Throwing it Back to Fleetwood Mac

By Ryan Hartley, Photography Editor

From the edgy hipsters invading all of our Tumblrs and Instagrams, to the grown adults today that still feel young whenever they listen to the voice of the band’s frontwoman, Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac is a band of extreme creativity and a fanbase of intense adoration.

The band poses during a promotional photo shoot in the 70’s.
Photograph by Sam Emerson (1975)

The band members at the time of the “Rumors” release include: Stevie Nicks (tambourines), Lindsey Buckingham (guitar), Christine McVie (accordion and concertina), Mick Fleetwood (drums), John McVie (bass guitar), Peter Green (guitar), Danny Kirwan (guitar), and Billy Burnette (guitars).

Year after year throughout their career, spanning just over fifty years, the band has released music that touches the soul in ways ahead of their time.

The album “Rumors,” released in 1977, is a tale of breakup and personal strife, acting as a successor to the band’s 1975 album “Fleetwood Mac.”

Largely recorded in California, the album features an array of “pop” hits for the time that have become more alternative, old-school rock hits as the definition of “pop” in music has grown and changed in more recent years.

Many recognizable tracks from the album include “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop” and “You Love Making Fun” – all of which reached the top ten charts in the U.S. at their time of release as singles leading up to the full album release.

“Go Your Own Way” is a bouncy, electric song that can be compared to a “private message” as stated by the music review cooperation Genius.

The song was written by guitarist Lindsey Buckingham about his impending breakup with lead singer Stevie Nicks and is a testament to the hardships the band faced during this time of growth, knee-deep in drama and cocaine.

The lead guitarist of Fleetwood Mac plays during a sold out show.
Photograph Courtesy of @fiorenzo_ via Twitter

Lyrics, such as “If I could maybe I’d give you my world,” show the intense heartbreak of the messenger in the song.

“Dreams,” the album’s second single release, was a sort of dialogue back towards Buckingham made by Nicks.

The song features a heavy base with incredible vocals in the chorus done by none other than the impeccable Nicks.

“But listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness,” describing how Nicks wants to move on from the relationship with bandmate Buckingham, and how he should move on as well.

The song features more of a dance-type beat, unusual for the band.

Many criticize the band for creating music that is lazy, drowsy and sluggish to the ear and completely “un-danceable” for anyone listening.

However, the band persisted and is still relevant today with “Rumors” being the masterpiece to bring them to the top.

The next single off of the album is “Don’t Stop,” a more upbeat rock ballad with vocals reminiscent of vocal powerhouses of the likes of Queen’s Freddie Mercury; although, the voice heard is guitarist Lindsey Buckingham.

The song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard U.S. charts in October 1977.

Stevie Nicks sings during a show in her 1982 “Mirage” tour.
Photograph Courtesy of @historyinmoment via Twitter (1982)

The final single from the album is titled “You Love Making Fun,” a recognizable track including a more “funky” style of guitar bass with a fun, quirky melody on synth piano and a dramatic vocal range and guitar style.

All of the singles from the album “Rumors” are a testament to what it truly means to be timeless effortlessly.

The band and its members are still seen in pop culture today, with appearances made by frontwoman Nicks on the popular FX series “American Horror Story,” and the resurgence of the song “Dreams” in 2018 when a popular “meme” circulated the song over a joke about the band’s supposed “boring” presence.

Nicks has made multiple appearances on the show nick-named “AHS” with the most recent cameo on season eight titled “Apocalypse.”

However, her most notable appearance is on season three, “Coven,” in which she serenades the fictional characters.

The season includes notable tracks from the singer’s history including “Edge of Seventeen” and “Leather and Lace.”

The joke depicts high energy cheerleaders dancing to the 1970’s tune as if it is a club-banger and shows the fan’s intense love for the band is still alive today.

“Rumors” the eleventh studio album from British-American band Fleetwood Mac, is a classic rock masterpiece to be hailed as holding some of the best work from the band as it is the result of an intense period of heartbreak within the band, with drama and drugs filling the minds of the rock stars.