Fleetwood Mac

words by Jesse Raymer

Everyone knows Fleetwood Mac started the trend of writing passive aggressive songs about your ex. One can argue that their 1977 masterpiece Rumours is the most iconic break-up album of all time. Nevertheless, Fleetwood Mac is a group that has stuck around through hell and high water. Formed in London in 1967, the British-American band went through many lineup changes before they found their five most well-known members: Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks. Their sound also shifted, from a more bluesy and soulful style to their quintessential soft rock and folky composition. Their music is tragically relatable, catchy as heck, and irresistibly beautiful.

    I owe my love for Fleetwood Mac to my momma, who played their music constantly. I remember twirling to the song “Gypsy” and listening to Tusk every day on my way to school. My mom was (and still is) a ‘70s loving bohemian queen, and her love for Fleetwood Mac inspired mine. When I began listening to Fleetwood Mac’s music, I found myself becoming more invested. Every harmony and strum had my full attention and for the first time ever I listened to an entire album (Rumours) from beginning to end without skipping.

    Of course, Rumours is considered their best work. A love triangle between Mick, Lindsey, and Stevie in addition to a divorce between John and Christine created a lot of writing material. It’s an astonishing record because of how brutal it is. When you here the song “Dreams” you know that’s a song Stevie Nicks wrote for Lindsay Buckingham. When you here “Go Your Own Way” you know that’s Lindsay’s response to “Dreams.” It’s insane to think that this group held it together as well as they did, given as they didn’t speak to each other unless they were recording or writing music. Despite the stellar, soft-rock take on diss tracks, Rumours illustrates a true love for music. The fact that the group put themselves in the most vulnerable state for the sake of the music, that’s true artistry.

    As you can tell, Rumours is definitely my personal favorite. However, their albums Tusk, Mirage, and even their self-titled are absolutely amazing. Tusk follows the hype of Rumours with their oddest, experimental music on record. Mirage flawlessly transitions Fleetwood Mac from the soft-rock 70s to the new-wave 80s, and even their 1975 self-titled is the perfect start to get into their music. Their discography is insanely extensive but these four albums are, in my opinion, their best work. I also narrowed this playlist down to 45 minutes of perfection. (Literally. Every. Track. Is. Perfect.) So, if you aren’t a Fleetwood Mac fan yet, just take a 45-minute journey through their magically crafted tunes, and I have no doubt you’ll be singing their songs all night long.