Apparently 75% of marriages fail because of this wedding song

first dance song ending in divorce

Planning your big day is no easy feat - from picking the perfect wedding dress, to organising the seating arrangements, there are so many things to think about.

But one thing that you and your partner may spend a lot of time mulling over is the song you choose for your first dance. While some couples instantly agree, others may have to compromise when picking the right track.

However, a new study shows that there's way more to your wedding song than you might think.

According to a survey by OnBuy, there are a number of popular melodies that end in a happy ever after - and some that, well, don't. The aim was to see if there was a connection between divorce rates and first dance songs.

They asked 5,544 people worldwide which tune they chose and their current marital status. They then ranked the top 25 dance songs and calculated its marital status counterpart.

The data found that the most popular first dance song is an unsurprising selection, with 10.48% of votes going to Elvis Presley Can't Help Falling In Love.

It also revealed that the secret song to a happy marriage is Can You Feel The Love Tonight by Elton John, with 77% of those who chose it remaining in their marriage. It also appears that you're more likely to stay wed if you have a Disney track as your first dance, with over 70% still together.

However, if you want to avoid a split, they key is not to play Little Things by One Direction, as 75% of those surveyed who did ended up separating. Oh dear.

So what are the most popular - and promising - first dance songs? Let's take a look...

Top First Dance Songs

The most popular first dance songs are...

  1. Can't Help Falling In Love, Elvis Presley - 10.48%
  2. Your Song, Elton John - 9.83%
  3. Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Elton John - 9.24%
  4. Perfect, Ed Sheeran - 7.58%
  5. A Whole New World, Lea Salonga and Brad Kane - 7.27%
  6. You'll Be In My Heart, Phil Collins - 6.13%
  7. I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, Aerosmith - 5.52%
  8. At Last, Etta James - 5.18%
  9. (Everything I Do) I Do For You, Bryan Adams - 4.55%
  10. A Thousand Years, Christina Perry - 3.54%

Top Happily Ever After Songs

These are the tunes that ended in true love...

  1. Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Elton John - 77% remain together
  2. Isn't She Lovely, Stevie Wonder - 75% remain together
  3. The Way You Look Tonight, Frank Sinatra - 74% remain together

First Dance Songs Most Likely To End In Divorce

Yikes...

  1. Little Things, One Direction - 75% split
  2. I'm Yours, Jason Mraz - 61% split
  3. Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol - 56% split

Intersting!

Jadie Troy-Pryde
News Editor

Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.