Celebration of Life Music
A celebration of life runs on different music than a traditional service — here’s what fits the format.
A celebration of life is built around the life, not the loss — which usually means the music skews warmer and more upbeat than a traditional funeral. Here’s a working list, split by tone.
Upbeat & celebratory
| Song | Artist |
|---|---|
| “Celebration” | Kool & the Gang |
| “What a Wonderful World” | Louis Armstrong |
| “Good Life” | OneRepublic |
| “Three Little Birds” | Bob Marley |
| “Don’t Stop Me Now” | Queen |
Warm & reflective
| Song | Artist |
|---|---|
| “Unforgettable” | Nat King Cole |
| “You’ve Got a Friend” | James Taylor |
| “In My Life” | The Beatles |
| “Forever Young” | Rod Stewart |
Planning the rest of the celebration?
If you want more of a somber, traditional tone in parts of the program, our full memorial service songs list covers that range too, and our uplifting funeral songs guide overlaps heavily with this one if you want more options.
A celebration of life is, by design, personal — a curated playlist gets you most of the way there, but an original song can do the one thing a playlist can’t: mention them by name and tell their actual story.
An original song for the celebration
Tell us about them and a professional songwriter will write and record an original tribute song — the centerpiece of a celebration built around who they really were.