20 Best Songs About Friendship

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One of the first things you learn in life is the importance of friends. It starts at a young age, usually in school. You’re walking into a room, you’re scared, you’re alone, you don’t know anybody, and it’s that first conversation you have with someone that opens your eyes to the idea that they’re feeling the same way. And it’s in that moment when all of a sudden you don’t feel alone anymore. That’s friendship.

That bond that you share with somebody else, whether it’s about similar interests, experiences, or hopes and dreams, is always enhanced because of that bond. You can’t go through life without friends. Of course, many people do, and that’s sad. Family will always come first, but friends are right up there, especially for people without family.

Friendship is a universal term. It’s not always just personal; it can also be a symbol of peace, of love, and with all those ideas, we present 20 of the best songs about friendship. What would be your picks, my friend?

# 20 – Nowhere To Go But Everywhere – Bush

We thought this would be a good one to open with because this song is basically about all the friends you make throughout life and how they come and go and how much you need them. It’s a bit of a dark and heavy way to start out, but this is rock and roll, baby!

# 19 – Fake Friends – Joan Jett And The Blackhearts

Not every song about friendship is a positive. Joan Jett calls out the the fake ones on this killer track from the album Bad Reputation released in the early 80s.

# 18 – My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend – Type O Negative

Well, you may be starting to catch on that this is not going to be your typical list of songs about friendship. This is an awesome video with a cool, fun 60s-meets-modern-day vibe that features a whole bunch of fun stuff.

# 17 – Where Everybody Knows Your Name – Gary Portnoy

There’s nothing better than a neighborhood bar where your friends go every day, and then again maybe nothing worse too. Just kidding, or maybe not. You tell me.

# 16 – Thank You For Being A Friend – Andrew Gold

Well, while we are on the TV kick, we might as well include this golden nugget by Andrew Gold. See what I did there?

# 15 – Has He Got A Friend For Me – Maria McKee

Richard Thompson’s heartbreaking ballad was recorded by the mesmerizing Maria McKee for her first solo album. She really sells this one. Her performance is just stunning. If you don’t have her debut album or any of her other solo albums, I highly recommend picking them up.

# 14 – Do You Remember Walter? – The Kinks

This is an interesting one by The Kinks because it’s about reminiscing about an old friend and wondering whether, if the two people met again in adulthood, they’d have anything really to say to each other or anything in common. All I can tell you is I went to my 50-year reunion for my old grammar school last year, and it was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. What we had in common was our shared experiences growing up, and that’s all you need.

# 13 – We Belong Together – Rickie Lee Jones

There will never be a cooler rock star than Rickie Lee Jones. Tom Waits is pretty close, but Rickie was coolsville.

# 12 – Valentino – Diane Birch

This is a sensational song by Diane Birch about her imaginary friend. Come on, we all had imaginary friends when we were younger. Some of us still do. Birch is so amazing.

# 11 – How Many Friends – The Who

This was always my favorite track on The Who’s album The Who by Numbers. It was just a perfect vehicle for Pete Townshend’s sarcastic lyrics and personality. Of course, any rock star always has to ask themselves… Who are my real friends?

# 10 – Good Friends – Joni Mitchell

This is one of those songs I think a lot of people might have missed from a great album that Joni Mitchell released called Dog Eat Dog. Making this song even more of a delicious treat to listen to is the addition of Michael McDonald on vocals. This one’s all about friendship that lasts forever, even when there are long periods of time in between when you don’t see each other.

# 9 – And You And I – Yes

Sharing a bond together throughout life is what this one is all about. It’s one of the most loved songs in the band’s catalog. It was released in 1973 on the Close To The Edge album.

# 8 – Can We Still Be Friends – Todd Rundgren

The words that every guy never wants to hear (at least when we were younger), but knew those words really meant that we could never still be friends. The song was released in 1978 on Todd Rundgren’s fabulous The Hermit of Mink Hollow album

# 7 – Why Can’t We Be Friends – War

When this song first came out in 1975, I remember hearing it on WABC radio usually every 15 minutes or at least once every half an hour. And the beauty of it was I never got tired of hearing it. And I’m still not tired of hearing it.

# 6 – Waiting On A Friend – The Rolling Stones

You don’t last over 60 years in a band if you’re not friends with the musicians you play with. This wonderful video, filmed in front of the building where the cover of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti was shot, really captured the friendship between Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, and the rest of the band. Love this song, love the video.

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

Well, this may be the most popular song ever recorded about friends and friendship. It was released on the iconic album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967. The much-loved Ringo Starr took the lead vocal on this one.

# 4 – Tangerine – Led Zeppelin

This one is all about a lost friendship, a lost love that seemed very special. You can hear the pain in Plant’s voice. One of Led Zeppelin’s deepest tracks from the band’s wonderful third album.

# 3 – Night Moves

I always felt that Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” was inspired by the next song on this list. This one is all about friendship and the tipping point when it reaches the next level.

# 2 – Backstreets – Bruce Springsteen

The Born To Run album was Bruce Springsteen’s West Side Story. It’s filled with stories of inner city life, and anyone who ever grew up in the city, like myself, understands the value of friendship on the streets, and of course the Backstreets was where Bruce and his friend Terry learned about what life was all about and what it was not….together.

# 1 – Friends – Elton John

There’s just something about this melody that conveys a sense of hope and comfort. It’s one of Elton’s most-loved songs among his longtime loyal fans, a somewhat hidden gem that deserves more love.

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