Friendship is one of those things that’s easy to take for granted until you really need it. The songs on the list below are about what it looks like when someone actually shows up.
Be sure to check out the Songs About Friendship Playlist at the bottom of this page.
Best Songs About Friendship
1. “You’ve Got a Friend” – Carole King
Lyric Sample: “You just call out my name, and you know wherever I am, I’ll come running.”
King’s 1971 classic is about being there for someone when they need you most. Many consider this the best friendship song ever written.
Related: Grammy Record of the Year
2. “Friends Will Be Friends” – Queen
Lyric Sample: “Hold out your hand ’cause friends will be friends.”
This 1986 rock track about sticking together through whatever life throws at you became a sing-along favorite at Queen concerts.
3. “Hey Girl” – Lady Gaga
Lyric Sample: “Hey girl, I know you love me.”
This 2016 duet with Florence Welch is about two women choosing each other through the mess of everyday life, from 4 a.m. nights out to the harder, lonelier moments in between.
4. “We’re Going to be Friends” – The White Stripes
Lyric Sample: “I can tell that we are gonna be friends.”
“We’re Going to Be Friends” is about the beginning of a childhood friendship, told from the perspective of a kid starting a new school year and meeting someone for the first time.
Related: Best Songs About School
5. “Friends” – Led Zeppelin
Lyric Sample: “The greatest thing you ever can do now, is trade a smile with someone who’s blue now.”
Led Zeppelin’s 1970 track is about the importance of being there for others, even when it’s difficult. The message is that showing kindness to someone who needs it matters more than you might think.
6. “Anytime You Need a Friend” – Mariah Carey
Lyric Sample: “Anytime you need a friend, I will be here.”
Carey’s ’90s ballad is about showing up for someone who’s struggling, letting them know they don’t have to face anything alone.
7. “I’ll Stand by You” – The Pretenders
Lyric Sample: “Won’t let nobody hurt you, I’ll stand by you.”
The Pretenders’ hit is about refusing to leave someone alone in their worst moments. It works as a love song, but the loyalty it describes is the same thing that makes a friendship last.
8. “True Colours” – Cyndi Lauper
Lyric Sample: “But I see your true colors shining through.”
Lauper’s 1986 hit is about seeing someone clearly, past whatever they’re performing for the world, and loving what’s actually there. It’s one of the great “reassurance” songs.
9. “Friends in Low Places” – Garth Brooks
Lyric Sample: “Where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away.”
Brooks’ country hit is about choosing the friends who accept you as you are over the people who expect something more put-together.
Related: CMA – Single of the Year
10. “You’re My Best Friend” – Queen
Lyric Sample: “Oh, you’re the best friend that I ever had.”
“You’re My Best Friend” is a rock classic that celebrates having a friend in your life who truly gets you.
Related: Best Wedding Songs
11. “Count on Me” – Bruno Mars
Lyric Sample: “You can count on me like one, two, three, I’ll be there.”
Mars’ 2010 hit is about knowing, without question, that your friend will show up for you the same way you’d show up for them.
Related: Best Graduation Songs
12. “Gift of a Friend” – Demi Lovato
Lyric Sample: “It’s easy to feel like you don’t need help, but it’s harder to walk on your own.”
This 2009 track is about what it means to have someone in your corner who makes you feel less alone in the world
13. “That’s What Friends Are For” – Dionne Warwick
Lyric Sample: “Keep smiling, keep shining, knowing you can always count on me, for sure.”
Warwick turned this classic friendship song into a massive hit in 1985 that also raised money for AIDS research.
Related: Grammy Award for Record of the Year
14. “Friendship” – Tenacious D
Lyric Sample: “Friendship is rare, do you know what I’m saying to you?”
Tenacious D’s track is a comedic take on friendship that mixes absurd scenarios (fighting a bear) with cynical observations about the music business.
15. “Stand by Me” – Ben E. King
Lyric Sample: “So darling, darling, stand by me.”
This 1961 classic is one of the most covered songs in history. What started as a song about faith became one of the defining friendship songs.
Related: “Stand by Me” Song Meaning
16. “Long Live” – Taylor Swift
Lyric Sample: “Long live the walls we crashed through, how the kingdom lights shined just for me and you.”
Swift’s 2010 song is about the pride of having built something with people you love and hoping it will last forever, or at least be remembered forever.
17. “All My Friends” – LCD Soundsystem
Lyric Sample: “If I could see all my friends tonight.”
“All My Friends” is about growing up and realizing that the wild years with your closest friends are behind you, and wondering where everyone ended up.
18. “Young Dumb & Broke” – Khalid
Lyric Sample: “We’re young, dumb, and broke, but we still got love to give.”
Khalid’s 2017 smash is about being a teenager with your friends, doing stupid things, and not caring because none of it matters yet.
19. “Me & My Girls” – Selena Gomez
Lyric Sample: “I’m going home with who I came with, and who I came with’s not you.”
The 2015 pop song celebrates independence and the bond between friends who have each other’s backs on a night out.
20. “These Are My People” – Rodney Atkins
Lyric Sample: “These are my people, this is who I am.”
“These Are My People” is a country song about the friends who shaped who you are and the community you grew up in. It celebrates hometown roots and the people who stick with you.
