43 Best Friend Zone Songs

We've all been in the friend zone before, where you have unrequited feelings for someone who sees you as a friend. Sometimes it can be painful to be around the person, and other times you think there may be hope. Either way, these songs are proof you aren't alone.

“You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift

Song year: 2008

It wouldn't seem right if I didn't kick off the best friend zone songs without Taylor Swift. This pop-country song is relatable to most teenage girls who have a crush on a high school boy.

“You Belong With Me” made number 12 on the Top 100 Billboard hits, and I'm sure the boy who was the inspiration for this song is kicking himself for not giving her a chance.

“Can't Fight This Feeling” by REO Speedwagon

Song year: 1984

“Can't Fight This Feeling” is a rock song that outlines the challenge of determining whether you tell the person your feelings or preserve the friendship. Interestingly enough, the term “friend zone” was coined after a 1994 episode of Friends.

Even though the 90s was the birth of the word, this doesn't mean friend-zoning didn't happen in the 80s. 

“FRIENDS” by Marshmello and Anne-Marie

Song year: 2018

“FRIENDS” is the unofficial friend zone anthem. If you are the one who is doing the friend-zoning, then you will find this song by Marshmello and Anne-Marie hilariously relatable.

When you value a friendship with someone, it can feel somewhat hurtful that your friend keeps trying to push boundaries. For those daring enough to play this song for the one pining after them, it'd be hard for them not to get the hint.

“Everything You Want” by Vertical Horizon

Song year: 1999

Being in the friend zone is hard enough, but it's even more frustrating watching your friend be with someone who just isn't right for them.

“Everything You Want” is an alternative-rock song that will apply to anyone who has heard “I wish I could meet someone like you.”

“Just a Friend to You” by Meghan Trainor

Song year: 2016

Have you ever had a friendship with someone where it seems as if you're already together? People think you're a couple, you feel like you go on dates as if you're romantically involved, and it may even seem like feelings are mutual.

This song depicts the challenge of having a nearly romantic relationship with someone who says, “You're just a friend.”

“Prettiest Friend” by Jason Mraz

Song year: 2005

Sometimes you may simply have a crush on your friend, and other times you are full-blown in love with them. When you fall for your best friend, it can feel terrifying to let your feelings be known and end up pushing them away.

“Prettiest Friend” is a catchy tune to listen to if you are head over heels in love with your friend and can't decide if you should spill your heart out or preserve your friendship.

“Whenever I Call You Friend” by Stevie Nicks and Kenny Loggins

Song year: 1978

“Whenever I Call You Friend” is a song that describes how unique and beautiful friendship is and wanting to keep it that way forever. In some cases, you are in the friend zone because you both want it that way.

The friend zone doesn't have to feel like a prison sentence; it can be incredible.

“Layla” by Derek and the Dominos

Song year: 1971

If you've ever stuck by your friend's side while they're in a relationship, the breakup may give you a boost of hope (and even desperation).

“Layla” is a blues-rock song that describes the intense feeling of being in love with a friend and desperately hoping they want more.

“Not In That Way” by Sam Smith

Song year: 2014

Sometimes, you may be so in love with your friend and be in denial all at the same time. You may resent your romantic feelings as you begin to catch onto how you genuinely feel. You can't help but love this person you spend so much time with and don't want to face the truth.

If you have an internal concoction of love and denial, “Not In That Way” will be a relatable pop song to enjoy.

“Don't Let Go (Love)” by En Vogue

Song year: 1996

There are scenarios where both parties begin to have feelings, but it can be scary to act on them. “Don't Let Go (Love)” depicts having a friend struggling to take that next step and possibly ruining the friendship.

For you, however, you can't just pretend now that everything is out on the table.

“To Be with You” by Mr. Big

Song year: 1991

It can be hard not to catch deeper feelings after you've been friends with someone for a while. It's hard to imagine that if you've caught the love bug, your friend doesn't feel it too.

This soft rock song is an excellent listen if you're in your feels, hoping your friend is on the same page as you.

“Friend Zone” by G-Eazy ft. Marc E. Bassy

Song year: 2007

Many times an FWB (friends with benefits) relationship can be fun for a while until someone starts to develop feelings.

“Friend Zone” is a hip-hop rap song for any guy who develops feelings and wants a little more benefits than just sleeping with one another.

“Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” by The Police

Song year: 1981

Telling your good friend you have romantic feelings for them can be one of the most challenging things to do. You're in awe of them but can't seem to work up the courage to tell them how you feel in fear of losing them altogether.

This 80s rock song is a perfect song to listen to when you're trying to be brave enough to profess your love.

“Shiver” by Coldplay

Song year: 2000

Unlike the last song on this list, “Shiver” by Coldplay depicts the determination of landing the girl you have feelings for.

