Songs for a Memorial Video: 50+ Ideas by Person and Mood

Music does a lot of the work in a memorial video. It sets the pace for the photos, gives everyone in the room a few minutes to feel the same thing together, and is often what people remember afterwards.

Below are more than 50 songs families often choose, sorted by who the video is for and by mood, with a few tips on choosing one. Putting a slideshow together? Our funeral slideshow ideas cover photos, length and free tools.

How to Choose a Song

1. 1Start with their music. A song they loved, sang along to in the car or danced to at their wedding will mean more than any list. Ask family and old friends; someone usually knows.
2. 2Think about where it will play. Gentle songs suit the service itself. Upbeat ones often fit a celebration of life, a reception or a video shared afterwards.
3. 3Listen to every word. Play the whole song once before you choose it. Some well-known songs have a verse about a breakup or something else that doesn't fit.
4. 4Fit it to the length. A song runs about 3 to 4 minutes, enough for 30 to 40 photos. Two or three songs fill a 10-minute video.
5. 5Choose the last song with care. It's the one people leave with. Many families end on something hopeful, or on the song that was most theirs.

Songs for Mom

• “A Song for Mama” by Boyz II Men
• “The Best Day” by Taylor Swift. A daughter remembering childhood days with her mother.
• “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack
• “Mama Liked the Roses” by Elvis Presley
• “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban
• “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler

Songs for Dad

• “Dance with My Father” by Luther Vandross. Memories of dancing with his father as a boy.
• “The Living Years” by Mike + The Mechanics. About the things left unsaid between a son and his father.
• “Butterfly Kisses” by Bob Carlisle. A father and daughter, from her childhood to her wedding day.
• “Daddy's Hands” by Holly Dunn
• “My Father's Eyes” by Eric Clapton

Songs for a Husband, Wife or Partner

• “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers
• “Can't Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley
• “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
• “Remember When” by Alan Jackson. A marriage, from first love to growing old together.
• “If Tomorrow Never Comes” by Garth Brooks
• “I'll Be Seeing You” by Billie Holiday
• “My Heart Will Go On” by Céline Dion

Songs for Grandparents

• “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
• “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
• “Supermarket Flowers” by Ed Sheeran. Written after his grandmother died.
• “Slipped Away” by Avril Lavigne. Written for her grandfather.
• “Moon River” by Andy Williams
• “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole

Songs for a Friend, Brother or Sister

• “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth. A tribute to the actor Paul Walker.
• “I'll Be Missing You” by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans. A tribute to The Notorious B.I.G.
• “Who You'd Be Today” by Kenny Chesney. For someone who died young.
• “Gone Too Soon” by Michael Jackson
• “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King
• “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers

Upbeat Songs for a Celebration of Life

If they were the life of the party, or told you they didn't want sad songs, something lighter may feel more like them:

• “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles
• “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley
• “Ain't No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
• “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day
• “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw
• “My Way” by Frank Sinatra. For years one of the most requested funeral songs in the UK.
• “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” by Monty Python. For someone who would want you to smile.

Christian Songs and Hymns

• “Amazing Grace”
• “How Great Thou Art”
• “It Is Well with My Soul”
• “In the Garden”
• “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe
• “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)” by Matt Redman

Country Songs

• “Go Rest High on That Mountain” by Vince Gill. Finished after the death of his brother.
• “The Dance” by Garth Brooks
• “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry
• “Over You” by Miranda Lambert. Written with Blake Shelton after his brother died.
• “Drink a Beer” by Luke Bryan

Instrumental Music

Music without words works well under a part where someone speaks, for longer stretches, or when lyrics would pull attention away from the photos:

• “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel
• “Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy
• “Gymnopédie No. 1” by Erik Satie
• “Air on the G String” by Johann Sebastian Bach
• “River Flows in You” by Yiruma
• “Nuvole Bianche” by Ludovico Einaudi

Songs to End With

The closing song is the one people walk out with. These are often chosen for the final minutes:

• “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
• “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, or the version by Jeff Buckley
• “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton. Written after the death of his young son.
• “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel
• “Dancing in the Sky” by Dani and Lizzy

Songs in Another Language, or No Music at All

A song in their first language can mean more than anything on this list, especially to family who grew up with it. Some faiths and families prefer no music; a silent video, or one with a recording of their voice, can be just as moving.

If You'll Share the Video Online

Playing a song at the service is one thing; posting the video is another. YouTube, Facebook and Instagram often mute copyrighted songs or block the video in some countries. For a copy you'll post, use royalty-free music, such as the library in your editing tool or YouTube's Audio Library.

Music in an AI Memorial Video

We make something different from a slideshow: a short AI memorial video made from one or two photos and set to gentle background music. Mention a favourite song or the mood you'd like when you order, and we'll take it into account.

It comes as a standard MP4 file, so you can also put it at the end of your slideshow and let your own song play over it.

All videos marked “AI sample” are AI-generated examples.

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