10 Best Songs About Friendship (Part II)

Feature Photo: Rob Bogaerts / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Our recent article on the best rock songs about friendship received a huge response from readers, many of whom suggested songs we missed the first time. When you only pick ten, great songs are always going to be left out.

We take those comments seriously because this site has always been a celebration of rock music written by fans, not a site for professional critics. So here is part two, built around many of the songs our readers asked us to include.

# 10 – When You Got a Good Friend – Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton recorded Robert Johnson’s “When You Got a Good Friend” for his 2004 tribute album Me and Mr. Johnson. Recorded at The Town House in London and produced by Clapton and Simon Climie, the song is about recognizing the value of a loyal companion after treating that person badly. Clapton keeps the blues foundation of Johnson’s original while bringing the song into his own modern blues style.

# 9 – Can We Still Be Friends? – Todd Rundgren

Todd Rundgren released “Can We Still Be Friends?” on his 1978 album Hermit of Mink Hollow, and the single reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rundgren played and sang everything on the album himself. The song accepts that a romantic relationship has failed but asks whether the connection between two people can survive as friendship.

Read More: Top 10 Todd Rundgren Cover Songs

# 8 – Let’s Be Friends (Skin to Skin) – Bruce Springsteen

“Let’s Be Friends (Skin to Skin)” appears on Bruce Springsteen’s 2002 album The Rising, produced by Brendan O’Brien. The song is lighter and more flirtatious than much of the album, built around breaking down walls and making a connection while there is still time. It is not friendship in the childhood sense; it is an adult invitation to stop circling around each other and get closer.

# 7 – We’re Going to Be Friends – The White Stripes

“We’re Going to Be Friends” comes from The White Stripes’ 2001 album White Blood Cells. Written and produced by Jack White, the acoustic song follows two children meeting at the beginning of a school year and becoming friends through the ordinary routines of class, recess, and walking together. Its simplicity is exactly what makes it work.

# 6 – True Colors – Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper released “True Colors” in 1986 as the lead single from her second album, and it spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and produced by Lauper and Lennie Petze, the song offers reassurance to someone who is struggling and reminds them that they do not have to hide who they are. That message of acceptance and support makes it an easy fit on a friendship list.

Read More: Top 10 Cyndi Lauper Songs

# 5 – I’ll Stand By You – The Pretenders

The Pretenders released “I’ll Stand By You” in 1994 from Last of the Independents. Written by Chrissie Hynde, Billy Steinberg, and Tom Kelly, the song reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 10 in the UK. Its promise is simple: when someone you care about is hurting, you stay with them instead of walking away.

# 4 – Friends – Terry Reid

Terry Reid wrote “Friends” for his 1969 self-titled album, where it appears in the middle of a medley with Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited.” Produced by Mickie Most, the song celebrates the people who stay beside you and help guide you. Arrival covered it soon afterward and took their version to No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in 1970.

# 3 – All My Friends – Gregg Allman

Gregg Allman recorded Scott Boyer’s “All My Friends” for his 1973 debut solo album, Laid Back. Allman co-produced the album with Johnny Sandlin, and the record reached No. 13 on Billboard’s album chart. The song looks at old friends returning and the way time can stretch relationships without necessarily breaking them.

# 2 – Why Can’t We Be Friends? – WAR

WAR released “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” in 1975, and the single reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band spreads the vocals among its members while making a direct argument for getting past racial, cultural, and social differences. The song’s message of unity was so appropriate that NASA played it during the Apollo-Soyuz mission linking American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts.

Read More: Top 10 Songs From The Band War

# 1 – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel

Paul Simon wrote “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” with Art Garfunkel singing the lead vocal on the 1970 recording produced by Simon, Garfunkel, and Roy Halee. The single spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won five Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. At its heart, the song is a promise to support someone when life becomes difficult, which makes it a natural choice for the number one spot.

Read More: Top 10 Simon & Garfunkel Songs

The Top 10 Songs from our first list on Rock songs about Friends

# 10 – Waiting On A Friend – The Rolling Stones

# 9 – Thank You Friends – Big Star

# 8 – Friends – The Police

# 7 – Fake Friends – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

# 6 – Best Friend – Harry Nilsson

# 5 – I’ll Be Your Mirror – The Velvet Underground

# 4 – Friends – Led Zeppelin

# 3 – You’re My Best Friend – Queen

# 2 – Friends – Elton John

# 1 – With A Little Help From My Friends – The Beatles

10 Essential Rock Songs About Friends

Updated September 8, 2026.

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