Feature Photo: Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
With the recent passing of the brilliant and very much loved Christine McVie, we thought we would pay tribute to some of our favorite songs she sang as a member of Fleetwood Mac. Initially, Christine McVie was a singer-songwriter from Birmingham, England. She got her start in music in the mid-1960s. However, she became a session player for Fleetwood Mac in 1968 before becoming a full-fledged band member in 1970. After which, Christine McVie served as one of the leading creative forces behind the band until 1998. She provided lead vocals for many of the songs released in this period. Furthermore, she did a great deal of songwriting, as shown by how she wrote or co-wrote eight of the sixteen songs on the U.S. release of the band’s Greatest Hits album in 1988. We will miss Christine McVie, but her music will live on forever, as well as the memories of all those fans who saw her perform live and her family and friends who knew her well.
Top 10 Fleetwood Mac Songs Sung By Christine McVie
# 10 – Skies the Limit – Behind the Mask – 1990
Christine McVie and Eddie Quintela co-wrote the song “Skies the Limit” for Behind the Mask in 1990. The latter received a mixed response from a lot of people. Even so, it reached number eighteen in the United States and number one in the United Kingdom. “Skies the Limit” did a fair amount of heavy lifting for that bit of success by serving as the studio album’s joyful and uplifting second single. This is probably one of Christine McVie’s most underrated songs due to the album’s lack of commercial success.
# 9 – Heroes Are Hard to Find – Heroes Are Hard to Find – 1974
Title tracks have more expectations placed on them. After all, their name makes them representative of their release. Fortunately, “Heroes Are Hard to Find” more than managed to live up to those expectations. It was never a single, but its animated vocals and skeptical lyrics combined to make it one of the more memorable songs from the studio album. This is a typical uplifting mid-tempo groove that Christin McVie excelled at singing. It’s fun to hear that horn section blasting away behind her. What’s even more special are those background vocals. Just perfect.
# 8 – Remember Me – Penguin – 1973
“Remember Me” was the song that opened Penguin in 1973. Its lyrics aren’t what anyone would describe as happy. After all, they speak of intense longing for someone who has rejected the viewpoint character. Despite that, the song has a certain energy that enables it to run right along rather than get dragged down. It is a wonderful reminder that McVie had a background in the blues.
# 7 – Don’t Stop – Rumors – 1977
McVie wrote “Don’t Stop” on her own. However, she shared the responsibility as the lead singer with Lindsey Buckingham. Specifically, she sang the second verse, while the two of them sang both the chorus and the third verse. “Don’t Stop” peaked at number 3 in the United States and went platinum in the United Kingdom. It continues to stand as one of Fleetwood Mac’s most powerful hits, having been fueled by McVie’s thoughts and feelings following her separation from the band’s bass guitarist John McVie.
# 6 – Just Crazy Love – Mystery to Me – 1973
“Just Crazy Love” was the third song from Mystery to Me in 1973. Lyrics-wise, McVie describes an individual who has been overwhelmed by their love for someone else. Appropriately, her vocals have a dreamy tone to them, while the music has a more frenetic pace while retaining tight instrumentation.
# 5 – Over My Head – Fleetwood Mac – 1975
The lyrics of “Over My Head” paint an interesting picture of a relationship that confuses as much as anything else because of the fast-changing temperament of the viewpoint character’s lover. Amusingly, McVie wrote it about her working relationship with Lindsey Buckingham, who she described as someone who could switch between being cold and being wonderful with remarkable speed. Regardless, her husky vocals played an important role in propelling the song to number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, which ended six years during which the band failed to land anything on that chart.
# 4 – You Make Loving Fun – Rumors – 1977
Genuine emotion can provide songs with the power they otherwise wouldn’t possess. “You Make Loving Fun” is notable for being a very tender sort of song, which makes sense because McVie wrote it about her short-lived relationship with Curry Grant. The funny thing is that she told her then-husband that it was about their dog. Something that was needed to prevent any blowups between the two while they were still in the same band together. The vocals combine with the sound of the guitar and keyboard to make this song one of the most romantic in Fleetwood Mac’s repertoire. Moreover, it became the band’s fourth Top 10 hit by peaking at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
# 3 – Songbird – Rumors – 1977
As the story goes, Christine McVie came up with “Songbird” at around midnight, which was very inconvenient because she had no one to record it with. Thanks to that, she had to stay up so that she wouldn’t forget it. That was great because “Songbird” is one of the best songs from Rumors, which is impressive considering the competition. It is quite a contrast from “You Make Loving Fun.” No one would mistake the pent-up emotion in McVie’s vocals for anything other than devotion. The lyrics leave it unclear whether her emotions are reciprocated, thus making them that much more powerful in the process.
# 2 – Everywhere – Tango in the Night – 1987
“Everywhere” was the fourth single from Tango in the Night. It is one of the best examples of pop to ever come from Fleetwood Mac, which made it very clear that McVie was a true master of the genre. The funny thing is that she has stated that she doesn’t struggle with these songs, which in a way, seems like the essence of what the genre should aspire to be. Regardless, “Everywhere” hit number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore, it went triple platinum in the United Kingdom. As such, the synth-heavy song is one of the all-time greats of the 1980s.
# 1 – Say You Love Me – Fleetwood Mac – 1975
Two songs made Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled album in 1975 known far and wide. The McVie-penned “Say You Love Me” was one of the two, reaching number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Its sound is rich and harmonious while remaining easy to listen to throughout. As such, “Say You Love Me” is one of the songs that established Fleetwood Mac’s dominance in the 1970s. Songs pleading for love number in the hundreds and the thousands. This one is well beyond them.
Updated April 25, 2024
Top 10 Fleetwood Mac Songs Sung By Christine McVie article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2024
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