Whether there is something you need to change, or you need to stay persistent, you aren't ready to throw in the towel just yet.

“Sleeping With a Friend” by Neon Trees

Song year: 2014

When you spend a lot of time with a person, it can be hard not to develop a physical attraction. However, as Neon Trees implies in their song “Sleeping With a Friend,” taking a friendship to the next level can be lethal for your relationship.

Even if feelings are mutual, sometimes the friendship is too good to risk destroying.

“Just a Friend” by Biz Markie

Song year: 1989

“Just a Friend” is a song that just about everyone knows. The second you hear “Baby you,” you know which lyrics follow.

This song is about having feelings for someone you think is in a relationship but claims that person is just a friend. Unfortunately, they're probably trying to tell you they're not that into you.

“I'm a Mess” by Bebe Rexha

Song year: 2019

“I'm a Mess” is an upbeat song with intense lyrics that most women can relate to. On the one hand, you know you're a hot mess, but at the same time, love yourself and all of your messiness.

Even if he doesn't love you when hearing this song, you can't help but feel like everything will be alright.

“Waiting in Vain” by Bob Marley

Song year: 1977

It's hard to believe that Bob Marley found himself friend-zoned, but it just goes to show it can happen to the best of us.

You may feel connected to this reggae song if you fight with the internal struggle of not wanting to feel like a puppet, but at the same time can't help but wait.

“Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus

Song year: 2000

“Teenage Dirtbag” is a song about having unrequited feelings for someone but has a hopeful twist at the end. It starts with lyrics about how cool this girl is, and although he is a teenage dirtbag, he knows she's missing out.

By the end of the song, she approaches him, and hopefully, they both go to see Iron Maiden together. There's hope, after all.

“Like a Friend” by Pulp

Song year: 1998

Sometimes you may have feelings for your friend, and it doesn't matter how many times they hurt you; you can't help but come back for more.

“Like a Friend” is a song that depicts a scenario where you know it's a bad idea, but it's almost as if you can't help yourself.

“She's So High” by Kurt Nilsen

Song year: 2003

In the song “She's So High,” you get the picture of this unique, untouchable woman who the author of the song doesn't stand a chance of ever getting.

Even though you may think she's out of your league, you will never know unless you try.

“Tryna Be Your Man” by Jagged Edge

Song year: 2003

Sometimes you meet a woman, and you immediately know you don't want to be friends; you want more than that.

This R&B song is a story about instant connection, where the girl wants to be friends, and he is already fantasizing about their relationship together.

“How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” by Michael Bolton

Song year: 1982

Michael Bolton has a song about nearly every type of love, which doesn't exclude the friend-zone kind of love. In this song, he sings about a woman he's been so lost in dreaming about it came as an extreme shock to find out she has found someone else.

Loving someone who falls for someone else can feel almost like a heartbreak, made worse by the fact you didn't get to experience being in love beforehand.

“I Can't Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt

Song year: 1991

“I Can't Make You Love Me” is a song about coming to the painful terms that you cannot make anyone love you.

This song is somewhat open to interpretation, but many get the feeling of being in a friends-with-benefits relationship and falling in love. At this point, it's better to cut ties and save yourself the heartache.

“Call Out My Name” by The Weekend

Song year: 2018

“Call Out My Name” hit the top 10 in the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. This R&B and Soul song will have you deep in your feelings if you have unrequited love for someone.

This song implies he played it cool but had deeper feelings than he was willing to admit.

“Don't Wanna Be Your Friend” by Ayokay

Song year: 2018

When two friends start having feelings for one another, it can be challenging to know what to do next.

At some point, you don't want to pretend anymore; you don't want to be just friends. This electronic dance song is all about the reality that it makes them more intense by trying to ignore your feelings.

“Wish I Knew You” by The Revivalists

Song year: 2016

Many fans of this song disagree on its meaning, and The Revivalists aren't ready to spill the song's true meaning.

One interpretation is that this song is about wishing you could have known this person you had feelings for when you were young. If you tell the truth about your feelings, maybe they feel the same way.

“Bad Religion” by Frank Ocean

Song year: 2012

This song is about the narrator pouring his heart out about unrequited love. If you pay attention to the use of “him” in the lyrics, you'll notice that Frank Ocean is in love with a man.

He's not in love with just any man, though; he's in love with a man who has a girlfriend. By the time the realization hit that his feelings were romantic, he knew there was no hope for taking things to the next level, so they remained friends.

“Damn Good Friend” by Elle Varner

Song year: 2012

It can be so frustrating to have feelings for a friend who “likes things the way they are.” This song by Elle Varner is about loving someone and not wanting to pretend your love is only as deep as a friendship.

