Courtesy of AFP:

Frank Sinatra's "My Way" is the most popular song played at funeral services, but other more arresting death-bed choices were revealed in a poll published in Britain.

Australian rockers AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" has stormed into the funeral charts along with Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust," while Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" has a new lease of life after its recent success on a talent show.

More traditionally, hymns including "The Lord Is My Shepherd" and "All Things Bright And Beautiful" are among music chosen by people to accompany their final journey.

For classical music fans, Schubert's "Ave Maria," Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" and Bach's "Air On A G String" are among the most chosen pieces to comfort their loved ones as they pay final farewells.

Television and radio music also features on the burial playlist: theme tunes from popular programmes like "Top Gear", "The Benny Hill Show" and even the Radio Four Shipping Forecast music, which many fall asleep to at night.

"As more people choose non-religious funerals, so they incline towards contemporary songs with which they closely identify," said Lorinda Sheasby of the funeral company which commissioned the survey.

While hymns and classics may have been traditional favourites, pop songs now account for more than half of the music chosen as people's final soundtrack, according to the poll of over 30,000 funerals.

Here are some of the top pieces of music chosen, according to the poll commissioned by Co-operative Funeralcare.

- Top 5 popular songs:

1. "My Way" - Frank Sinatra/Shirley Bassey.

2. "Wind Beneath My Wings" - Bette Midler/Celine Dion.

3. "Time To Say Goodbye" - Sarah Brightman/Andrea Bocelli.

4. "Angels" - Robbie Williams.

5. "Over The Rainbow" - Eva Cassidy.

- Top 5 hymns:

1. "The Lord Is My Shepherd".

2. "Abide With Me".

3. "All Things Bright And Beautiful".

4. "Old Rugged Cross".

5. "Amazing Grace".

- Top 5 classical pieces:

1. "Nimrod" from "Enigma Variations" - Elgar.

2. "Pie Jesu" from "Requiem" - Faure.

3. "Ave Maria" - Schubert.

4. "Nessun Dorma" - Puccini.

5. "Canon in D Major" - Pachelbel.

- Other chart movers (no rankings):

- "Hallelujah" covered by talent show winner Alexandra Burke.

- "Bat Out Of Hell" - Meatloaf.

- "Spirit In The Sky" - Doctor and the Medics.

- 'Highway To Hell" - AC/DC.

My choice:

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes ~ The Platters

When Will I See You Again ~ The Three Degrees

Blaze Away ~ Joseph Locke

For my mum's funeral we came in with Johnnie Mathis singing A Certain Smile (the first record my dad bought my mum).  During the service we sang 'Lord Of All Hopefulness' and 'Abide With Me'.  My mum's body was committed whilst Living Doll by Cliff Richard played.  That was always mums song

Too Much Heaven By The Bee Gees.

For my father's funeral he had chosen for his funeral "Largo for Xerxes" by Handel, two hymns, "Guide Thee Lord Thou Great Redeemer" (sometimes called "Bread Of Heaven") and "Abide With Me", and the music when he was carried out of the church was the Shepherd's song from Beethoven's 6th Symphony. And he wishes were granted.

How about Curtis Mayfield "If There's a Hell Below,We're All Gonna Go" ?

As a wind-up, Peter Sellers had In The Mood played for he knew that everyone there would hate the tune.

As a wind-up, Peter Sellers had In The Mood played for he knew that everyone there would hate the tune.



Which version was that?  ???

Which version was that?  ???
The original by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra.

The original by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra.



That was a good version.

1. Forever Autumn
2. Ariel October Project
3."Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Op. 43, Variation XVIII" My favorite piece of music ever composed

"Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Op. 43, Variation XVIII" My favorite piece of music ever composed
That is my wife's favourite classical tune.

Highway To Hell- ACDC.

Highway To Hell- ACDC.
As in the title to the topic.

When I die, I will definately get 'Highway to Hell'

When I die, I will definately get 'Highway to Hell'


Why would you want something loud?  ???

Why would you want something loud?  ???


Cause your mom didn't quite do it for me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jhk5MEugJY

for some reason this is always the song i most associate with the death experience. but i've always been a subscriber to the death-as-spirit-expansion theory.

yup i really am that naive and cheesy.

guess that puts me in the hallelujah camp.

Cause your mom didn't quite do it for me




That's ok,My mom wouldn't do it for you anyway.  ;D

That's ok,My mom wouldn't do it for you anyway.  ;D



http://farm1.static.flickr.com/211/468998909_f268d99fd5.jpg?v=0

Television and radio music also features on the burial playlist: theme tunes from popular programmes like "Top Gear", "The Benny Hill Show" and even the Radio Four Shipping Forecast music, which many fall asleep to at night.


I've never fallen asleep to "Yakety Sax" (aka the Benny Hill Theme), and I'm not sure what sort of death warrants it, but I'd sure hope to earn the right to have it played at my funeral.

Well my Nan's favourite singer was Englebert Humperdink and for a while we did think about playing 'Please release me' my Nan had a wicked sense of humour and would have loved it but in the end they went for 'Wind beneath my wings'

I'd love to have something really ridiculous played at my funeral like Benny Hill - you know, have them run all around, dropping the coffin and stuff, but I haven't been able to think of anything.  Not yet anyway

Has anyone here seen the movie "Undertaking Betty?"  It's an absolutely charming movie, but there's a side part about a mortuary that provides theme funerals, and it's just hilarious.  I highly reccommend it.

I want 'Disco Inferno' when I shuffle off...('Burn, baby, burn...' :D)

I want 'Disco Inferno' when I shuffle off...('Burn, baby, burn...' :D)
...or Fire by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown ?

How about 'One Step Beyond' by Madness?  The music has a slight comical value to it, so it might not be a proper song for a funeral, but what a way to go LOL

Riders on the storm (by the Doors) always seems to me a macabre type of song. No sunshine and lollypops there.

Or...play "A day in the life" by the Beatles, and just as we get to that final sustained note, the world ends.

(on another note, I always liked "Cheese and Onions" by the Rutles, with the note at the end lasting about 1 second instead...classic. )

I want 'Disco Inferno' when I shuffle off...('Burn, baby, burn...' :D)




But that has nothing to do with hell or heaven.

Armageddon - Prism    ..a good "end of the world" song

Armageddon - Prism    ..a good "end of the world" song


"carry me hooooooooooooome"  Heck yeah! lol

...or Fire by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown ?


Or, if I'm despatched via the 'other' method...Bernard Cribbins 'Hole In The Ground'  :D

Or, if I'm despatched via the 'other' method...Bernard Cribbins 'Hole In The Ground'   :D
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