You know that bouncy, syncopated piano riff. It’s unmistakable. It’s the sound of 1979 bottled into a few seconds of pure blue-eyed soul perfection. But if you’ve ever sat around wondering who wrote What a Fool Believes, the answer isn't just a single name on a jacket. It was a collision of two very different musical worlds.
It was Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins.
Most people assume it was just a Doobie Brothers track because that’s how we hear it on the radio constantly. Honestly, though? The song almost didn't happen. It was a "scrap" of an idea that Michael McDonald had been kicking around, a little piano figure that he couldn't quite figure out how to finish. It took a chance meeting and a bit of a creative wrestling match to turn that fragment into a Grammy-winning juggernaut.
The Day Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins Changed Pop History
In the late seventies, Michael McDonald was the "new guy" who had essentially saved The Doobie Brothers from a Southern rock identity crisis. Kenny Loggins was transitioning from his duo days with Jim Messina into a solo career that would eventually make him the king of the 80s movie soundtrack.
They were friends. They were peers. But they hadn't really sat down to grind out a hit together until one fateful afternoon at McDonald's house in California.
The story goes that Loggins was driving over to work on some material. As he walked up the driveway, he heard McDonald playing a specific piano riff through the open window. It was the "Fool" riff. McDonald hadn't finished the song; he was just looping that infectious, clunky-yet-smooth progression. Loggins didn't even wait to say hello properly. He walked in and immediately started singing the melody line that would become the verse.
That is the lightning-in-a-bottle moment.
They spent the next several hours hammering out the lyrics. It wasn't an easy birth. They were meticulous. They wanted to capture a very specific feeling—that awkward, heartbreakingly relatable situation where a guy thinks a romance is still alive, but the girl has clearly moved on. It’s a song about a delusion.
Why the Song Sounded So Different
To understand the genius of who wrote What a Fool Believes, you have to look at the chord structure. McDonald is a master of the "cluster chord." If you look at the sheet music, it’s a nightmare for amateur players. He uses these tight, jazz-influenced voicings that give the song its "rub."
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Loggins brought the pop sensibility. He helped structure the narrative. Together, they created something that didn't fit the disco trend of the era, nor did it fit the fading prog-rock scene. It was its own island.
Interestingly, Loggins actually recorded and released his version first. It appeared on his album Nightwatch in 1978. It’s a good version. It’s got that Loggins energy. But it didn't set the world on fire. It wasn't until the Doobie Brothers released their version on Minute by Minute in early 1979 that the song became a cultural phenomenon.
The Doobie Brothers version had something the Loggins version lacked: Ted Templeman's production and that specific, driving drum beat by Keith Knudsen and Chet McCracken. They spent forever getting the "feel" right. The drums had to be exactly in the pocket—not too fast, not too lazy.
The Lyrics: A Masterclass in Second-Hand Embarrassment
We’ve all been the "fool" in this song. That’s why it works. When McDonald and Loggins sat down to write the lyrics, they avoided the typical "I love you, baby" tropes.
Instead, they wrote a story about a guy who "reunites" with an old flame. He thinks there is a spark. He’s convinced they are picking up where they left off. But the lyrics are brutal: “She rises to the apology of a lover who has gone, she steps into the light and overcometh.”
She's over it. He’s stuck in a loop.
The phrase "What a fool believes, he sees" is one of the most poignant lines in pop history. It explains confirmation bias decades before it became a buzzword on the internet. It’s about the power of self-deception.
The Ted Templeman Factor
While McDonald and Loggins wrote the notes and the words, producer Ted Templeman is the unsung hero of the track's success. He was the one who pushed for the "bounce."
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The recording process was notoriously difficult. They did take after take after take. The band couldn't quite capture the syncopation McDonald had in his head. There is a famous story about how they almost gave up on the song because it felt "stiff."
Eventually, they realized the secret wasn't in playing harder; it was in playing lighter. They needed that "yacht rock" airiness.
