Christine McVie was an icon, a singer, songwriter, and piano writer who made some of the most covered pop songs of the 1970s and ’80s. Over a career that spanned half a century, it’s hard to decide on her greatest hits, but we’ve done our best. Here are our top 8 Christine McVie songs.
8. “Over My Head” (1975)
For this song, Christine drew on her friendship with bandmate Lindsay Buckingham, who she said “was that kind of a guy, he could be cold as ice, and then he could be great. So I took that feeling I was feeling, and I turned it into a song.”
7. “Say You Love Me” (1975)
Christine wrote this song when she was still married to John McVie and according to her ex-husband, she was the one who convinced him to provide background vocals for the version of song sung on The Dance tour. The use of banjo has made it a favorite in country music circles, where it has been heavily covered.
6. “Got a Hold on Me” (1984)
A song from her self-titled solo album, this was apparently McVie’s only top 10 solo hit in the United States. It’s a lovely song and it helps that it seems to be in conversation with many other love songs she’s penned over the years.
5. “Hold Me” (1982)
The music video for this song was allegedly one of the tensest shoots for the band, between heightened tensions and the heat of the Mojave desert. Still, the refrain of “Hold me” speaks to the very human desire to just be held and comforted.
4. “Little Lies” (1987)
The synths, reverb, and visuals all create this wonderful feeling of surrealism in the song. It was the third single from Tango in the Night, and the first Fleetwood Mac single to be issued on the cassette single format.
3. “Everywhere” (1987)
Often called “the best song on the Tango in the Night album,” “Everywhere” is a wonderful love letter to the joy being not just in the journey, but in the people you take it with.
2. “Don’t Stop” (1977)
Written by Christine McVie in response to her separation from her husband and bandmate, John McVie. “It just seemed to be a pleasant revelation to have that ‘yesterday’s gone,” she stated in Rumours and Lies: The Fleetwood Mac Story. The song has since been used by both charities, like The Official BBC Children in Need Medley, and politicians, like Bill Clinton.
1. “Songbird” (1977)
This song was a frequent closer at Fleetwood Mac concerts and for good reason. It’s a sweet, melancholic song with a nice story to it. Apparently, Christine came up with the idea for the song at midnight but with no one around to help her record, she stayed up all night to make sure she didn’t lose the tune. That dedication is remarkable, and while this may not be her most well-known song, I think it deserves top spot for embodying everything that made Christine McVie special.
What’s your favorite Christine McVie song? Comment below!
(featured image: Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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