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GTFM – Cynon Valley The most-played song at funerals
Written by admin on 20th October 2021
You’ll Never Walk Alone has overtaken Frank Sinatra’s My Way as the most-played funeral song, new figures suggest.
The version of the song by Gerry and the Pacemakers – long associated with Liverpool Football Club – has been played at an estimated 9,500 funerals in the past year.
It spent four weeks at number one in 1963 and has been covered by Michael Ball, Sir Captain Tom Moore and the NHS Voices of Care Choir in April.
The rankings also feature some more controversial requests, including W.A.P by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, Girl On Fire by Alicia Keys, F*** Forever by Babyshambles, Ha Ha You’re Dead by Green Day, and Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead from The Wizard of Oz.
Potentially offensive songs can end up being vetoed by funeral venues, or the person who ordaining the service.
The top 10 songs in the past year also include upbeat new entries including Tina Turner’s Simply The Best and The Chain by Fleetwood Mac.
Sam Tyrer, managing director of Co-op Funeralcare, said: “The songs we choose for a funeral all hold unique and personal meaning for ourselves and loved ones but naturally some songs remain more popular than others.
“Each element of a funeral is a very personal choice and we’re encouraging the nation to be more open about their funeral wishes, music is a really simple and comforting place to start.”
Pauline McAvoy, funeral service manager at Co-op Funeralcare, added: “You’ll Never Walk Alone really has been a stand-out song over the last year, its sentiments around weathering the storm of life by coming together and supporting one another have really struck a chord with so many after the extraordinary events of the last 18 months.
“It’s a beautiful melody which carries such deep meaning.”
The full 2021 funeral music chart:
| No | Song | Artist | Movement since 2019 |
| 1 | You’ll Never Walk Alone | Gerry and the Pacemakers | New entry |
| 2 | My Way | Frank Sinatra | Down 1 place |
| 3 | Always look on the bright side of life | Eric Idle | Up 7 places |
| 4 | Simply the best | Tina Turner | New entry |
| 5 | Supermarket Flowers | Ed Sheeran | Up 1 place |
| 6 | Time to Say Goodbye | Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman | Down 4 places |
| 7 | The Chain | Fleetwood Mac | New entry |
| 8 | Somewhere Over the Rainbow | Eva Cassidy | Down 5 places |
| 9 | We’ll Meet Again | Vera Lynn | Non-mover |
| 10 | This is Me | The Greatest Showman | New entry |
Contemporary / Pop
|
No |
Song | Artist | Movement since 2019 |
| 1 | Supermarket Flowers | Ed Sheeran | Up 2 places |
| 2 | You Raise Me Up | Westlife | Non-mover |
| 3 | Dancing Queen | Abba | Up 2 places |
| 4 | Chasing cars | Snow Patrol | New entry |
| 5 | Dancing in the Sky | Dani and Lizzi | Up 2 places |
| 6 | See You Again | Wiz Khalifa | Down 2 places |
| 7 | Valerie | Amy Winehouse | New entry |
| 8 | Angels | Robbie Williams | Down 7 places |
| 9 | Lost without you | Freya Ridings | New Entry |
| 10 | A Thousand Years | Christina Perri | New Entry |
Classical
|
No |
Song | Artist | Movement since 2019 |
| 1 | Time to Say Goodbye | Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman | Up 1 place |
| 2 | Nimrod | Edward Elgar | Down 1 place |
| 3 | Canon in D | Pachelbel | Non-mover |
| 4 | Ave Maria | Franz Schubert | Non-mover |
| 5 | The Four Seasons | Vivaldi | Up 4 places |
| 6 | Nessun dorma | The Three Tenors | New entry |
| 7 | Adagio For Strings | Samuel Barber | Non-mover |
| 8 | Air on A G String | Bach | Non-mover |
| 9 | Blue Danube | Andre Rieu | New entry |
| 10 | Clair De Lune | Claude Debussy | Non-mover |
Hymns
|
No |
Song | Artist | Movement since 2019 |
| 1 | Abide by Me | Traditional | Non-mover |
| 2 | The Lord Is My Shepherd | Traditional | Up 1 place |
| 3 | Amazing Grace | Traditional | Up 2 places |
| 4 | Jerusalem | Traditional | Up 2 places |
| 5 | How Great Thou Art | Traditional | Down 1 place |
| 6 | All Things Bright and Beautiful | Traditional | Down 4 places |
| 7 | Make Me a Channel of Your Peace | Traditional | New entry |
| 8 | Morning Has Broken | Traditional | Down 1 place |
| 9 | Old Rugged Cross | Traditional | Down 1 place |
| 10 | Lord of Hopefulness | Traditional | New entry |
Film and TV
|
No |
Song | Artist | Movement since 2019 |
| 1 | Always look on the bright side of life | Eric Idle | Up 4 places |
| 2 | This is Me | The Greatest Showman | New entry |
| 3 | (I’ve had) The time of my life | Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes | New entry |
| 4 | Vicar of Dibley | Theme | New entry |
| 5 | Only Fools and Horses | Theme | Down 4 places |
| 6 | Match of the Day | Theme | Down 2 places |
| 7 | Bring me sunshine | Morecambe and Wise | Down 1 place |
| 8 | Last of the Summer Wine | Theme | Down 6 places |
| 9 | My heart will go on | Titanic | New entry |
| 10 | I will always love you | Whitney Houston | New entry |