The relationship she describes is two people who are so similar to one another; she can't help but imagine how much more they could be.

“Don't Pretend” by Khalid

Song year: 2019

Khalid seems like an artist who came out of nowhere and instantly hit several top charts. “Don't Pretend” is one of his songs that describes himself as imagining he is with a woman he's in love with.

When his phone rings, he can't help but hope it's her, but she seems to be distancing herself.

“Dreaming” by Smallpools

Song year: 2015

“Dreaming” by Smallpools is an upbeat song that can be interpreted differently.

The music starts with lyrics about feeling like two people are something more, and it felt as if this feeling could last a lifetime. The verses that follow are analogical but imply feelings of being trapped. 

“Girl All The Bad Guys Want” by Bowling For Soup

Song year: 2002

This song by Bowling For Soup is essentially an anthem for all the nice guys out there who feel like girls always want the bad boys.

The guy in the song is trying to get this girl's attention, but she isn't interested. Instead, she'd prefer the attention to the “bad guys” at school.

“Crème Brûlée” by Sonic Youth

Song year: 1992

This alternative-indie song is about that feeling of having an intense crush on a girl with who you've become close over time.

It seems like right when you think you have a chance, she says the dreaded phrase, “I'm so happy we're just friends.”

“Next to You” by Jordan Sparks

Song year: 2007

Like the lyrics in “Next to You” state, when you have intense feelings for someone, it can feel like a song stuck in your head.

This song is about wondering if you're friends or if there is a chance you could be something more. The more you wonder, the more you start to drive yourself crazy. Sometimes, it's better to stop the madness within and put your feelings out there.

“Friend of Mine” by Lea Salonga

Song year: 1998

Developing feelings for someone you have been close with for years can cause a mixture of emotions. You love them, which causes feelings of emptiness, but at the same time are grateful for their friendship.

By the end of the song, she comes to terms that they will always just be friends, which hurts, but she's happy to have him in her life.

“Linger” by The Cranberries

Song year: 1993

This popular song by The Cranberries depicts a harrowing scenario in which many of us have found ourselves. It can be hard not to become wrapped up in their love when someone leads you on.

Then, you see them with someone else and know they've been lying; it, unfortunately, doesn't make the feelings disappear.

“Stubborn Love” by The Lumineers

Song year: 2012

Number 36 on this list comes from a woman's perspective, while the song “Stubborn Love” follows a similar scenario but from a man's perspective.

This song by The Lumineers is about a woman who keeps convincing you she wants more, and you believe her. She rips a hole in your heart, but you can't help but keep loving her.

“Heartbreak Girl” by 5 Seconds of Summer

Song year: 2014

This song recounts the feeling of your girl's best friend coming to you with her boyfriend issues without realizing that you have feelings for her.

She says, “Thanks for being a friend,” and meanwhile, you can't help but think she'd be much happier if she were in a romantic relationship with you.

“A Soulmate Who Wasn't Meant to Be” by Jess Benko

Song year: 2019

Soulmates have a strong bond, whether it leads to romance or friendship. As this song explains, sometimes soulmates just aren't meant to be.

At some point, you have to come to terms with someone just wanting. Even though she loved him and told him as much, he never said it back.

“More Than Just a Friend” by CeCe Winans

Song year: 2001

This song by Cece Winans is about having a deep friendship with someone who already knows just about everything there is to know about you.

You can't help but feel that you could give them so much more than a good friendship if they would just give the relationship a chance.

“Jesse's Girl” by Rick Springfield

Song year: 1981

Have you ever had feelings for your best friend's significant other? If so, then you know how many feelings come along with it. In this case, you aren't just in the friend zone; you are in an off-limits area.

Jesse's Girl is an upbeat 80s song that may help you feel better about your predicament. Perhaps you can see if Jesse's Girl has any single friends.

“The End” by Best Coast

Song year: 2010

It can be challenging to continue dating other guys only to realize they don't ever seem to measure up to the guy you want.

“The End” is an alternative-indie song about being friends with someone who you desire more and want to be with them till the end.

“Friendzone” by G.O.A.T.

Song year: 2018

Last but not least, I had to add “Friendzone” by G.O.A.T. to complete this list. This is a catchy song where two guys are talking to each other about their desire to be sexually intimate with a woman they've been wanting.

His friend lets him know he's in the friend zone, he's like a brother to her, and he's got no chance of getting out.

Top Friend Zone Songs, Final Thoughts

If you have a crush on your friend, you're not alone; we've all experienced the pain of unrequited love. Being in this friendship-only territory can lead to a myriad of emotions.

Whether you're in love with your friend, are sexually attracted to them, or are the one doing the friend-zoning – there is a song for you. Hopefully one of these songs about being in the friend zone speak to you and allow you or a friend to cope.