Top 10 Christine McVie Fleetwood Mac Songs
By Michael Gallucci
Christine McVie
Fin Costello, Redfern, Getty Images
Christine McVie was a member of Fleetwood Mac long before Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined and transformed them from a lumbering ’60s British blues band into one of the ’70s’ biggest acts. She joined the group in 1970 and slowly evolved into one of its strongest songwriters. But once Buckingham and Nicks got on board in 1975, McVie stepped up even more, writing and singing some of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits. Even if she occasionally got lost outside of the spotlight that was increasingly aimed at the California couple, McVie often contributed standout cuts on milestone records like Rumours and Tusk. Our list of the Top 10 Christine McVie Fleetwood Mac Songs proves that Buckingham and Nicks were just part of the singer-songwriter powerhouse that fueled the band.
10
‘Love in Store’
From: ‘Mirage’ (1982)
The opening track of 1982’s Mirage sets the tone for the relatively scaled-back album (following the super-ambitious Tusk), coasting along a warm and cozy McVie melody. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks provide heavenly harmonies, but “Love in Store” is mostly McVie’s song, right down to her welcoming, worn-in vocal.
9
‘Songbird’
From: ‘Rumours’ (1977)
McVie’s Rumours solo showcase features mainly just piano and vocal with very spare backing. “Songbird” is one of her loveliest compositions and one of her most personal, which explains the intimate performance she gives. Nestled between “Go Your Own Way” and “The Chain” on the multi-platinum album, the song serves as a calm before and after the storms.
8
‘Little Lies’
From: ‘Tango in the Night’ (1987)
Like “Everywhere” (see No. 5 on our list of the Top 10 Christine McVie Fleetwood Mac Songs), “Little Lies” bears the highly polished production favored by just about everyone in the mid-’80s. But McVie’s gently rocking song — co-written with her husband at the time, Eddy Quintela — packs a mighty hook. Released as a single, “Little Lies” made it to No. 4, which tied it as Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hit since “Don’t Stop,” and their last Top 10.
7
‘Think About Me’
From: ‘Tusk’ (1979)
Tusk, Fleetwood Mac’s double-record follow-up to the career-defining ‘Rumours,’ is generally viewed as a Lindsey Buckingham project — from the album’s general epic sprawl to its intricate production. Backed by Buckingham, “Think About Me” is a tight, compact and surprisingly tough rocker by McVie, who usually countered her bandmate’s biting sour notes with soft sweetness.
6
‘Over My Head’
From: ‘Fleetwood Mac’ (1975)
Fleetwood Mac’s superstar era pretty much kicked off with this Top 20 single (the band’s first Top 40 hit) from their self-titled 1975 reboot. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks gave the veteran British blues group the pop smarts it needed to hit the charts, but the band led its charge with McVie’s “Over My Head,” which set the template for her role in the band’s storied singer-songwriter trio as the one who wrote its best soft rockers.
5
‘Everywhere’
From: ‘Tango in the Night’ (1987)
In spite of its very ’80s production, Lindsey Buckingham’s last album with the band’s most famous and successful lineup contains some of its most sophisticated pop songs. McVie’s “Everywhere,” released as the LP’s fourth single, reached No. 14, their last Top 20 hit. It’s a typically shimmering piece of music from the band, which was splintering beyond repair at the time.
4
‘Hold Me’
From: ‘Mirage’ (1982)
As on a few other cuts on our list of the Top 10 Christine McVie Fleetwood Mac Songs, she gets ample support from Lindsey Buckingham on “Hold Me,” the first single from the band’s first album of the ’80s. But McVie co-wrote it (with British singer-songwriter Robbie Patton) and guides it through the subtle twists and turns. The song became one of the band’s biggest hits, making it to No. 4.
3
‘You Make Loving Fun’
From: ‘Rumours’ (1977)
By the time “You Make Loving Fun” was released as Rumours‘ third single, the album was well on its way to becoming one of the bestselling LPs ever. The song celebrates McVie’s affair with a member of Fleetwood Mac’s tour crew, which probably thrilled her bass-playing bandmate ex. But Rumours was built on that type of friction.
2
‘Say You Love Me’
From: ‘Fleetwood Mac’ (1975)
“Over My Head” (see No. 6 on our list of the Top 10 Christine McVie Fleetwood Mac Songs) may have launched Fleetwood Mac Mach 5 (or whatever number they were on at this stage), but “Say You Love Me” confirmed their status as pop stars. Stevie Nicks’ “Rhiannon,” Fleetwood Mac‘s second single, reached No. 11 and was the group’s biggest song up until then, but McVie’s cut (also a No. 11 hit) helped send the No. 1 album on its way to multi-platinum glory.
1
‘Don’t Stop’
From: ‘Rumours’ (1977)
McVie’s biggest hit with Fleetwood Mac (only “Dreams,” the band’s sole No. 1, was bigger) is really a group song. At least in performance, where Lindsey Buckingham shares a huge chunk of lead vocals. But McVie wrote it, and it carriers her imprint, from the big piano-powered melody to the finely tuned (and super-tuneful) interplay of the verse and choruses.
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