'Ave Maria' and 'El cant dels ocells' top the list of most requested songs at funerals

BarcelonaHeHail Mary by Schubert and The song of the birds The songs by Pau Casals are the two most requested at funerals in Catalonia, according to a list compiled by Àltima—which manages 43 funeral homes, 14 crematoriums, and 19 cemeteries across the country. The ranking continues with A kiss and a flower, by Nino Bravo; Words of love, by Joan Manuel Serrat, and the Virolaiby Josep Rodoreda. Among the top 10 most requested songs, there is one in English (My Way, by Frank Sinatra, in ninth position) and three in Spanish (Mediterranean, by Serrat in issue number 6; Between two waters, by Paco de Lucía in the 7, and Hail Rociera, by Manuel Pareja-Obregón in 8th place). The tenth position is for theAdagio in G minor, by Tomaso Giovani Albinoni. The list was compiled from over 16,000 funeral services performed throughout 2025 at the company's facilities.

According to this list, Joan Manuel Serrat He is the most requested performer —with four songs, adding also Those little things and Songs— followed by Antonio Machín, with three songs (A whole life, Two gardenias and Little black angelsThe third most requested artists are the Beatles with pieces like Yesterday, Let it be and Hey JudeLuz Casal is the most sought-after female performer, especially for her song Black shadowAmong the singers on the list, Concha Piquer also stands out with Green eyes and And yet I love youJoan Baez with The chanterelle and Céline Dion with My heart will go on, from the movie Titanic

Through this ranking, Áltima determines that the music played at funeral ceremonies is influenced by the age of the deceased. At funerals for people over 75 (almost 80% of ceremonies), classical, religious, or traditional music predominates. At funerals for people between 46 and 74, singer-songwriter music and popular music from the 60s and 80s are more common, with titles such as Words of love and Mediterranean Serrat. In ceremonies for those under 45, the music is more "modern, current, and corresponds to the more personal tastes of the deceased," something that "shows the trend toward increasingly personalized funerals," says the company.

The 100 most requested musical pieces for Catalan funerals organized by Àltima

1. Hail Maryby Franz Schubert
2. The song of the birdsby Pau Casals
3. A kiss and a flowerby Nino Bravo
4. Words of loveby Joan Manuel Serrat
5. Virolaiby Josep Rodoreda
6. Mediterraneanby Joan Manuel Serrat
7. Between two watersby Paco de Lucía
8. Hail, Rocío womanby Manuel Pareja-Obregón
9. My wayby Frank Sinatra
10. Adagio in B minorby Tomaso Albinoni
11. A whole lifeby Antonio Machín
12. Aranjuez Concert, by Joaquín Rodrigo
13. Hallelujahby Leonard Cohen
14. Canonby Johann Pachelbel
15. Nesum dor maby Giacomo Puccini
16. The emigrantby Juanito Valderrama
17. Imagineby John Lennon
18. Bookby Nino Bravo
19. Little Mother Mary of Carmenby Manolo Escobar
20. Life is beautifulby Nicoal Piovani
21. Two gardeniasby Antoni Machín
22. Those little thingsby Joan Manuel Serrat
23. The Red River ValleyAdaptation by Joan Soler i Amigó
24. Cono te partió / Time to say goodbyeby Andrea Bocelli
25. Motherby Dyango
26. For Elisaby Ludwig van Beethoven
27. Lacrimosaby Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
28. Piano Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight)by Ludwig van Beethoven
29. Grenadeby Agustín Lara
30. Something dies in the soulby Manuel Garrido
31. Let's have luckby Lluís Llach
32. Like waterby Camarón de la Isla and Paco de Lucía
33. Roads, from Goat Soup
34. Swan Lakeby Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
35. Tears in heavenby Eric Clapton
36. Barça chant, by Josep Maria Espinàs and Jaume Picas
37. Songsby Joan Manuel Serrat
38. The Four Seasonsby Antonio Vivaldi
39. Crazy about you, from Sau
40. Boleroby Maurice Ravel
41. Unchained melody, by The Righteous Brothers
42. Fisher of men, by Cesáreo Gabaráin Azurmendi
43. Little black angelsby Antonio Machín
44. Bohemian Rhapsody, by Queen
45. My grandfather, by Josep Lluís Ortega Monasterio
46. Yesterday, by The Beatles
47. Let it be, by The Beatles
48. Always on my mindby Elvis Presley
49. The clockby Roberto Cantoral
50. The time for goodbyesby Robert Burns
51. Dancing queen, by Abba
52. Nocturne op. 9by Frédéric Chopin
53. Nothing else matters, by Metallica
54. Candle in the windby Elton John
55. May life be the sameby Julio Iglesias
56. The Legend of Time, from Camarón de la Isla
57. Sighs of Spainby Antonio Álvarez Alonso
58. A song to freedomby José Antonio Labordeta
59. Hail Maryby Charles Gounod
60. Black shadowby Luz Casal
61. What a wonderful world!by Louis Armstrong
62. Stairway to Heavenby Led Zeppelin
63. Son of the moon, by Mecano
64. Out of Africa Love themeby John Barry
65. Love of my life, by Queen
66. The Holy Thorn, by Enric Morera and Àngel Guimerà
67. Over the Rainbow (Wizard of Oz)by Harold Arlen
68. Galician dawnby Pascual Veiga
69. The Doveby José Iranzo Bielsa
70. Lascia ch'io piangaby Handel
71. The reapers, by Francesc Alió and Brea
72. Green eyesby Concha Piquer
73. Thaïs's meditationby Jules Vernet
74. Farewell to Life (Tosca), by Puccini
75. The Nightingaleby Joan Baez
76. Aria from the suite in D majorby JS Bach
77. My heart will go onby Céline Dion
78. The riverby Bruce Springsteen
79. And yet I love youby Concha Piquer
80. Hey Jude, by The Beatles
81. Ave verum corpusby WA Mozart
82. My lovesby José Baldomir
83. For your love (Rosó)by Josep Carreras
84. How deep is your love, by The Bee Gees
85. Va, pensiero (Nabucco)by Giuseppe Verdi
86. Sadness of loveby Chopin
87. Thanks to lifeby Mercedes Sosa
88. The Nutcracker: Flower Valesby PI Tchaikovsky
89. Cantata 147by JS Bach
90. Your songby Elton John
91. We have plenty of reasons.by Joaquín Sabina
92. A Love Storyby Carlos Eleta
93. To you, holy dwellingby Kiko Argüello
94. Lara's theme (Dr. Zhivago)by Maurice Jarre
95. Panis Angelicusby César Franck
96. The song of the flag, by Lluís Millet y Pagès
97. O mio babbino caro, by Puccini
98. The mother's boyby Josep Maria Espinàs
99. Real Madrid Anthemby José Aguilar
100. The blackberryby Lola Flores