
Classy, timeless, gentle swing.
Traditional
Hymns & sacred
The most-requested hymns for a memorial.
Amazing Grace
Traditional / many arrangements
The most requested hymn in memorial services.
How Great Thou Art
Traditional hymn
Reverent and full-hearted.
Ave Maria
Schubert (many performers)
Sacred, cross-denominational.
In the Garden
Traditional hymn
Soft, pastoral, comforting.
It Is Well with My Soul
Traditional hymn
Peace amid loss.
Contemporary
Modern & meaningful
Songs from the last few decades families reach for.
See You Again
Carrie Underwood
Country ballad, promise of reunion.
I'll Be Missing You
Puff Daddy & Faith Evans
For younger losses — sample of 'Every Breath You Take.'
Supermarket Flowers
Ed Sheeran
Written for the songwriter's grandmother.
Dancing in the Sky
Dani and Lizzy
Gentle, widely used for mothers.
You'll Be in My Heart
Phil Collins
Warm, cross-generational.
By relationship — Mother
Funeral songs for mom
Songs about mothers often work best when they name specific things — a garden, a phone call, an unmistakable laugh. These are the ones families come back to.
A Song for Mama
Boyz II Men
The Best Day
Taylor Swift
Mama's Song
Carrie Underwood
Wind Beneath My Wings
Bette Midler
In My Life
The Beatles
By relationship — Father
Funeral songs for dad
Fathers are often best honored with songs that acknowledge quiet strength — a hand on your shoulder, a lesson delivered without ceremony. Country and classic-rock ballads tend to land hardest.
Dance with My Father
Luther Vandross
My Father's Eyes
Eric Clapton
The Living Years
Mike + The Mechanics
He Didn't Have to Be
Brad Paisley
Daddy's Hands
Holly Dunn
Grandparent
For grandma & grandpa
Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)
The Judds
In My Life
The Beatles
The Dance
Garth Brooks
When I Get Where I'm Going
Brad Paisley
Spouse
For a husband or wife
Unforgettable
Nat King Cole
At Last
Etta James
I Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston / Dolly Parton
Wonderful Tonight
Eric Clapton
Time After Time
Cyndi Lauper
Child
For a child taken too soon
Tears in Heaven
Eric Clapton
You Are My Sunshine
Traditional
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Gone Too Soon
Michael Jackson
A few practical notes
Length. A memorial slideshow usually runs 3–6 minutes. If a song is much longer, use a natural instrumental break as your cutoff; if it's shorter, layer two songs that share a key.
Lyrics. Read them fully before deciding. Some beautiful melodies carry lyrics that don't fit a memorial context — check the whole song, not just the chorus.
Licensing. For a private service, most families use their own copy of a song. For a public YouTube upload or livestream, we handle licensed or license-free alternatives so your tribute stays online.
Original music. If you'd like something no one else has, we compose original scores for memorial films — often built around a phrase your loved one used, or an instrument they played.
Let us build the slideshow around the song.
Share the song and your favorite photos — we'll deliver a cinematic memory reel your family can keep forever.