21 Songs About Losing A Best Friend (2023)

A best friend comes in many shapes; it can be your closest friend, a sibling, a parent, a child, or a lover. The common thread between them is that they make your life easier, happier, and more worthy to live in. Life, however, has its own twists and turns, and losing them is the most heartbreaking part.

We handpicked the finest songs about losing a best friend for you that will definitely make you cry a river, so make sure you are emotionally ready before you start this playlist.

21. I Lost a Friend — FINNEAS

“I Lost a Friend” is the perfect song to start this collection. Award-winning songwriter and music producer Finneas Baird O’Connell, better known as FINNEAS, wrote this pop track from Blood Harmony to express his emotions after losing a friend. Based on its lyrics, it doesn’t seem to be a loss due to death, but he refers to a friendship that ended. The emotive way this young, talented artist delivers the lines will surely cut through your bones.

20. Supermarket Flowers — Ed Sheeran

The death of a relative is a stage in one’s life that is the darkest. In 2017, Ed Sheeran released a ballad for his album, ” ÷.” Its title, “Supermarket Flowers,” is mentioned in the first verse, as he details the aftermath of the death of his grandmother. Even though Ed Sheeran does not directly regard her as his best friend in the lyrics, he clearly sings about how it affected him deeply and how his grandmother meant so much to him, calling her “an angel in the shape of my mum.” This song’s overall impact is guaranteed to make it hard to forget.

19. Wish You Were Here — Lukas Graham

Lukas Graham is a band known for their songs that deal with the death of someone dear to them. One of those is his pop track “Wish You Were Here” from their album 4 (The Pink Album). Along with another singer, Khalid, Lukas sings,  “Wish You Were Here” to express how his friend was one of a kind and how he will never find someone as great as him anymore. It has a rhythm that will hook listeners and awards that will hit them hard.

18. Dancing in the Sky — Dani and Lizzy

“Dancing in the Sky” is the title track of Dani and Lizzy’s 2013 album. If you ever lost someone to death, this is a song you need to try. “Dancing in the Sky” tackles the questions they have about heaven and the afterlife. Listening to it is both consoling and agonizing. The poignant lyrics go like this:

I hope you’re dancing in the sky

And I hope you’re singing in the angel’s choir

And I hope the angels know what they have

I’ll bet it’s so nice up in Heaven since you arrived

17. Bang the Drum Slowly — Emmylou Harris

A country classic track is up next. It is performed by singer Emmylou Harris and is titled “Bang the Drum Slowly.” It can be found on Harris’ album, The Red Dirt Girl. Because Emmylou and Guy Clark wrote the song’s lyrics in relation to the passing of her own father, you can be sure that it will move you because it is based on a real experience, in addition to its sentimental tune.

16. One Sweet Day — Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey

One of the most iconic collaborations is the song performed by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men for the 1995 classic “One Sweet Day.” The Daydream album features this song that talks about the things we wanted to say to someone before they passed but weren’t able to. This R&B song’s heartfelt and warm lyrics, along with the musicians’ incredible vocals, helped it win the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. It also serves as an ode to “all the friends we’ve lost along the way.”

15. Beam Me Up — Pink

Dealing with the loss of an important person is the hardest stage a person will ever have to go through. In 2012, Pink recorded the soul track “Beam Me Up” for her close friend who lost a child, which expresses her grief. The arrangement of Beam Me Up‘s tune and Pink’s emotional singing can make your heart shatter into pieces. It is featured on Pink’s album, The Truth About Love.

14. Gone Too Soon — Simple Plan

It is important to say what you want to say to someone because, as we all know, life is short. Simple Plan sings about losing someone “in a blink of an eye” in their song “Gone Too Soon.” Even though this song from the band’s Get Your Heart On! album is not as mellow as the others, the meaningful lyrics will effectively touch your heart.

13. Ronan — Taylor Swift

“Ronan” is a charity single and a very special track on Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) album. Its title, “Ronan,” was the name of a 3-year-old boy who died of neuroblastoma. With the help of Ronan’s mother, Maya Thompson, this soft ballad was written so delicately innocent and heartbreaking at the same time. Losing a child is as devastating, if not worse, than losing a best friend. It is impossible to listen to this track without shedding a tear.

12. Not a Damn Thing Changed — Lukas Graham

Yup, we have another entry from Lukas Graham: “Not A Damn Thing Changed.” The lyrical artistry, Lukas’ vocals, and his powerful delivery make this pop song worth commending. This track from 3 (The Purple Album) tackles how the world spins the same even after a friend’s death. “Not A Damn Thing Changed” is the kind of song that will give you shivers.

