Tear-jerking friendship songs in Western music: recommended masterpieces and popular tracks
Friends who stay by your side when times are tough and when times are happy—when you need them most—are truly invaluable and irreplaceable.
In this article, we’re featuring a rich selection of “tear-jerking friendship songs in Western music” you’ll want to dedicate to your dear friends, as well as songs that celebrate friendships you hope will last forever—from timeless classics to recent hits.
Along with masterpieces that gently sing of the wonders of friendship, we’ll also bring you a refreshing lineup of encouraging songs you’ll want a struggling friend to hear, plus a few tracks with a slightly different flavor, offering plenty of variety.
Since the lyrics are key, be sure to listen while checking the Japanese translations.
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Tearjerking friendship songs in Western music: Recommended classics and popular tracks (11–20)
FriendsMeghan Trainor
Meghan Trainor, the singer-songwriter known for her global hit “All About That Bass,” has a song about friendship called “Friends.” The track is filled with her gratitude toward her friends.
She sings about the friends who reached out when she was going through tough times, and how there’s no one else who understands and loves her the way they do.
It’s a perfect song to share when you want to express appreciation to your cherished friends.
The Great EscapeBoys Like Girls
Boys Like Girls emerged during the emo boom of the 2000s, embodying the quintessential 00s band: they uploaded their tracks to PureVolume—where many indie bands of the time were sharing music—and that directly led to a record deal.
Their debut album, Boys Like Girls, released in 2006, became an extraordinary hit for a newcomer, even bringing them to Japan.
Especially in their early days, they were highly regarded among fans of emo-influenced melodic rock.
Their signature track, The Great Escape—defined by boyish, sweet high-tone vocals, shimmering arpeggios, and dynamic yet breezy guitar sounds—is a friendship anthem everyone should know.
True to its title, the lyrics capture pure youth: breaking free from the constraints of adults and leaping toward freedom.
It’s the kind of song that will ignite the hearts of teenagers in any era.
Good As Hell ft. Ariana GrandeLizzo
If you’ve got a friend struggling with a rocky romance, this is the song you’ll definitely want them to hear! It’s Good as Hell, released in 2016 by Lizzo, a singer who also works as a rapper.
The track features guest vocals from Ariana Grande, making it a star-studded collaboration.
The protagonist powerfully cheers on her female friend who’s dealing with love troubles, and the strength of her message will lift your spirits.
Plus, the retro R&B groove is fantastic—just listening to it will brighten your mood!
I’ll be there for youThe Rembrandts
A masterpiece packed with classic power pop and plenty of ’60s-flavored elements, polished into a breezy slice of American power pop! I bet many listeners can’t help but squint with nostalgia when they hear this one.
The Rembrandts, a Los Angeles duo from California, released “I’ll Be There for You” in 1995.
It’s their signature track and a worldwide hit, best known as the theme song for the popular NBC TV series Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004.
If you looked forward to that show back then, just hearing the intro is probably enough to send a pang through your heart.
It’s a straightforward love song—life may not be going well, but if you’re by my side, I’ll be okay, so I’ll be there for you too—and because it’s about wanting that special person to stay close, it can also be read as a friendship anthem.
Graduation (Friends Forever)Vitamin C
When people hear “Vitamin C,” some might first think of the American singer-songwriter.
Colleen Fitzpatrick, who also works as a record producer and actress, adopted the stage name Vitamin C after serving as the vocalist of the band Eve’s Plum in the 1990s; following the band’s breakup, she made her solo debut as Vitamin C in 1999, scoring a smash hit with her pop-forward album ‘Vitamin C.’ One of her signature songs, ‘Graduation (Friends Forever),’ is, as the title suggests, a friendship anthem themed around graduation—a mid-tempo ballad about bonds with friends that remain unchanged forever.
Its beautiful melody built on the so-called canon progression, refined strings, and hip-hop-style scratching give it a quintessential late-’90s sound that might feel fresh to today’s younger listeners.
Be sure to check out the music video too, which is said to feature actual graduation scenes!