What songs meant the most to your loved ones and friends lost to COVID-19?

The U.S. is soon expected to surpass 1 million deaths from COVID-19, a grim marker that seemed unfathomable at the start of the pandemic. As a tribute, NPR is continuing its Songs of Remembrance memorial project, with a particular focus on people who worked in health care facilities in the U.S. and died from the virus.

The federal government does not keep statistics on the number of front-line health care workers who have died of COVID-19. But one study found that more than 3,600 health care workers in the U.S. died during the first year of the pandemic, before vaccines were widely available.

While hospitalizations continue to fall and COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted, health care workers have been left to cope with the massive strain created by the pandemic, including the loss of their colleagues killed by the virus.

What song comes to mind when you think about your relative, friend or co-worker who worked in a health care facility?

What made the song so special? Maybe it's one that got them dancing every time they heard it. Maybe it's the song they loved, even if they sang it a little off-tune. Maybe it's the song that got them through a difficult period.

What memories come to mind when you hear or think about their special song?

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