"I'll Be There for You" is a song recorded by American duo The Rembrandts. It is best known as the theme song to the American sitcomFriends, which premiered in September 1994 and ended in May 2004. The song was also released as the first single from the group's third studio albumLP, reaching the top 10 in Australia, New Zealand and Norway, as well as in Ireland and the United Kingdom in both 1995 and 1997. In Canada, the song reached number one for five weeks and was the highest-selling single of 1995, while in the United States, the song reached number 17 on the BillboardHot 100 and topped the BillboardHot 100 Airplay chart for eight weeks.
Background
"I'll Be There for You" was co-written by Friends producers David Crane and Marta Kauffman, Kauffman's husband, composer Michael Skloff, and songwriter Allee Willis, along with Phil Sōlem and Danny Wilde, both of the Rembrandts. The original theme, which is under one minute long, was later re-recorded as a three-minute pop song. After Nashville program director Charlie Quinn, along with radio announcer and music director Tom Peace, looped the original short version into a full-length track and broadcast it on radio station WYHY, it became so popular that they had to re-record it. "Our record label said we had to finish the song and record it. There was no way to get out of it," lead singer Phil Sōlem said.
Critical reception
In 2009, the song was listed by Blender as one of the "50 Worst Songs Ever". On the other hand, several magazines have listed the song as one of the best TV theme songs, including Paste, Complex, and Observer.
Chart performance
When "I'll Be There for You" was released in 1995, it topped the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart for eight weeks and also peaked atop the BillboardHot Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Top 40 charts. On the Billboard Hot 100, it reached number 17 as a double A-side with "This House Is Not a Home". The song experienced the best commercial success in Canada, where it peaked at number one for five consecutive weeks and was the best-selling single of 1995. In the United Kingdom it reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, and it peaked at the same position on the Irish Singles Chart the same year. While the song did not immediately make a significant commercial impact in Australia, peaking at number 86 in October 1995, it soon re-entered the ARIA Singles Chart in August 1996 and peaked at number three on the week of October 13, spending a total of 20 weeks in the top 50. In 1997, when re-released in Europe, the song reached the top 10 in Ireland and the United Kingdom once more, placing two positions shy of its number-three peak in both countries. This re-release also saw the song reach the top 40 in Flemish Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Music video
The video features the band performing in a studio while the cast members of Friends join in.
American pop rock bandThe Goo Goo Dolls recorded their own version of this song which contained slightly altered lyrics, and a more upbeat tempo, rockier sound, as well as a glockenspiel in the rhythm track.
Yakko, Wakko, and Dot parodied the theme song as "We Won't Ever Leave" during a 1997 Animaniacs episode entitled "Acquaintances".
American punk rock bandPink Lincolns covered this song under the title "Friends" for a 1997 compilation album titled Show & Tell.
British girl pop band Loose Chippins covered this song on a single which failed to reach the charts.
Fictional American band Alvin and the Chipmunks covered this song for their 2007 video game Alvin and the Chipmunks.
"Weird Al" Yankovic had planned to record a parody for his Bad Hair Day album called "Theme for Home Improvement or I'll Repair For You". Although the Rembrandts were fine with the parody idea, the producers of Friends were not, fearing that the show's theme would be overexposed. "Theme for Home Improvement" is nevertheless a concert favorite.
Meghan Trainor covered the song on September 22, 2019 to celebrate for the Friends 25th Anniversary at the Empire State Building light show.
