1979 Chart-Topper Became a Survival Anthem for Two Yacht Rock Legends
When two future yacht rock legends teamed up to write a song in 1979, they couldn't have known how its message would resonate. Decades later, their track remains a powerful reminder of perseverance during difficult personal battles.
A chart-topping collaboration between Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins became a song that held a deeply personal meaning. The song came to embody the resilience and determination of a loved one facing what seemed an insurmountable struggle.
"This Is It" started as a love song. However, no matter how they tried, McDonald and Loggins couldn't get the lyrics to work as a romantic tune.
Loggins told American Songwriter, "The best musical statements are usually the ones that aren't calculated and the ones that come out in the largest chunks. Michael McDonald and I must have written ‘This Is It' four times."
Parade Daily🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
He continued, "The first three times it was a love song, ‘Baby I this, baby I that…,' and we both said, ‘Eh! This is boring. This song is not working as a love song.'"
Simultaneously, as Loggins worked with McDonald on the tune, he watched his father struggle as he faced cardiovascular surgery. After fighting through almost a dozen prior surgeries for other health issues, Loggins said his father had "finally made up his mind he was going to die on the operating table."
While listening to his father speak negatively of his health, Loggins told him, "You've got some say over how this goes, ya know?" This is it, Dad. Make a choice!" He later met McDonald to continue their songwriting session.
Loggins admitted it was then he realized that "This Is It" was not "a love song. It's a life song." He said once that the switch was made, the remainder of the words "literally came flooding out."
Per Songfacts, Loggins' father lived four more years after that medical emergency. He would go on to see the song he inspired win a Grammy in 1981 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. "This Is It" was released in October 1979 and peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 by February 1980.
Michael McDonald co-wrote, sang backup, and played keyboards on the track. The two also collaborated on the Grammy-winning No. 1 hit "What a Fool Believes" and "I Gotta Try" for McDonald's 1982 solo album.
Related: 1978 Timeless Friendship-Themed Yacht Rock Collaboration Still Sounds Fresh 48 Years Later
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved