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“Can We Still Be Friends” is a song written and originally performed by American musician Todd Rundgren.

Todd Rundgren version

Todd Rundgren released his version on his 1978 album Hermit of Mink Hollow. This was the only hit single on the album, reaching #29 on the US Billboard Hot 100,[1] and also peaking at #8 in Australia and #37 in Canada. The lyrics describe a relationship to which Rundgren and the woman to whom he is singing have made great efforts to fix, but simply cannot make it work. Rundgren explains this, but wishes to part amicably, asking several times if he and his partner can “still be friends.” The song is generally assumed to be about Rundgren’s breakup with long-time companion Bebe Buell in 1977. Rundgren played all the instruments and performed all the vocals on the track, as he did with the rest of the album.

In 1994, the song made a prominent appearance in the film Dumb and Dumber, for which Rundgren had composed the score. It also appears on the soundtrack for the 2001 film Vanilla Sky, and the TV series Nip/Tuck.

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for “Can We Still Be Friends”
Chart (1978) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] 8
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[3] 37
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[4] 45
United States (Billboard 100) 29

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for “Can We Still Be Friends”
Chart (1978) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 54

Robert Palmer version

In 1979, “Can We Still Be Friends” became a hit again when British singer-songwriter Robert Palmer recorded a version for his album Secrets.

Chart performance

Chart (1979–1980) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[8] 52
Dutch Top 40[9] 32

References

  1. ^ “Billboard Hot 100, Chart Listing For The Week Of sep 02 1978”. Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  2. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 261. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. ^ “Top RPM Singles: Image 6970a“. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  4. ^ “Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Image 4620“. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  5. ^ “Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978”. Kent Music Report. Retrieved 8 January 2022 – via Imgur.com.
  6. ^ “Music Week” (PDF). p. 32.
  7. ^ Deggans, Eric (January 1, 1998). “Robert Palmer”. In Graff, Gary; du Lac, Josh; McFarlin, Jim (eds.). MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. p. 439.
  8. ^ “Billboard Hot 100, Chart Listing For The Week Of feb 16 1980”. Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  9. ^ “De Nederlandse Top 40, week 51, 1979”. Retrieved September 25, 2022.