30 Greatest Songs About Friendships (2024)

No, you’re not listening to an episode of Friends, but that is what the song is all about, and why it debuts at the top of our list. The Rembrandts released the single as part of their studio album L.P. in 1995.

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Key lyrics:

I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)

Though you may know “Thank you for Being a Friend” as the Golden Girls theme song, it was written by Andrew Gold, who released it as a single on his album All This and Heaven Too in 1978. He referred to it as a “just a little throwaway thing,” that only took him an hour to write. Years later, Cynthia Fee would go on to cover it and it was repurposed for the NBC show.

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Key lyrics:

Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down a road and back again
Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant

Bruno Mars’s “Count on Me” is cheery and simple but gets to heart of what it means to be a friend— someone who you can count on in times of trouble. The song was released in 2010 on Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Mars’s debut album.

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Key Lyrics:

Find out what we’re made of
When we are called to help our friends in need

Randy Newman created “You’ve Got A Friend in Me” for the Toy Story movie franchise. It's the perfect song to dedicate to your childhood bestie.

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Key lyrics:

If you've got troubles, I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and can see it through
'Cause you've got a friend in me
Yeah, you've got a friend in me

Bill Withers’s “Lean on Me” was featured on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time as number 208. The song is an anthem for unity and camaraderie. Withers released it in June 1972 on his album Still Bill. Rolling Stone calls it his biggest hit.

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Key lyrics:

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Rapper Young Thug released his single “Best Friend” in 2015 and since then it’s been a go-to hook to celebrate friendship for birthdays, social media shout-outs, and any other time that you want the world to know “that’s my bestie, go best friend!” The song peaked at number 18 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in 2016.

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Key lyrics:

And that's my bestie, my bestie, my best friend, go best friend!

DJ Khaled collaborated with Rick Ross, Drake, and Lil Wayne to release “No New Friends” in 2013. This track praises the loyal people who were with you from the very beginning. The song nods to Drake’s “Started From the Bottom,” where he raps about his journey to success and bringing his day-one friends to the top with him.

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Key Lyrics:

No new friends, no new friends, no new friends...

When you’re succeeding in life, it’s important to recognize who’s encouraging you and who has never left your side. That’s exactly the kind of friendship that Drake raps about in “Started From the Bottom.” This first single from Drake’s album Nothing Was the Same peaked at number 6 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 2013.

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Key lyrics:

Started from the bottom, now we're here
Started from the bottom, now my whole team f****** here

Rapper and producer Kanye West released “Real Friends” with Ty Dolla Sign in 2016 on his album The Life of Pablo. In the song, West tries to discern who, of his friends and family, has his best interests at heart.

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Key lyrics:

Real friends, how many of us?
How many of us, how many jealous? Real friends
It's not many of us, we smile at each other
But how many honest? Trust issues

Cyndi Lauper recorded “True Colors” on her second album. In October 1986, the song hit number one on Billboard's Hot 100. The lyrics, by songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, are an encouraging reminder to live authentically. Since its release, the song has been sampled and recorded by many artists and remains a staple of pop culture. It's a reminder that your best friend will always see you at your most beautiful.

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Key lyrics:

But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful
Like a rainbow

Destiny’s Child’s “Girl” was a single on the group’s album Destiny Fulfilled in 2014. Kelly Rowland admitted that the song was written for her during a time that she was in an abusive relationship. The lyrics reflect group members Beyoncé and Michelle’s plead for Rowland to confide in them and be honest with herself.

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Key lyrics:

Girl, you don't have to be hiding
Don't you be ashamed to say he hurt you
I'm your girl, you're my girl, we your girls
Don't you know that we love ya?

“If you wannabe my lover, you gotta get with my friends” is the iconic line from the British pop group. The debut single peaked at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1997. The song is fun and upbeat, and places friendships with your gals ahead of romantic relationships. Though, the Spice Girls have since admitted that they have no idea what zig-a-zig-ah means.

