[Music Funeral] BGM to Remember the Deceased | Spotlight on Requiems and Dirges Praying for Peace
In recent years, the term “music funeral” has become more common, and it’s increasingly popular to play music at funerals to honor the deceased.
It’s also said that more people are choosing songs in advance during their lifetime, entrusting their feelings to music as a way to express gratitude and love.
In this article, we introduce several recommended songs for remembering the departed and for use as funeral background music.
We’ve gathered a variety of pieces—songs that express feelings for the deceased, songs that convey gratitude for the past, classical works including requiems, and calm J-pop—so please use this as a reference.
- Songs to Play at My Own Funeral: Timeless Gems to Make Farewells Uniquely My Own
- [Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing someone dear. Tracks to listen to while thinking of a loved one.
- [Thank-You Song] A song to convey your feelings of “thank you” to someone special
- [Bereavement Song] To you whom I can no longer meet... Tear-jerking songs about death
- [Memorial Song] A moving classic and love song dedicated to a beloved person embarking on a journey to heaven
- Masterpieces of requiems and dirges
- A song I want people who have lost a beloved partner to listen to
- Great songs recommended for people in their 80s: a collection of tracks with lyrics that touch the heart
- A gentle song. A classic that calms the heart. A song that makes you feel kind.
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- A nostalgic song—a timeless classic that somehow feels familiar and touches the heart.
- [Standard] A compilation of popular songs recommended for award ceremonies [Classical / BGM]
- [For when you want to cry or feel sad] Tear-jerking masterpieces that make you cry when you listen
[Music Funeral] BGM to Remember the Deceased | Also Featuring Requiems and Laments Praying for Peace (41–50)
FlowerORANGE RANGE
ORANGE RANGE is a band strongly associated with images of Okinawa, summer, and the sea.
Many of their signature songs, like Shanghai Honey and Locomotion, are real hype-raisers.
In stark contrast to that image, however, Hana is a heartbreaking ballad sung for someone who is no longer here.
The song was also the theme for the 2004 film Be with You, which is likely how many people know it.
It’s a number that makes you realize that the everyday moments you once took for granted were actually precious time once they’re gone.
Always With MeKimura Yumi
This is Yumi Kimura’s debut single, which served as the theme song for the film Spirited Away and became a massive hit alongside the film’s insert song, “Inochi no Uta.” Her warm vocals and the gentle timbre of the harp further enhanced the film’s mysterious atmosphere.
Death comes equally to everything in this world.
“Even if your body disappears from this world, I will never forget our shining memories.” Rather than merely mourning the departure of a loved one, this is a song that allows you to express gratitude for the memories they left behind.
Its rounded, softly textured sound is also perfectly suited to gently sending off someone dear as they move on to a new stage.
Muen-zakasadamasashi
Masashi Sada’s voice sounds like two different people depending on whether he’s singing a comical song or a serious one.
“Muen-zaka” is a masterpiece from the time when he was in the duo Grape.
It doesn’t exactly sound like a requiem, yet the word “Muen-zaka” serves as the key, and his feelings for his mother come through plainly and directly.
Sung in a serious tone, Sada’s voice all the more conveys the weight of this song.
Thank youSMAP
The word “thank you” is wonderful, isn’t it? It’s like a soul-soothing word that instantly calms the parts of us that are flawed, the parts that hold grudges.
This song, “Arigatou,” filled with that word, is, among SMAP’s songs, a requiem for the heart.
It’s a phrase we’re usually too embarrassed to say, but if you find the courage to simply say “thank you,” it’s like a magic spell that opens up the view before you.
It’s a song I’d like to dedicate with gratitude for someone who has passed away.
Thank youikimonogakari
Ikimono-gakari is popular across a wide range of generations, from children to adults.
This song, their 18th single released in 2010, was written specifically for the NHK morning drama series Gegege no Nyobo.
Its lyrics, which look back on a life shared with someone precious, may resonate with feelings for someone who has passed away and can no longer be met.
It’s not only sad, but also a very gentle number that calms the heart—one that lets you reflect on yourself even as you think of the deceased.
To the futureKiroro
Chiharu Tamashiro, the vocalist of Kiroro, has loved singing since she was little and spent her days auditioning to become a singer, only to be turned down time and again.
One day in her third year of junior high, she saw her mother coughing badly and felt anxious, thinking, “What if my mother isn’t here anymore…?” Regretting how she had taken out her frustration every time she failed an audition, she wrote this song to express her gratitude.
It reminds us that we need to say what matters before it’s too late.
SubaruTanimura Shinji
There are songs that weren’t created with the intention of mourning someone who has passed away, yet when you listen with that in mind, they feel just right.
Even pieces we casually listen to can suddenly take on new meaning when we remember someone who’s gone, catching us off guard and making us realize things.
Tanimura Shinji’s signature song “Subaru” is one such piece—a masterpiece that resonates in many people’s hearts.
When you listen to it while thinking of someone dear, someone who has passed away, it grips your heart even more and brings a swell of emotion.
It’s a timeless classic, loved across generations and passed down through singing.