The funeral songs that would make the room smile

There’s a moment at the best send-offs. The room has been quiet, the tissues are out, and then the first bars of a song kick in and someone laughs. Then someone else does. Within a few seconds the whole place is grinning, because that song is so completely, ridiculously them. That’s the moment this list is for.

Picking an upbeat song for your own funeral isn’t about making light of anything. It’s about leaving the room the way you’d want it: a bit lighter than when everyone walked in.

Ten we’d play

Chosen by the Twentyfive team, after a long and frankly heated debate. Titles and artists only.

“A Future Untold” by Shabaka. For the walk in. Calm, unhurried, and a gentle reminder that the story isn’t quite over.
“Goodbye (Nothing to Say)” by The Javells, featuring Nosmo King. A floor-filler with the most honest title in music. Sometimes there really isn’t anything to say, so you might as well dance.
“What Happens Now?” by Laurence Guy and SHEE. The question everyone’s quietly asking, set to something you can sway to.
“How Can I Make It OK?” by Wolf Alice. Big, warm and a little bit emotional. One for the moment the room needs a hug.
“Octopus’s Garden” by The Beatles. Ringo at his most joyfully daft. Impossible to stay glum through.
“Boogie Wonderland” by Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions. For anyone whose ideal send-off has a glitterball.
“The Number One Song In Heaven” by Sparks. The title does the joke for you. Confident, cosmic, and very much heading for the top of the charts upstairs.
“Keep The Car Running” by Arcade Fire. For the ones who were always halfway out the door to the next adventure.
“Skip To The End” by The Futureheads. Cheeky, short and to the point. A fine choice for anyone who hated long goodbyes.
“Beam Me Up” by Midnight Magic. Disco for the departure lounge. The perfect walk out.

Want something a bit softer for the quieter moments? Here’s how to pick your songs, from the walk in to the walk out.

Funny, or just a bit cheeky?

There’s a line, and you’re the best judge of where it sits. A funny funeral song lands when the room knows it was your choice and your joke. It can sting when it looks like someone else’s. So the trick is simple: make it yours, and say so. A one-line note about why turns “did they really play that?” into “of course they did”.

If you’re choosing songs for someone else, ask the people who knew them best. The right cheeky song will have half the room nodding before the chorus.

Mix the moods

The best send-offs aren’t all one thing. A quiet song for the walk in, a lump-in-the-throat moment in the middle, then something that makes everyone grin on the way out. Laughter and tears sit together better than you’d think. That’s sort of the point.

Where Twentyfive fits

Here’s the thing about a cheeky funeral song: it only works if people know it was your idea. Leave it to guesswork and it’ll be the hymn everyone’s heard a hundred times. Add your songs to your Twentyfive Card, with a line on why each one made the cut, and the joke stays yours. They only see what you choose to share.

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