Who Wore It Better? Comparing 4 Versions of Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins’ “What a Fool Believes”

Out of all the best-known songwriters from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, few had a run as interesting and successful as Kenny Loggins. Upon the breakup of Loggins & Messina, he managed to reinvent himself as a master of soft rock, only to re-reinvent himself as the King of the Movie Soundtrack. Yet, when it comes to one of Loggins’ most popular songwriting projects, we almost have to feel a little bad for him.

Loggins co-wrote “What a Fool Believes” with The Doobie Brothers frontman Michael McDonald. Both Loggins and the Doobies would record their own versions of the song, and Loggins’ rendition would be the first one released. It was a track on his 1978 Platinum-certified Nightwatch album. He never released “What a Fool Believes” as a single, and it might have been quickly forgotten if not for the Doobies including it on Minute by Minute, which was released five months later.

The Doobie Brothers made “What a Fool Believes” the album’s lead single, and it topped the Billboard Hot 100. It went on to become one of the biggest hits of 1979. Loggins’ version was instantly overshadowed. Worse yet, artists who covered the song generally paid tribute to the Doobies’ arrangement with their versions. At least a couple of those covers—ones by Aretha Franklin and Self—have been far more popular than Loggins’ version on Spotify, which has barely over half a million streams.

For a moment, though, let’s leave the charts and streaming stats behind. Should The Doobie Brothers’ version be considered the definitive one? Does Loggins’ version deserve a better legacy? Did Franklin and Self surpass the originals? Let’s break each of them down, while ranking them from least to most enjoyable.

4. Kenny Loggins

Loggins’ version isn’t bad, and it may never be fully possible to assess it fairly, away from the long shadow cast by the Doobies’ version. If there is a reason to penalize Loggins’ rendition, it’s that it gets a little too busy in places. Not all of the backing vocals and lead guitar lines add to the song’s impact. Still, we can hear the greatness of “What a Fool Believes” as a composition from this version, and Loggins turns in a typically strong vocal performance. In the end, his version falls short, not because of its defects, but because of what the other versions bring to the table.

3. Aretha Franklin

Franklin’s version is clearly a cover of The Doobie Brothers’ arrangement, but Franklin still makes it her own. Granted, she does that with any song she covers just by virtue of bringing her unique and powerful voice to it. Franklin’s version is smoother and funkier than either of the originals. A percolating bass line from Louis Johnson of The Brothers Johnson adds to both the smoothness and funkiness. Some fancy high-hat work by Jeff Porcaro and loud hand-claps add to the song’s danceability. This version did reach No. 39 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart, as well as No. 17 on the R&B chart. As the second single from her album Aretha, her cover of “What a Fool Believes” didn’t crack the Hot 100, but it went to No. 46 on the UK Singles Chart.

2. Self

This Tennessee-based alternative rock band’s take on “What a Fool Believes” is even truer to The Doobie Brothers’ version than Franklin’s. Part of what makes the Doobies’ original so distinct is its relatively sparse production, and Self goes even further in stripping the song down to its most essential elements. They recorded it with less reverb, and the hand-claps have been eliminated from the chorus altogether. The sound that McDonald got from his Oberheim synthesizer has a playful feel, so Self’s choice to play “What a Fool Believes” (and the other tracks on their 2000 album Gizmodgery) on toy instruments feels like a natural extension of the Doobies’ original. If you loved the Doobies’ version but got tired of hearing it constantly, you’ll probably like the way Self has freshened up the song.

1. The Doobie Brothers

It’s such a small thing, but one of the features that makes this version great is the way it starts. Not to pick on the Loggins version again, but its intro helps to make this point. Whereas Loggins’ band begins with a couple of loud chords, the Doobies slyly start off with the drums and congas. The gentle groove is essential to “What a Fool Believes”’ appeal, and it’s the first thing you hear. While it’s barely perceptible, it gets the listener locked into the song from its very first moment. The groove also provides the perfect backdrop for the sort-of-goofy Oberheim and McDonald’s sublime vocals.

This version of “What a Fool Believes” is pop perfection. No wonder why the list of cover versions goes on for days, and why Robbie Dupree scored a hit with a soundalike song—”Steal Away”—just weeks after the Doobies were ruling the charts. Given how overexposed “What a Fool Believes” was in 1979, it would have been understandable if it disappeared forever due to listener fatigue. Thanks to the Doobies’ flawless interpretation, it’s a great song that can’t be kept down.

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Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for iHeartMedia