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Key lyrics:

If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends
(Gotta get with my friends)
Make it last forever, friendship never ends

Rappers Kanye West, Big Sean, and Jay-Z teamed up to create “Clique” in 2012. Label G.O.O.D. Music released the track on its collaboration album, Cruel Summer. The song is ideal for a group of friends raising a glass to each other.

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Key lyrics:

Ain't nobody fresher than my m********* clique, clique, clique, clique, clique
As I look around, they don't do it like my clique, clique, clique, clique, clique

R&B star Brandy released “Best Friend” in 1995 as a single for her self-titled album. In a 2014 interview with Billboard on the album's 20th anniversary, Brandy shared that the song was dedicated to her brother, Ray J, another star in the entertainment industry. You can see the pair dancing together in the song’s music video. This goes to show that sometimes the closest friends you have are your family.

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Key lyrics:

I don't know what I'd ever do without you
From the beginning to the end
You've always been here right beside me
So, I'll call you my best friend
Through the good times and the bad ones
Whether I lose or if I win
I know one thing that never changes, and
That's you as my best friend

The Carters—Beyoncé and Jay-Z—released “Friends” as part of their surprise album Everything Is Love in 2018. The couple has dozens of Grammy Awards combined and their work has led them both to be powerhouse names in the entertainment industry. This song is like a tribute to the friends that stood by them along the way in their journey. In the song, Jay-Z personally shouts out some of his longtime pals.

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Key lyrics

My friends, real friends, better than your friends
That's how we keep poppin' out that Benz, yeah
No foes, real friends, we ain't even got to pretend, yeah
Get bands, get bands, spend it all on my friends

“That’s What Friends Are For” was covered in 1985 with star-studded artists: Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Gladys Knight. The original recording by Rod Stewart came three years prior. This new edition was made with a cause: to raise funds to support AIDS research. Not only did it peak at number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, but it's popularity led it to win a Grammy Award for song of the year and the best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal in 1986.

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Key lyrics:

Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
For good times and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for

When you have a “Good Friend and a Glass of Wine,” you have all you need to feel relaxed, refreshed, and revived. LeAnn Rimes’s single was released from her album Family in 2008. The song is perfect for grabbing your closest gals and decompressing from whatever the world throws your way.

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Key lyrics:

A good friend and a glass of wine
Someone to say it's gonna be alright
A good friend and a glass of wine
A little pick me up to get me through the night
We talk trash n' we laugh and cry
That kind of therapy money can't buy

The British rock group Queen originally released “You’re My Best Friend” in 1975 on their album A Night at the Opera until it was later rereleased as a single. John Deacon, the band’s bass player, actually admitted that he wrote the piece about his wife. The hit was certified platinum by the RIAA in September 2016, with 1 million copies sold. It's a great one for weddings, if your spouse does happen to be your BFF.

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Key lyrics:

Ooh, you make me live
I'm happy at home
You're my best friend
Oh, you're my best friend
Ooh, you make me live
You're my best friend

Ladies, are you craving a night out with your girls? We’ve got a hit for you. “Jumpin’ Jumpin'” by Destiny’s Child is single from the group’s album, The Writing’s on the Wall. The album was certified platinum 8 times in a span of three years by the RIAA.

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Key lyrics:

All you ladies leave your man at home
The club is full of ballers and their pockets full grown
And all you fellas leave your girl with her friends
'Cause it's eleven thirty and the club is jumpin', jumpin'

The hip-hop trio Whodini created “Friends” in 1984. A regional news site in Alabama interviewed the group’s lyricist Jalil Hutchins who talked about the impact of the song’s lifespan. “The younger generation may not study all the words, but they know that song.” The track is a hip-hop classic that reminds us that being a good friend is more about what you do than what you say.

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Key lyrics:

Friends ‎– how many of us have them?
Friends ‎– ones we can depend on
Friends ‎– how many of us have them?
Friends ‎– before we go any further, let's be
Friends