Christine McVie’s Best Fleetwood Mac Songs

Fleetwood Mac created some of the best songs in recent memory, their catchy tunes blending perfectly with wistful lyrics of love, loss, and dreams. Christine McVie was no small part of that, having joined the band long before Stevie Nicks or Lindsey Buckingham. We knew her as the keyboardist, but she often sang and was one of the key songwriters in the band. In fact, she crafted most of their biggest hits. Now, at the age of 79 the songstress has passed away “following a short illness” according to a statement released by her family.

She passed away on November 30th, 2022, but is remembered fondly by her Fleetwood Mac bandmates for her kind nature and skill as a musician. Her talent and zest for songwriting is legendary in the music industry and beyond. Here are some of the best songs she wrote for Fleetwood Mac over the years.

9) “As Long as You Follow” (1988)

Written with her then-husband Eddy Quintela in 1987, this song was recorded for the 1988 Greatest Hits album, which featured both new and old songs from Fleetwood Mac.

8) “The Chain” (1977)

This song began as an earlier song called “Butter Cookie (Keep Me There)” and was recorded for Rumours. However, the band didn’t think it was working as it was and the song was reworked by all 5 members of the band, this time with lyrics by Stevie Nicks about her crumbling relationship with Lindsey Buckingham. It’s the only song on the album to bear all the group members in the writing credits.

7) “Don’t Stop” (1977)

6) “Everywhere” (1987)

This song was released as the 4th single on the Tango in the Night album. It was the first song form the band to be sold on CD in most markets.

5) “Hold Me” (1982)

This song was written by McVie about her post-divorce boyfriend, Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys. The pair had already spilt ways in 1981. He died from swimming intoxicated just a year after the song was released.

4) “Little Lies” (1987)

This song was written with McVie’s second husband Quintela, but may well have actually been about her first, McVie. Either way, the song details sugar coating or leaving out details in order to make one’s partner happy. It was released on Tango in the Night.

3) “Over My Head” (1975)

The song was apparently written by McVie about Buckingham, who had a way of being hot and cold with people that sometimes left them feeling a bit confused. The song was released on the Fleetwood Mac LP in 1975 as the lead single, a move by the record company which surprised the band.

2) “Songbird” (1977)

In a 2016 interview with The Guardian, McVie told the eerie story of how this song came to be. She said she woke up one night and played it started to finish with both vocals and keyboard. She referred to it as her “visitation” and called her producers the next day to make sure she could record it as soon as possible so she wouldn’t forget it. “I’ve never had that happen to me since. Just the one visitation. It’s weird.”

1) “You Make Loving Fun” (1977)

This song was written about the band’s lighting manager, Curry Grant, with whom McVie had an affair that ultimately ended her marriage to fellow band member, John McVie. The couple spilt during the recording of the album, Rumours, of which “You Make Loving Fun” was the 4th single to be released. The song was a staple for nearly every live show after that. Like “Songbird” the lyrics and music just came to her one day, though not while she was sleeping.