Fleetwood Mac’s One-Two Punch of the Seventies Stands the Test of Time

Whenever Fleetwood Mac is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind tends to be 1977’s Rumours. It shot to international fame and remains as one of the top selling albums to this day. While praise for that album is due, it’s 1975’s Fleetwood Mac that really carries the essence of its new members, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks. No one needs to be told how great Rumours is. Thanks in part to TikTok, songs like “Dreams” and “The Chain” are still widely popular. Everything worked from production to the talented band members. Perhaps, most of all, the behind-the-scenes drama: Everybody was breaking up and didn’t hold back in their songs written to each other.

Fleetwood Mac was the beginning of the Mac as we know it today. They came out the gates swinging with songs like “Monday Morning,” “Landslide,” “Crystal” and “Rhiannon.” It was a prelude of songs to come, featuring Buckingham’s electrifying guitar that drove home the anguish and heartbreak that the band wanted to convey. Nicks’ bewitching — and sometimes seemingly parseltongue — vocals pulled the listener in. Singer Buckingham and vocalist/keyboard player Christine McVie worked together on an alternative version of “The World Keep On Turning,” written by Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green. From there, McVie filled out the rest of the album with her gentle vocals on songs like “Warm Ways” and “Over My Head.” Suddenly, the band had two successful albums back-to-back with the second even more popular than the first.

The Rumours are Flying

As Fleetwood Mac continued to make music, other artists took note. Modern musicians recognized the greatness of the songs and gave them a spin of their own. In 2013, singer Res released an EP of Fleetwood Mac covers called Refried Mac. She turns “Rhiannon” into a breezy tune with vocals that keep you hooked, eagerly awaiting the next lyric. “The Chain” transforms into a surf rock number that rivals the original, and “Dreams” instills a feeling of loneliness. The shaker denotes every second to make it sounds like Res is coming out of an old car radio. It’s perfect for late night drives through empty parking lots.

Stevie Nicks has been cited as a source of inspiration to a plethora of artists that adorn the billboards of today, such as Adele, Taylor Swift, and Harry Styles. She appeared on stage to sing “Landslide” alongside Styles for his One Night Only at The Forum show. Nicks also rerecorded “Rhiannon” with the HAIM sisters in 2014.

Fleetwood Mac’s inspiration even transcends the music industry. “The Chain” served as the opening song to BBC’s coverage of Formula One from the late seventies into the nineties, then briefly again in the mid-2000s. “Dreams” saw a resurgence on TikTok after user Nathan Apodaca posted a video skateboarding down a sidewalk with cranberry juice. It prompted recreations by band members Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks.

With that kind of longevity, regardless of whether you prefer Fleetwood Mac or Rumours, both albums planted Fleetwood Mac’s music firmly in the zeitgeist.

Header: Fleetwood Mac (Source)

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Dennis van Brouwershaven

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