Christine McVie was a member of Fleetwood Mac long before Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined and transformed them from a somewhat typical '60s British blues band into one of the 1970s' biggest acts. She joined the group in 1970 and became one of its strongest songwriters.

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 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 only one 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 overly ambitious Tusk), coasting along a warm  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 piano and vocals with 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 multiplatinum album, the song serves as a calm before and after the storms.

 

READ MORE: Top 10 Pre-Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks Fleetwood Mac Songs

 

8. "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 a soft sweetness.

 

7. "Little Lies" (From Tango in the Night, 1987)

Like "Everywhere," "Little Lies" bears the super-polished production used by almost 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" reached No. 4, which tied it as Fleetwood Mac's biggest hit since "Don't Stop," and their last Top 10.

 

6. "Over My Head" (From Fleetwood Mac, 1975)

Fleetwood Mac's superstar era started 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. "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, reaching No. 4.

 

4. "Say You Love Me" (From Fleetwood Mac, 1975)

"Over My Head" 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 multiplatinum glory.

 

READ MORE: 'Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie' Album Review

 

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. "Everywhere" (From Tango in the Night, 1987)

Despite 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.

 

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 a group song. At least in performance: Lindsey Buckingham shares a huge chunk of lead vocals. But McVie wrote it, and the song bears her imprint, from the big piano-powered melody to the finely tuned (and super-tuneful) interplay of the verse and choruses.

More From Ultimate Classic Rock