Key Takeaways
- Definition: Platonic love songs celebrate friendships and familial bonds rather than romantic relationships.
- Diverse Genres: The list includes tracks from various genres and decades, showcasing the universal theme of friendship.
- Emotional Impact: These songs resonate with listeners, reminding them of the importance of companionship and support.
- Timeless Classics: Many of these songs have become enduring anthems that continue to uplift spirits today.
There are thousands upon thousands of love songs out there, and more are put out into the world every year – songs about falling in and out love, getting serious or sometimes getting betrayed, etc.
But not every single one of them is meant for lovers in the traditional sense.
Some of the best love songs have nothing to do with romantic partners and instead are meant for friends and family who uplift our spirits and generally make life a little brighter. We’re calling them: platonic love songs.
Below are 25 examples of such tracks, for to share with loved ones.
1. “You’re My Best Friend,” Queen
From: A Night at the Opera (1975)
We should begin by stressing that many of the songs on this list could be interpreted as love songs for a romantic partner, but they can just as easily work in friendly situations. Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend” fits exactly in that category, since bassist John Deacon originally wrote it for his wife, but there’s nothing to say you can’t sing this song to your bestie.
2. “Stand By Me,” Ben E. King
From: Don’t Play That Song! (1962)
Below we’ve listed the original Ben E. King recording of “Stand By Me,” but we’d also recommend cover renditions by John Lennon, Tracy Chapman, Otis Redding, Aaron Neville, Def Leppard and Sonny & Cher, to name a few.
3. “I’ll Stand By You,” The Pretenders
From: Last of the Independents (1994)
You’ve probably done something right when Noel Gallagher of Oasis tells you he wishes he’d written your song, as was the case with Chrissie Hynde’s “I’ll Stand By You.” Not only did the Pretenders have a hit with this song, so too did Girls Aloud in 2004 and Carrie Underwood in 2007.
4. "With a Little Help From My Friends," The Beatles
From: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Really, where would any of us be without the help of our friends? This song speaks for itself.
5. “You’ve Got a Friend,” Carole King
From: Tapestry (1971)
Carole King recruited a friend, James Taylor, to play acoustic guitar on “You’ve Got a Friend” from 1971’s Tapestry. Just a few months later, Taylor recorded the song for his own 1971 album, Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, and for that he recruited another friend: Joni Mitchell on backing vocals.
6. “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” John Denver
From: Poems, Prayers & Promises (1971)
Before he moved to Colorado, John Denver lived in Minnesota, where his first wife was from. It was there that he wrote the No. 1 hit “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” a tender track about longing for springtime after the cold of winter, and more importantly, longing to share it with a loved one.
7. “Songbird,” Fleetwood Mac
From: Rumours (1977)
Christine McVie never explicitly said what “Songbird” was written about. Sure, it could have been directed at her then-husband John McVie, but to us, it’s more of a tribute to all her bandmates and their intensely strong connection as people. “Because I feel that when I’m with you / It’s alright“.
8. “We’re Going to Be Friends,” The White Stripes
From: White Blood Cells (2001)
Even if the relationship doesn’t persist into adulthood, there’s something very special and nostalgic about those childhood friendships you recall for years. The White Stripes did a lovely job of summing this up in “We’re Going to Be Friends.”
9. "Friends," The Beach Boys
From: Friends (1968)
The title track is a waltzy tune about helping one’s friends through life. “You told me when my girl was untrue / I loaned you money when the funds weren’t too cool“. Brian Wilson once said of the song, “I thought there was a lot of humor in it… but ‘Friends’ had a lot of humor in it.”
10. "Two of Us," The Beatles
From: Let It Be (1970)
The song sounds like a tribute to McCartney’s deep-seated friendship with Lennon — “You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead“.
11. “Friends of Mine,” The Zombies
From: Odessey and Oracle (1968)
“Friends of Mine” has a bit of an early Beatles vibe. It’s an adorable track about watching your friends be in love.
12. “Old Friends,” Simon & Garfunkel
From: Bookends (1968)
“Can you imagine us years from today / Sharing a park bench quietly?” they sing in “Old Friends.” The two men weren’t even 30 years old at the time they recorded this song.
13. “All I Really Want to Do,” Bob Dylan
From: Another Side of Bob Dylan(1964)
This playful song emphasizes how people can ultimately come together despite having differences: “I ain’t lookin’ for you to feel like me / See like me or be like me / All I really want to do / Is, baby, be friends with you”.
