Are you in search of the best motorcycle songs for a loved one’s funeral? We’ve gathered some of the most iconic and well-known songs, suitable for a friend, partner, parent, or child. Though you may recognize most of the songs, we’ve added a few obscure titles to suit funerals, celebrations of life, and more.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Sad or Sorrowful Biker Songs for a Funeral
- Uplifting Biker Songs for a Funeral
- Biker Songs for a Parent's Funeral
- Biker Songs for a Child or Adult Child's Funeral
In most cases, life moves forward with an occasional hiccup or two, but there's a sense of comfort in the wildness of it all. Your loved one was fitted to that lifestyle, suiting them to a tee. Celebrate that beautiful personality with the following songs about the open road.
Sad or Sorrowful Biker Songs for a Funeral
Below you find sad biker songs from an all-girl band of the ‘60s to Birmingham metal and even ‘80s glam rock. Use any of these timeless and classic songs if you intend on planning a memorial service.
1. “Leader of the Pack" from Leader of the Pack
The Shangri-Las were an all-female group from the mid-1960s. Their song "Leader of the Pack” was a tale of young love with an archetypal bad boy that no parents wanted their daughter to date.
2. "Midnight Rider" from Laid Back
"Midnight Rider" became Gregg Allman’s most well-known song and was featured in a few movies. It tells the tale of confronting obstacles at nearly every turn, outrunning anyone trying to catch him.
3. "Motorcycle Drive By" from Third Eye Blind
After getting dumped and having nowhere to go, singer/songwriter Stephan Jenkins wrote "Motorcycle Drive By." It's a heartbreak song first and foremost, but it's also a recovery song in the sense that the singer feels both alone and alive in the same breath.
4. "Unknown Legend" from Harvest Moon
Young's imagery in the following lines depicts a restless woman, needing to escape so much that even the wind poses a problem.
“She’s been runnin’ half her life
The chrome and steel she rides
Collidin' with the very air she breathes."
5. "Ride the Wind" from Flesh & Blood
From the iconic band Poison comes "Ride the Wind." It's a song about reaching the pinnacle, which would work for any loved one who never settled—always sought more out of life.
6. "The Other Kind" from The Hard Way
"The Other Kind" suits that loved one whose restlessness got the best of them. Use it in a funeral slideshow, highlighting your loved one's travels and adventures.
7. "Desert Plains" from Point of Entry
Judas Priest may not seem like your typical sorrowful songwriter, but ache from missing a loved one—and wanting to get back to them—is present in "Desert Plains.”
Uplifting Biker Songs for a Funeral
Look for a good mix of the stereotypical Biker song and a few easy-going, mellow ones that most will know or recall.
8. "Slow Ride" from Fool for the City
Foghat's "Slow Ride" will work for that unconventional funeral or memorial service. While it's not your typical uplifting song, it's anything but melancholy.
9. "Ezy Rider" from The Cry of Love
With his ability to influence guitarists at any age, Jimi Hendrix is one of the world's most celebrated musicians.
His song "Ezy Rider" comes from the 1969 film Easy Rider with Dennis Hopper, referencing such ideas as freedom and the extraordinary search for America.
10. “Kickstart My Heart” from Dr. Feelgood
The song "Kickstart My Heart” has an exciting history, including a false story about being saved by paramedics with a needle full of adrenaline. But the truth, though still wild, is not as dramatic.
Perhaps Mötley Crüe's song will work for the loved one whose tales were a bit grander than their real life.
11. “Motorcycle Cowboy" from Live at Billy Bob's
"Motorcycle Cowboy" is Merle Haggard’s best-viewed song here and globally. The moral of the story, if you will, is about being with someone because you love them, even if they're not what you expected.
12. "Biker Veteran" from Biker Songs #1
U.S. Eagle’s song speaks to all U.S. Veterans, whether Marine, CIA, Sailors, Green Berets, or Soldiers.
Because the song will work for the funeral of any M.P., Seal, Commander, EOD, and more, it's one of the best funeral songs for any former military member who loved to ride.
13. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" from Bohemian Rhapsody
Although it's not your typical Biker song, Queen's “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” is well-known in the community.
