The Daily Swarm - 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Highway to Hell' top funeral music chart in Australia...

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July 01, 2008

'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Highway to Hell' top funeral music chart in Australia...

News.com.au | Read Full Story >

Queen’s The Show Must Go On, Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven and AC/DC’s Highway to Hell top the list of South Australia’s most unusual funeral songs, released by Centennial Park, the state’s largest provider of cemetery, crematorium and memorial services.

The organisation also released a list of the most played funeral songs, which included classic ballads, including My Way by Frank Sinatra, Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman’s Time to Say Goodbye and Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World.

There has been a trend in recent years towards such unusual songs as Ding Dong the Witch is Dead from the Wizard of Oz, Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust and Willie Nelson’s Hit the Road Jack.

Centennial Park chief executive officer Bryan Elliot said the choice of funeral song could provide an opportunity for families to express the individuality of their loved one and personalise the service.

“Music played during a funeral service helps to set the mood, whether it’s emotive, humorous or bittersweet,” Mr Elliot said.