Queen is one of the most iconic rock bands in music history. They have recorded everything from heavy metal to funk, disco to R&B and much in between.
Even at times when we are grieving a loved one, Queen is there to provide music to uplift the soul. So without further ado, here are the best Queen songs for a funeral.
“Procession” by Queen
Song Year: 1974
It is appropriate to start this list with an instrumental from Queen II. The record begins with a funeral march. It is an ominous start to what Queen fans consider one of the band’s hardest rocking releases.
Getting unlimited access to a recording studio allowed the members of Queen to experiment on their second album. Brian May multi-tracked his homemade guitar Red Special to create the music of a funeral procession.
“Who Wants To Live Forever” by Queen
Song Year: 1986
“Who Wants To Live Forever” is a song composed by Queen for the soundtrack to the film Highlander. It explores the pain of having immortality when it forces you to watch your mortal loved ones grow old and die.
Guitarist Brian May is not featured on vocals very often, but his soulful voice begins the song before Freddie Mercury’s powerful tenor takes over. Seal performed the song at The Freddie Mercury Tribute concert in 1992.
“Made in Heaven” by Queen
Song Year: 1995
“Made in Heaven” was a song written by Freddie Mercury for his debut solo album Mr. Bad Guy in 1985. After Mercury’s death, Queen released a posthumous album featuring the song as the title track.
Mercury’s lyrics for the song suggested that he may have already known he was unwell when he wrote it, although he was not diagnosed with AIDS until 1987. His “ride with destiny” and “learning to pay the price” support the suspicions that Mercury had become reflective of some of the choices he made in his personal life.
“Somebody To Love” by Queen
Song Year: 1976
Queen is known for its intricate harmonies, and no song exemplifies this more than “Somebody To Love” from A Day at the Races. The band multi-tracked their voices in order to create the sound of a large gospel choir.
Mercury sings to the Lord, wondering why, despite his faith in him and how hard he works that he has nobody to love. The feeling of the singer being trapped in a “prison cell” alludes to Mercury’s pain of having to hide his true sexuality from the public eye.
“Love of My Life” by Queen
Song Year: 1975
A beautiful ballad from A Night at the Opera, “Love of My Life” was often performed in concert with Freddie Mercury singing and Brian May accompanying him on acoustic guitar. During Queen’s tour of South America, the crowd would sing the song back to the band in perfect English.
The song is about having a broken heart after somebody you love deeply leaves. This could be interpreted as the end of a relationship or the death of a loved one.
“Nevermore” by Queen
Song Year: 1974
“Nevermore” is a beautiful ballad of vocal harmonies accompanied by Freddie Mercury on piano. The short song is an interlude featured on what is considered to be Queen’s most heavy metal album, Queen II.
Mercury’s voice captures the pain of having lost someone close. It seems like the world has stopped, the seas have dried up, and the sunshine no longer provides warmth. As much as love inspires artists to write music, so does the pain of love lost.
“All Dead, All Dead” by Queen
Song Year: 1977
From News of the World, “All Dead, All Dead” is a ballad written and sung by Brian May while he plays the piano. May wrote the song about the passing of his childhood cat.
The song is a beautiful tribute to the death of a loved one and the pain that the person who is spared must suffer. Despite the fact that death is inevitable for everyone, it is still difficult to process at the time when somebody you love is dead and gone.
“Las Palabras de Amor (The Words of Love)” by Queen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaeKSQUdBE4
Song Year: 1982
Queen were masters of blending rock with different styles of music. “Las Palabras de Amor (The Words of Love)” has an orchestral feel backing the powerful vocals of Freddie Mercury. The track was on the album Hot Space.
The Spanish-infused love song is from a man expressing his emotions with words of love. Even though they may be far apart, words of love will connect lovers forever. The song was a favorite of Queen fans in South America which inspired the band to sing several verses in the local language.
“Heaven for Everyone” by Queen
Song Year: 1995
Queen drummer Roger Taylor originally wrote and recorded “Heaven For Everyone” for his band, The Cross. Guest vocalist for the recording: Freddie Mercury.
The fact that Mercury’s haunting vocals about the afterlife appeared on Queen’s album Made in Heaven four years after his death makes the song that much more emotional. It is a beautiful ballad about living in a better place.
“Lily of the Valley” by Queen
Song Year: 1974
“Lily of the Valley” is a short lilting melody from the otherwise hard-rocking album Sheer Heart Attack. It also features the vocal harmonies that became a signature of Queen.
The song is a fantastical tale from the mind of Freddie Mercury. Queen often delved into magical worlds with their lyrics. The song is very heartfelt, with Mercury’s beautiful piano playing the only instrument on the track.
“It’s a Beautiful Day” by Queen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQk23ViALh4
Song Year: 1995
The sound of birds chirping leads to Freddie Mercury announcing that “It’s a Beautiful Day.” The song was included on the album Made in Heaven, released four years after Mercury’s passing.