One can't hang out in Sturgis on a hot August night without hearing it pour out from at least one of the saloons.
14. "Highway to Hell" from Highway to Hell
By contrast to the last song, AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" is more fitting of that typical Biker genre. With a notable and heavy percussion, it's got a beat that'll lift spirits, providing an opportunity to remember the good times.
Biker Songs for a Parent’s Funeral
With the wide variety of rock funeral songs below, you'll find a few worthy ones to play for your parent's funeral or celebration of life.
15. "Motorcycle Mama" from Comes a Time
Neil Young, singer, songwriter, and social and environmental activist, wrote and performed "Motorcycle Mama." It's a somewhat quirky song about having a hard time resisting a woman—and her ways.
16. "Motorcycle Song" from Alice's Restaurant
Few songs expound on the value of a pickle alongside a motorcycle, but Arlo Guthrie’s music does. For that reason, the song works for that quirky parent that could insert comedy into just about anything, bringing a smile to those they loved.
17. "Bad Motor Scooter" from Montrose
"Bad Motor Scooter” is Sammy Hagar's first-ever song written and performed live. It's distinctive in every sense and works well for the funeral of a parent who, like the song, was one of a kind.
18. "Biker Chick" from Unmistakable Drive
Insert a solid country song from the incomparable Jo Dee Messina. Her song, "Biker Chick,” would work in a playlist for a funeral slideshow or as background music to a memorial service.
19. "Little Honda” from Go Little Honda
"Little Honda" is another classic song from The Hondells, a popular group in the 1960s. It isn't about your tough or burly motorcycle of the day. Instead, it's about the popular Honda back then.
20. "Golden Age of Leather" from Spectres
Blue Öyster Cult’s song is mellow enough for any environment or celebration of life you intend on creating for your parent. Note the fade and soprano voices at the end—ideal for closing a funeral slideshow.
21. "King of the Road" from Golden Hits
Roger Miller's old-time song will take anyone back to a simpler time, with an accompanying struggle through life.
Although written about the rugged steel of American trains, it certainly applies to the metal revving of a hog, too.
22. "Roll Me Away" from The Distance
You can't have a playlist of motorcycle songs without including Bob Seger—one of America's blue-collar heroes.
Listen to the references to Mackinaw City in the Upper Peninsula, and you'll be taken back to a simple life during simpler times.
Biker Songs for a Child or Adult Child’s Funeral
Many of the songs below speak to the need to be free, wild, and discover one's path in life.
23. "Born to Be Wild" from Steppenwolf
"Born to Be Wild" is one of the notable songs from Easy Rider that requires no introduction. Though far from its original ballad beginnings, the song still suits any child who lived gloriously on the open road.
24. "Free Byrd" from Lynyrd Synyrd
Famous in its own right, “Free Byrd” gained a second following with a much younger generation in the movie Forest Gump. To this day, it signifies rebellion and an ever-seeking soul, which will work for that child who couldn't put their feet down long enough to find the pace.
25. "Electric Gypsy" from L.A. Guns
From the ‘80s glam metal group L.A. Guns comes "Electric Gypsy." It's a song about wildness, freedom, and choosing one's path in life.
26. "Ride" from Flying in a Blue Dream
Joe Satriani's "Ride" has all that smooth, sculpted guitar playing that Eddie Van Halen doesn't. Play it for the child who knew the value of a good day's work—and how to kick off the boots.
27. "Anyone Can Tell" from Underground Album
The Heavy Horses start the song with a raspy lead singer and follow along with a whistling interlude. It might be the most accessible song to listen to in this entire list, but it may also be the saddest.
28. "God Love Her" from That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy
Toby Keith's "God Love Her" rounds out the list of funeral songs for a child. It's a country song about a preacher's daughter whose inhibition makes her a little wilder than her father might appreciate—but that doesn't change who she is.
Songs for the Roads Traveled
In loss, we often remember “what” more than “why.” That’s why choosing the most suitable Biker song is important. Help others understand why the open roads called to them and show people a side of your loved one rarely seen by most.