Blunt tops funeral song requests

Goodbye My Lover reached number 9 in the UK charts in 2005
James Blunt's Goodbye My Lover has become the most requested song to be played at funerals and services of remembrance in the UK.

Robbie Williams' Angels is the second most popular.

I've Had the Time of My Life, made famous by the film Dirty Dancing, is in third place.

The survey, involving 5,000 people and carried out by The Bereavement Register, found 51% of people know what song they want played at their funeral.

TOP POPULAR FUNERAL SONGS

• 1. Goodbye My Lover - James Blunt
• 2. Angels - Robbie Williams
• 3. I've Had the Time of My Life - Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley
• 4. Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler
• 5. Pie Jesu - Requiem
• 6. Candle in the Wind - Elton John
• 7. With or Without You - U2
• 8. Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
• 9. Every Breath You Take - The Police
• 10. Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers

The survey also suggests that 79% have discussed what songs they would like to have played.

Mark Roy, founder, of The Bereavement Register, said: "The top 20 really shows how far we have come in terms of saying goodbye. Gone are the dirges of yore, instead we are seeing contemporary music that is easier to relate to.

"Everyone has a favourite song that means something very special to them, often connected to a particular time and place."

Blunt has won two Brit awards, while his debut album was a hit in the UK and the US.

But the singer has faced a backlash from those who are not fans, being voted more irritating than traffic wardens, noisy neighbours and estate agents in a poll ranking the UK's most annoying things.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
The Bereavement Register
James Blunt
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