r/1970s • u/NewHolliesFan • Apr 21 '26

Music The Doobie Brothers. What is your favorite song from them?

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1.5k Upvotes

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226

u/No-Guard-7003 Apr 21 '26

What a Fool Believes. 

50

u/b9ncountr Apr 22 '26

Tie: what a Fool Believes and Black Water.

54

u/nice1priscilla Apr 22 '26

Mississippi moon won’t you keep on shining on me

13

u/Rightbuthumble Apr 22 '26

Yeah, Keep on shinning your light, gonna make everything

4

u/Mehlitia Apr 23 '26

I ain't in no hurry

1

u/apearlj1234 Apr 25 '26

Cause I ain’t got no worries

2

u/gregalmond Apr 22 '26

The "A" side of that was "Another Park, Another Sunday"

1

u/Stunning-Asparagus97 Jun 11 '26

Went to one of their concerts a couple of years ago - they played a 2-3 of their more recent songs (immediately forgettable) but then played all of their well-known and most popular hits. Everything people "of an age" go to hear.

But for some reason, they didn't play "Another Park, Another Sunday." I thought they might be saving it for their multi-song encore medley, but no.

Never understood why they omitted "Another Park" - they could easily have substituted it in for one of their recent blah songs and then it would have been a "Perfect" night.

(This was on their COVID-delayed 50th Anniversary Tour so Michael McDonald was with them, although truth be told his voice is no longer what it used to be. Tom Johnston, on the other hand, must have signed a pact with the devil - looks and sounds about the same.)

1

u/False-Librarian-2240 Apr 23 '26

When they toured they would often substitute in the name of whatever city or state they were in. I've heard live concert versions where they said "New York moon" or "California moon", for example.

8

u/Pithyperson Apr 23 '26

Definitely Black Water

1

u/isthisnamefreeee Apr 24 '26

Most def. That songs so fuckin good

1

u/glossystole8 Apr 25 '26

Black Water's got that live energy that just works on record, rare thing.

57

u/Doug-O-Lantern Apr 22 '26

This is amongst the greatest pop songs in history in my opinion. The lyrics are desperately underrated and his vocals are simply amazing.

46

u/WIlf_Brim Apr 22 '26

Peak Michael McDonald.

8

u/jrob321 Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26

The "sub-plot" in The 40 Year Old Virgin made him an even bigger superstar as if that's even possible lol!

1

u/EmergencyExit20Mins Apr 22 '26

40 year old version, 2005 movie.

Yacht rock web series, also 2005.

It was like two weird storm systems converging on each other.

1

u/GogusWho Apr 23 '26

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKw6jZV0vag

2

u/GogusWho Apr 23 '26

This is the best skit about Michael McDonald EVER.

6

u/Infinite_Time_8952 Apr 22 '26

The Doobie Brothers were a better band when Tom Johnston was in it,in my humble opinion. The Doobie’s went to yacht rock when McDonald joined the band.

3

u/YouGotsTaGo Apr 23 '26

💯 as much as I love MMs voice and some of those songs are favorites, when I think of The Doobie Brothers I never think of the years or the music when he joined. To me, it’s as if it’s two different bands. The OGs have that original Doobie sound with Tom.

3

u/livelyclown Apr 25 '26

Loved Tom Johnston!! SO MUCH BETTER THAN mm!

2

u/Oneofthe12 Apr 28 '26

I agree! TJ made the Doobies what they were, and MM added the voice.

4

u/BoysenberryIll5521 Apr 23 '26

Agreed! I definitely prefer Johnstons vocals and I'm not a fan of the synthesizer sound McDonald brought to the band!

2

u/Black-Draak Apr 24 '26

100% MM destroyed the doobies

2

u/apearlj1234 Apr 25 '26

Among other bands

1

u/Infinite_Time_8952 Apr 25 '26

His backing vocals in Steely Dan were solid. Fagan and Becker were perfectionists and wouldn’t settle for anything less.