21. “Brother” – NEEDTOBREATHE
Lyric Sample: “Brother, let me be your shelter, never leave you all alone.”
This 2015 collaboration with Gavin DeGraw is about always being there for your friends. The title says “Brother,” but it applies to any friendship.
Related: Best Songs About Brothers
22. “Goodbye Earl” – The Chicks
Lyric Sample: “Goodbye, Earl, we love you, but we just gotta kill you.”
The Chicks’ 1999 song is about two best friends who take matters into their own hands when one of them ends up in a dangerous marriage.
Related: Best Songs About Revenge & Best Songs That Tell a Story
23. “With a Little Help from My Friends” – The Beatles
Lyric Sample: “Gonna try with a little help from my friends.”
In one of Ringo’s moments to shine, he sings about relying on the people around you. Joe Cocker’s cover became just as iconic.
24. “True Blue” – Boygenius
Lyric Sample: “And it feels good to be known so well, I can’t hide from you like I hide from myself.”
“True Blue” is a 2023 indie track about the relief of having someone in your life who sees you more clearly than you see yourself.
25. “Thank You for Being a Friend” – Andrew Gold
Lyric Sample: “Thank you for being a friend, traveled down a road and back again.”
Gold wrote this in 1978, but it found new life as the theme to The Golden Girls. It’s pure gratitude set to music.
26. “No New Friends” – DJ Khaled ft. Drake, Rick Ross, & Lil Wayne
Lyric Sample: “No new friends, no new friends, no new friends, no, no, no.”
This 2013 hip-hop track from DJ Khaled and his collaborators celebrates loyalty to the friends who’ve been with you from the start.
27. “Kids” – Dream Wife
Lyric Sample: “I’m talking to my best friend, and we’re talking like these days will never end.”
“Kids” is about taking road trips with your best friend and feeling like those days will last forever. It’s about both the joy and the bittersweet reality that everything changes.
28. “Best Friend” – Rex Orange County
Lyric Sample: “You’re gonna wanna be my best friend, baby.”
This 2017 indie-pop tune blurs the line between friendship and romantic feelings. It’s about wanting someone to be your best friend while struggling with deeper feelings.
Related: “Best Friend” Song Meaning
29. “Friends” – Nas & Damian Marley
Lyric Sample: “Your real friends won’t do you wrong, real friends don’t change.”
Nas and Marley distinguish real friends from fake ones in this collaboration. It’s about loyalty, mutual respect, and the people who stick around through both wins and losses.
30. “Graduation (Friends Forever)” – Vitamin C
Lyric Sample: “As we go on, we remember all the times we had together.”
Vitamin C’s classic became the graduation song for a generation. It’s about looking forward while recognizing what you’re leaving behind.
Related: Best Songs About the Past
31. “I’ll Be There for You” – The Rembrandts
Lyric Sample: “I’ll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour.”
This iconic theme song for Friends is a perfect representation of the support that true friends offer. Even people who never watched know every word.
32. “Bros” – Wolf Alice
Lyric Sample: “Oh, there’s no one, there’s no one who knows me like you do.”
This 2015 indie rock song is about a friendship that’s been through everything. It’s also about the sadness of knowing that version of things can’t last forever.
33. “We Should Be Friends” – Miranda Lambert
Lyric Sample: “Well then, we should be friends.”
Lambert’s 2016 country tune lists all the messy, imperfect reasons two people would make good friends. It’s funny and self-aware.
34. “We’re All in This Together” – High School Musical
Lyric Sample: “We’re all in this together, and it shows when we stand hand in hand.”
This big group number from High School Musical became a go-to song for celebrating unity and teamwork. It’s about setting aside the differences that keep people from getting to know each other.
35. “What About Your Friends” – TLC
Lyric Sample: “What about your friends, will they stand their ground?”
“What About Your Friends” is a warning about fair-weather friendships. It’s all about paying attention to who’s actually in your corner before you trust them with anything important.
36. “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” – Randy Newman
Lyric Sample: “You’ve got a friend in me, when the road looks rough ahead.”
Newman wrote this for Toy Story, and it became one of Pixar’s most beloved songs. It’s about having a friend who is permanently on your team with no conditions.
37. “My Best Friend” – Weezer
Lyric Sample: “You’re my best friend, and I love you so.”
This 2005 rock song is about recognizing your best friend as the person you rely on most, the one whose presence alone improves any situation.
38. “Lean on Me” – Bill Withers
Lyric Sample: “Lean on me, when you’re not strong, and I’ll be your friend.”
This 1970s classic is all about being there for someone when they need help. It’s become a go-to friendship and support track for thousands of people over the years.
Related: “Lean On Me” Song Meaning
39. “Umbrella” – Rihanna ft. Jay-Z
Lyric Sample: “You can stand under my umbrella.”
Rihanna’s 2007 mega-hit uses the umbrella as a metaphor for protection and support. It works for friendship just as well as romance.
Related: “Umbrella” Song Meaning
Conclusion
A bunch of the songs on this list probably reminded you of somebody specific. That’s the whole job of a good friendship song!
If you enjoyed this list, check out the Songs About Growing Up, Songs About Nostalgia, and the Best Love Songs lists!