The Grammy Sweep and the Legacy
When the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards rolled around in 1980, the impact of who wrote What a Fool Believes was undeniable. The song didn't just win; it dominated.
- Record of the Year
- Song of the Year (awarded to McDonald and Loggins as writers)
- Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group
- Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocals
It was a total vindication of the "new" Doobie Brothers sound. It also solidified Michael McDonald as the preeminent voice of the era. If you were a soul singer in 1980, you were trying to sound like Mike.
But let’s talk about the competition. That year, they were up against some heavy hitters. We are talking about the peak of the industry. To win Song of the Year, McDonald and Loggins had to beat out the likes of Billy Joel and Earth, Wind & Fire.
The song has since become the poster child for the "Yacht Rock" genre. While that term started as a bit of a joke in the mid-2000s, it has evolved into a genuine appreciation for the high-level musicianship of this specific era. You can't hide behind Auto-Tune in a song like this. The harmonies are tight. The timing is precise. The emotional resonance is real.
Common Misconceptions About the Credits
Because the song is so synonymous with Michael McDonald's voice, Loggins often gets sidelined in the public memory. People forget that Kenny was a massive star in his own right at the time.
There’s also a frequent mix-up where people think Steely Dan had a hand in it. They didn't. But the confusion is understandable. Michael McDonald was a touring member and backup singer for Steely Dan (you can hear him clearly on tracks like "Peg"). The sophisticated harmonic language of "What a Fool Believes" definitely shares some DNA with the Fagen and Becker school of songwriting.
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Then there's the question of the drums. Many people think it’s a drum machine because it’s so perfectly steady. It’s not. It’s just incredible human drumming. In an era before digital quantization, achieving that level of "click-track" precision was a feat of physical endurance.
The Aftermath: Did They Write More?
The success of "What a Fool Believes" naturally led to more collaborations. McDonald and Loggins teamed up again for "This Is It," another massive hit that dealt with Loggins’ father’s health struggles. They had a chemistry that was hard to replicate.
Loggins once remarked in an interview that working with McDonald was like working with a "musical brother." They shared a shorthand. They didn't need to explain their influences because they were living them.
Why It Still Works in 2026
It’s been decades, yet this song is still everywhere. Why?
Part of it is the "meme-ability" of the intro. That piano riff has become shorthand for "smooth" or "ironically cool." But beneath the memes, the songwriting holds up.
If you analyze the melody, it’s incredibly rangy. McDonald’s husky baritone-to-falsetto transition is world-class. If you try to sing it at karaoke, you will likely fail. It requires a level of breath control and pitch accuracy that most modern pop stars struggle with.
Furthermore, the song is structurally perfect. It builds. It has a bridge that actually takes you somewhere new. It doesn't just rely on a repetitive chorus.
Actionable Takeaways for Music Fans and Creators
If you’re a songwriter or just someone who appreciates the craft, there are a few "pro" lessons to take from the story of who wrote What a Fool Believes:
- Don't throw away your fragments. McDonald had that riff for a long time. It was "garbage" to him until Loggins heard the potential. If you have a 10-second voice memo on your phone, keep it.
- Collaboration is about friction. Loggins and McDonald pushed each other. They didn't just agree on everything. That tension is what makes the lyrics so sharp.
- Production is as important as the notes. The Loggins version is good; the Doobie Brothers version is a masterpiece. The difference is the arrangement and the "pocket."
- Learn your theory. You don't need to be a Berkeley grad, but understanding how to use "tension and release" in chords—like McDonald does with his clusters—can elevate a simple pop song into something timeless.
If you want to dive deeper into this sound, your next step is simple. Go find a high-quality vinyl or lossless stream of the Minute by Minute album. Put on a pair of decent headphones. Don't just listen to the lyrics; listen to the way the bass interacts with the kick drum. That is where the magic lives. Then, compare it to the version on Kenny Loggins' Nightwatch. You’ll hear exactly how two different artists can interpret the same blueprint in wildly different ways.