Revealed: the 10 most commonly requested songs for funerals at Sherwood Forest Crematorium in 2022

The Crematorium and Memorial Group, which operates the Ollerton site, has revealed the most requested pieces of music for funerals held at the facility during 2022.

Sad, moving or reflective songs that family members believe pay tribute to their loved one continue to dominate the funeral top 10, but there has been a rise in recent years of families choosing more uplifting pop or rock songs.

My Way, by Frank Sinatra takes the top spot at Sherwood Forest Crematorium, but is joined in the top 10 most requested songs by the likes of Bette Midler and Ed Sheeran.

Personal favourites of the deceased are also more regularly chosen for their send-off, with The Beatles and Elvis Presley evident of a time when music began to play a bigger part in many people’s lives.

The diversity of genres available to music lovers in the 1980s and ’90s is also reflected in songs being chosen by such varied artists as Tina Turner, Blondie and Oasis.

Andrew Smith, crematorium business leader, said: “We all live such different and unique lives now that it’s natural for people to want to make a funeral as individual and personalised as possible.

“The importance of music in our lives is demonstrated by our research which shows it’s the third most common topic for a family to discuss prior to a funeral. Popular music is now a major part of many funerals and we’ve invested in specialist equipment to ensure we provide the highest quality service.”