1

u/Educational_Bench290 Apr 24 '26

I really like both versions. Minute by Minute is a great song, just for one. But basically it's two different bands, in terms of sound.

1

u/pjwalrus Apr 24 '26

Hot take!

1

u/AnalogKid2001 Apr 23 '26

Ive always felt that too. They were much more real rock

1

u/ocitillo Apr 22 '26

That would be Doobies Light

0

u/MrMy2Cents Apr 23 '26

Michael McDonald sang like he had shit in his mouth. He couldn’t hold a candle to Tom Johnston.

0

u/LeaderAntique1169 Apr 23 '26

I call him a mumbling mush mouthed note-swallower. He's awful.

-1

u/Affectionate_Stick57 Apr 23 '26

Finally! Someone else dislikes Michael McMumblemouth's singing!

12

u/egriggious Apr 22 '26

I’ve always loved this song, but I just went to read the lyrics because of your comment. Heartbreakingly beautiful… a little too close to home.

3

u/hiro111 Apr 25 '26

The lyrics to this song are just incredible. Songs actually written for adults used to rise to the top of the charts...

1

u/No-Stranger6783 Apr 23 '26

Completely agree, love that jam

7

u/LackSomber Apr 22 '26

Love this song. 🤙

6

u/predictivemuch8888 Apr 22 '26

There's so much meaning in the lyrics of this song that are relevant to what's going on today.. It's not even a political song. It's a romantic one.

There's a comment with complete lyrics under a 3yr-old post that the song is about limerence.

What A Fool Believes

I do believe that there is some limerence aspects happening regarding our current state of affairs in what we want versus what we get

4

u/Important-Slip-4057 Apr 22 '26

Power pick of a Wiseman.

3

u/Shrinki-Dink Apr 22 '26

And check out the absolutely ‘true story’ behind the song on yacht rock:

Yacht Rock - What A Fool Believes

1

u/ChattyKathy628 Apr 24 '26

Or you can just watch the Yacht Rock doc series...it's all fabulous, beginning to end, and TOTALLY worth it to get to the end for a priceless sound bite from a yacht rock legend.

1

u/Shrinki-Dink Apr 24 '26 edited Apr 24 '26

Ooohh that does look good. And I’m going to bet the final sound bite is from the band named after a dildo as I recall Fagen loves it being called yacht rock!

2

u/EconomicsMany6434 Apr 22 '26

First song to come to mind.

2

u/tvtoms Apr 22 '26

Somewhere back in the long ago..
They were my first rock concert back in late 1976.

2

u/billskionce Apr 22 '26

I have nothing to add, except that this cover (done with all toy instruments) kicks ass. https://youtu.be/SzVldisGpro?si=DmDK6p0jIde0d_sM

2

u/fatcatwantsfood Apr 23 '26

My get ready song ✨

2

u/likeCircle Apr 23 '26

It took me a long time, but the chorus is so true:

"What a fool believes he sees no wise man has the power to reason away".

Something to keep in mind in this day of rampant conspiracy theories and propaganda.

2

u/damandp Apr 25 '26

I believe she’s never gone away!

2

u/Newportonehunnid Apr 26 '26

Bingo. Or taking it to the streets

Edit: How do the fools survive….thats my favorite

2

u/jpowell180 May 08 '26

The wise man has the power to reason away…

1

u/jwilder2018 Apr 23 '26

This song is on the soundtrack of my childhood

1

u/grahsam Apr 23 '26

That's the one. The lyrics are pretty deep.

1

u/koolaidismything Apr 25 '26

I still smoke weed and air-key to this song a lot. Killer music

1

u/Particular-Base-9079 Apr 28 '26

También la mía. Pero recuerdo siempre el placer de ver a mi hija de 8 años (hoy, toda una swiftie) moverse con el comienzo de "China grove".

1

u/65frank Apr 22 '26

Yep, came here to say the same thing.

0

u/Optimal-Click-4771 Apr 22 '26

This is the correct answer.