Why do people listen to such terrible music at funerals?

 

Tuesday 16 October 2012 10:12 BST
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Singer Robbie Williams and winner of the Brits-25 Best Song for 'Angels' poses in the press room during the 25th Anniversary BRIT Awards 2005
Singer Robbie Williams and winner of the Brits-25 Best Song for 'Angels' poses in the press room during the 25th Anniversary BRIT Awards 2005

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Robbie Williams, 'Angels'? Really? That's really the last song you'd want your friends and family to remember you by? The song you'd want to sum up everything you've every thought and everything you've ever done?

According to a list published by NME yesterday and taken issue with by Gawker today it is for an awful lot of people. 'Angels' is the 1997 is the 5th most popular choice of funeral music in the UK. Other questionable favourites include Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On". Westlife also appear in the top 20 twice. This nation needs to take a long hard look at itself.

Rich Juzwiak at Gawker isn't so concerned about our collective appalling taste in music, more the inappropriate message of some of the songs on the list: "Who knows how scientific the polling of 'the UK's leading funeral director' is, but [the inclusion of Adele's 'Someone Like You'] does point to the fact that at least more than one person has selected a song whose narrator describes her object of affection as ultimately replaceable to play in tribute to the deceased."

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