Celebration of Life Music Playlist
The songs, the moments they play, and who presses play.
Planning your own farewell? Pick the songs that sound like you. Add a line about why. Your people will want to know.
Planning for someone you love? Start with what they played in the car, at the kitchen table, at every party. Then fill the gaps from the ideas below.
Build the playlist by moment, not by mood
A celebration of life has a shape, and music marks each turn. Plan for six moments:
- Gathering. Twenty to thirty minutes as people arrive. Familiar, warm, not too quiet.
- Entrance or procession. One song. This is the one people remember.
- Reflection. A song during a reading, a candle lighting, or a moment of silence.
- Slideshow or video. One to three songs, matched to the length of the photos.
- Closing. The song people walk out to. Many families choose something that lifts.
- Reception. The party. This is where the person's real playlist belongs, the loud stuff and the guilty pleasures.
The template has a Moment column so whoever runs the day knows exactly where each song goes.
The one thing that goes wrong
Nobody decides who presses play. Write a name in the "Who plays it" column, and make sure that person has every song downloaded to their phone or laptop. Venue wifi fails. Streaming apps drop. A downloaded file does not.
If someone is singing or playing live, note it, and check whether they need a microphone, a piano, or a music stand.
Sixty song ideas, by moment
Titles and artists only. Search any of them on your music app.
Gathering (as people arrive) What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong. In My Life, The Beatles. Into the Mystic, Van Morrison. Have I Told You Lately, Van Morrison. You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Stevie Wonder. Fire and Rain, James Taylor. Home, Michael Bublé. Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. Landslide, Fleetwood Mac. On the Road Again, Willie Nelson.
Entrance or procession Amazing Grace. How Great Thou Art. Be Not Afraid, Bob Dufford. Ave Maria, Schubert. Canon in D, Pachelbel. Nimrod, Elgar. You Raise Me Up, Josh Groban. Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley.
Reflection Tears in Heaven, Eric Clapton. Supermarket Flowers, Ed Sheeran. Dancing in the Sky, Dani and Lizzy. See You Again, Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth. Here Without You, 3 Doors Down. Right Here Waiting, Richard Marx. Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion. Remember Me This Way, Jordan Hill. Yesterday, The Beatles. Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel. Unchained Melody, The Righteous Brothers. A Whiter Shade of Pale, Procol Harum. The Dance, Garth Brooks. Go Rest High on That Mountain, Vince Gill. Bless the Broken Road, Rascal Flatts. I Hope You Dance, Lee Ann Womack. Humble and Kind, Tim McGraw. Anyway, Martina McBride.
Slideshow or video Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler. Forever Young, Rod Stewart. Candle in the Wind, Elton John. My Heart Will Go On, Celine Dion. (I've Had) The Time of My Life, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. Stand by Me, Ben E. King. Halo, Beyoncé. When You Believe, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Angels, Robbie Williams. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Green Day.
Closing I'll Fly Away. It Is Well with My Soul. Let It Be, The Beatles. My Way, Frank Sinatra. Spirit in the Sky, Norman Greenbaum. Take Me Home, Country Roads, John Denver. Don't You (Forget About Me), Simple Minds.
Reception Lean on Me, Bill Withers. Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Don't Stop Believin', Journey. Three Little Birds, Bob Marley and the Wailers. Drift Away, Dobie Gray. Don't Worry, Be Happy, Bobby McFerrin. September, Earth, Wind and Fire.
Looking for a song for a specific person? Read Best Funeral Songs for Dad and Top Funeral Songs for Grandma.
Write down what not to play
Some people know exactly what they do not want. The template has a page for it. It is as useful as the playlist itself.
A note on playing music in public
A funeral home, church, or venue usually holds its own music license, so playing recorded songs there is covered. A private gathering in a home, backyard, or park does not need one. If a videographer is filming the celebration, ask them about music rights for the finished video before the day. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Preview the template
Free to use. Tell us where to send it, and the editable copy and the PDF arrive by email.
Related resources
Find help near you
An Officiant or a Celebration of Life Planner can build the running order around your songs. Find Officiants and Clergy