On November 30th, it was reported that the incredible Christine McVie had passed away at the age of 79. She was said to have experienced “a short illness” prior to her death and that her family surrounded her in her final hours. McVie has since been paid tribute to by her fellow bandmates, music publications, as well as singer-songwriters who were inspired by her work (such as HAIM and Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast).
McVie, born Christine Anne Perfect, lent her vocals, piano skills and writing talent to the British band Chicken Shack until she left to marry John McVie and join Fleetwood Mac. She enjoyed success as part of the lineup that crafted Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, which is widely regarded as one of the best albums of all time. Her poignant lyricism, impressive keyboard-playing and smooth vocals made her a crucial component to the band’s musical brilliance. Furthermore, her sisterly bond with Stevie Nicks persisted even as turbulent affairs and divorces tested the band’s unity time and again. McVie maintained a civil musical partnership with her former husband for years as well as Lindsey Buckingham, working on a side project with the latter and Fleetwood Mac songs with the former.
Listed below are some of my favorites of McVie’s essential credits for your listening pleasure. Rest in peace, songbird.
- “Everywhere”
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This oft-covered track from the 1987 album Tango in the Night is one of many beloved Fleetwood Mac songs on which McVie has writing credit. Stevie Nicks lends her spot at the microphone to McVie on the bouncy staple that seems to get played, ironically, everywhere.
- “Save Me”
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McVie is no stranger to singing about love, but “Save Me” is one of the few times in which her persona of a confident rock goddess cracks– and it makes for a frenetic, highly underrated four minutes. The guitar amplifies her panicked vocals as she angsts about “running for cover.”
- “Songbird”
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This list would be entirely incomplete without the inclusion of track 6 on Rumours. The stripped-back ballad that features McVie on keys and lead vocals is adored by both casual and devoted fans of Fleetwood Mac. The delivery of “I love you, I love you like never before” alone, in my humble opinion, is probably what made the Grammy committee award Rumours their highest honor.
- “As Long As You Follow”
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The collaboration between McVie and Greg Ladanyi brought forth this single with a behemoth of a chorus and expert harmonization. It is a song that encapsulates everything about the great rock ballads of the 1980s performed by a band practically synonymous with the 1970s– that is range.
- “You Make Loving FUn”
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A standout on an album of standouts, McVie’s ode to her new man after her divorce from John McVie is a masterclass in impactful yet simple lyrics and a bass line that begs you to dance. Amidst all the bitterness on Rumours, it feels like receiving a wrapped present from McVie when she croons “You, you make loving fun/And I don’t have to tell you, but you’re the only one.”