Traditional hymns absent from top 10 most popular funeral songs

Ed Sheeran was a new entry to the top 10 REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Traditional hymns appear to be out of favour at British funerals as more and more people opt for secular songs. 

Frank Sinatra was top of the list, while not a single Christian hymn made it into the Co-op Funeralcare's top 10 most requested funeral songs.

Ol' Blue Eyes was ranked number one with his ever popular hit My Way.

Following after him were Time To Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, and Over The Rainbow by Eva Cassidy.

Two newcomers to the 2019 Funeral Music top 10 chart were Westlife with You Raise Me Up at number 8 and Ed Sheeran's Supermarket Flowers at number 6. 

The top 10 was drawn from a poll of Co-op Funeralcare's funeral directors, who conduct around 100,000 funerals annually.  After surveying 2,000 people, it also found that one in four people wanted the songs played at their funeral to make people laugh.

David Collingwood, Director of Funerals at the Co-op said: "We all live such unique lives and funerals should completely reflect that. Each element of a funeral is a very personal decision which is why the music choice plays such an important and impactful role. 

"We're always encouraging people to be more open about their funeral wishes, making it clear to their loved ones what they would want for themselves when the time comes.

"Even knowing what song someone would have wanted can bring such comfort at an incredibly hard time."

The Co-op Funeralcare top 10 most requested funeral songs in full: 

1. My Way - Frank Sinatra (non-mover) 2. Time To Say Goodbye - Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman (non-mover) 3. Over The Rainbow - Eva Cassidy (non-mover) 4. Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler (non-mover) 5. Angels - Robbie Williams (re-entry) 6. Supermarket Flowers - Ed Sheeran (new entry) 7. Unforgettable - Nat King Cole (up three places) 8. You Raise Me Up - Westlife (new entry) 9. We'll Meet Again - Vera Lynn (down three places) 10. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life - Eric Idle, from Monty Python's 'Life of Brian' (down two places)

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