11. When I’m Gone — Joey + Rory

Most of the songs on this list talk about the death of a friend or loved one. Now, the next track comes from another perspective. It is a mellow piece titled “When I’m Gone” from Joey + Rory’s album His and Hers and is a song meant to comfort the one she will leave when she is gone, as the lyrics go, “In spite of all the funeral songs, the birds will make their joyful sounds.” “When I’m Gone” is a sentimental ballad about how everything will pass, even the suffering.

10. See You Again — Wiz Khalifa

“See You Again” is one of the most-played videos on YouTube, garnering more than 5 billion views. This pop-rap song, which Wiz Khalifa recorded with Charlie Puth, is a tribute to Paul Walker. Off the album Most Wanted, Vol. 2, this timeless masterpiece is the soundtrack of the successful film Furious 7, and it also bagged the NRJ Music Award for International Song of the Year. The combination of the heartfelt lyrics, the vocals, and the arrangement make it a song one will always listen to.

9. I’ll Remember You — Thea Gilmore

Even though our lives are fleeting and will eventually come to an end, our loved ones’ memories will forever remain in our hearts. “I’ll Remember You” is a song penned by Bob Dylan and sung by British singer Thea Gilmore about that. From Chimes of Freedom, this 2012 folk track speaks about how she will never forget a friend as she sings, “My dear sweet friend, I’ll remember you.” It has a simple musicality, yet a great impact on whoever listens to it.

8. Brendan’s Death Song — Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers recorded the song “Brendan’s Death Song” as the band’s tribute to the passing of Brendan Mullen, a club owner who gave them the opportunity to show their talent to the world and be known. I’m With You is the 2011 album that includes this rock track. With its compelling melody and profound words, it is considered by many to be a funeral song they want played when their time comes.

7. Stars — Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

The country-rock piece “Stars,” performed by Grace Potter along with the Nocturnals, is a song about the passing of a friend and how she cannot bear to look at the stars as they remind her that her friend is gone. “Stars” is off Grace’s album The Lion, the Beast, and the Beat. It has a hint of a bluesy tune and brilliant lyrics that will melt your heart.

6. I’ll Never Love Again — Lady Gaga

They say when you marry someone, they are not just your lover but your best friend and partner in life too. The 2018 movie A Star is Born includes the Lady Gaga-performed song “I’ll Never Love Again.” The lyrics describe Ally’s love for Jackson and how she loves him so much that she will never be able to love him again after his tragic death. Numerous honors, including the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media and the iHeartRadio Music Award for Song That Left Us Shook, were bestowed upon this work of art due to its exquisite musicality and lyricism.

5. Gone Too Soon — Michael Jackson

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, also has a song about losing a friend. It is titled “Gone Too Soon” from his album, Dangerous. He dedicated “Gone Too Soon” to his friend Ryan White after he died of AIDS. The song is both soothing to the ears and painful to the heart because of his sincere singing and melancholy melody.

4. If You Say So — Lea Michele

Louder, Lea Michele’s album, was released in 2014. It includes the single “If You Say So,” which she wrote following the passing of her best friend Corry Monteith, as one of its songs. Corry Monteith participated in the musical drama Glee, just like Lea. The pop song “If You Say So” is so full of emotions and sorrow that listening to it is sure to make one cry.

3. See You Again — Carrie Underwood

The next song, “See You Again,” which Carrie Underwood wrote and recorded for her Blown Away album, is the brightest and most optimistic song on this list. A song about coping with loss after death, “See You Again,” expresses the excitement of reuniting with the deceased in heaven. You’ll be hooked by Carrie’s captivating vocals and the song’s instrumentation, which will help in overcoming grief.

2. You Should Be Here — Cole Swindell

Cole Swindell’s song “You Should Be Here” has amassed over 100 million views on YouTube. In 2016, he made this country song available as the album’s lead single. It has won nominations for the iHeartRadio Music Award for Best Lyrics and the iHeartRadio Music Award for Country Song of the Year due to its beautiful melody and heartfelt lyrics. “You Should Be Here” is emotionally stirring because it captures Swindell’s anguish following his father’s untimely death.

1. Tears In Heaven — Eric Clapton

Our final piece on this compilation is a heartwrenching piece written and sung by Eric Clapton. It is titled “Tears in Heaven” and is a song on his 1992 album, Rush. The ballad “Tears in Heaven” is about the suffering Clapton experienced after the passing of his four-year-old son, Conor. It was selected as the Song of the Year by the Grammy Awards. Whether you have been through the same thing or not, its harrowing lyrics and soul-stirring melody will give you a lump in your throat.