This would be Mercury’s final song recorded for a Queen album. There is a sense of triumph that not even in death was anything going to stop Freddie Mercury.
“The Show Must Go On” by Queen
Song Year: 1991
“The Show Must Go On” was Freddie Mercury’s mantra. So much so that he managed to belt out this complex song despite his deteriorating health. The track appeared on the band’s album Innuendo, released just six weeks prior to Mercury’s death.
It is a sad yet powerful song knowing how close to the end Mercury was. With his heartbreaking and his makeup flaking, he manages to keep his smile to the very end.
“My Melancholy Blues” by Queen
Song Year: 1977
“Melancholy Blues” is the final track on Queen’s News of the World album. It was written by Freddie Mercury, featuring only his vocals and piano.
Although the lyrics suggest a breakup in a relationship, the ballad more broadly speaks to drowning one’s sorrows over a devastating loss. Once it wears off, he is only left with his melancholy blues.
“Dear Friends” by Queen
Song Year: 1974
Another soft, lovely ballad written by Brian May with Freddie Mercury on piano and vocals. It has an almost nursery rhyme melody to it, softening the sentiment of losing someone special.
The loss of a loved one, or dear friend will bring sadness and tears. But Freddie reminds us that a new day shall dawn, the tears will dry, and we will have the strength to carry on.
“Save Me” by Queen
Song Year: 1980
“Save Me” is slow and melodic before it swells into a powerful rock ballad. Brian May wrote the song about Freddie after he suffered a rather devastating breakup. The track is on The Game, Queen’s only album to reach #1 on the US Billboard 200.
That feeling of having your heart ripped open can be felt at the end of a relationship or the end of a life. The fact that Mercury had raw emotions attached to the song, you really feel his desperation due to facing life alone.
“Jesus” by Queen
Song Year: 1973
From Queen’s self-titled debut album, “Jesus,” is a song written by Freddie Mercury about the story of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, like Freddie, draws a massive following.
Although the song has a heavy pulsating beat at times, not to mention a rocking Brian May guitar solo and Mercury’s telling of the tale, supported by the harmonizing vocals of May and Roger Taylor, give the song a Biblical feel.
“Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)” by Queen
Song Year: 1977
With Brian May at the piano, Freddie Mercury opens with the haunting “When I’m gone…” from the song “Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)”. Distance between two lovers can be bridged with love in your heart.
Queen was treated like international rock stars when they traveled to Japan in 1977. The song was only released as a single in Japan, and fans would go crazy when Mercury sang the chorus in Japanese.
“Let Me Live” by Queen
Song Year: 1995
Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, and Brian May take turns singing lead vocals on “Let Me Live” from the album Made in Heaven. They are backed by a choir giving the song the feeling of being recorded in a gospel church.
The lyrics may be about moving on after a relationship, but the sense of a brand new start could also apply to soldiering on after the passing of a loved one. The fact that the song was released on Queen’s posthumous album makes the lyric ‘let me live’ all the more poignant.
“One Year of Love” by Queen
Song Year: 1986
“One Year of Love” was written by John Deacon for the album, It’s a Kind of Magic. It is a sentimental song featuring Freddie Mercury on vocals backed by a saxophone and string orchestra.
The lyrics convey the feelings of desperation and loneliness of being without the one you love. The days are filled with rain and his heart cries out when they are apart. It is a powerful ballad about true love and the pain that it brings when you cannot be together.
“Was It All Worth It” by Queen
Song Year: 1989
“Was It All Worth It” is the final track from the album The Miracle. The video for the track is a retrospective of Queen’s career with snippets of their videos over the years.
At the end of one’s life, it is natural to look back and wonder what would have happened if you did things a little differently. Having already received his AIDS diagnosis, Freddie Mercury may have held the sentiment of this song close to his heart.
“Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen
Song Year: 1980
While it may be in poor taste to many, and one can understand that point of view, this funk-disco hit song may also be fitting for a dearly departed who had a sense of humor and would appreciate being bid farewell in this way.
The iconic John Deacon’s bass line drop draws us into the song right away and perhaps reminds of fond memories, which can be a welcoming moment of peace when struggling with sad emotions.
The song became one of the band’s biggest hits, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the charts in several countries. If the deceased was a big Queen fan, this just may be the perfect song for their funeral.
Best Queen Songs For A Funeral, Final Thoughts
As a bold and creative band, Queen experimented with different sounds and styles of music. These songs showcase how they combined their voices in the studio, allowing them to create heartfelt power ballads as well as chart-topping hits.
One may not think of a rock band as a source of appropriate music for a funeral. But when the frontman has the vocal range of Freddie Mercury, backed by his bandmates with angelic harmonies, maybe it is the perfect music to see someone off into the afterlife.