Songs for a memorial or celebration of life slideshow

The best song is almost always one they loved: the one they sang in the car, played at every party or hummed while cooking. Start there. If you need more, or the family can't agree, the lists below are songs families choose again and again.

How many songs you'll need

Most songs run 3 to 4 minutes, so:

a 5-minute slideshow needs 1 or 2 songs,
a 10-minute slideshow needs about 3,
a 15-minute slideshow needs about 4.

A good shape is quiet, then warmer, then quiet: a gentle opening while people settle, brighter songs for the happy years in the middle, and something reflective to close.

Classic and timeless

"What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
"Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole
"I'll Be Seeing You" by Billie Holiday
"My Way" by Frank Sinatra
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
"Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler

Reflective and modern

"Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton
"Supermarket Flowers" by Ed Sheeran
"See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
"Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen (or Jeff Buckley's version)
"Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac
"Angel" by Sarah McLachlan

Country

"Go Rest High on That Mountain" by Vince Gill
"The Dance" by Garth Brooks
"Forever Young" by Rod Stewart

Hymns and faith

"Amazing Grace"
"How Great Thou Art"
"It Is Well with My Soul"
"I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe
"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" by Matt Redman
"You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban

Uplifting, for a celebration of life

"Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles
"Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley and the Wailers
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
"September" by Earth, Wind & Fire
"Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra

Instrumental

Instrumental music is good under an opening title, under text slides people need to read, or when lyrics would be too much.

"Clair de Lune" by Debussy
"Canon in D" by Pachelbel
"Gymnopédie No. 1" by Satie
"River Flows in You" by Yiruma

Tips for putting it together

Match songs to chapters. A song from their teenage years under the early photos, their wedding song under the wedding, a grandchild's favorite under the grandchildren. In Porchlight Slideshow, each scene can have its own music, so the story and the songs change together.
Trim long songs. If a song runs long or has a slow fade, start or end it partway through rather than adding photos to fill it.
Watch the volume. Some recordings are much louder than others; check them one after another before the day.
Sharing online is different. Playing music at a private service is one thing; posting the slideshow on YouTube or Facebook is another, and those sites may mute or block popular songs. For a video you'll share widely, an instrumental or royalty-free track avoids that.

Next: how many photos you'll need, and how to play it at the funeral home.