Fleetwood Machas enjoyed one of the most iconic careers in all of classic rock—after the addition of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham in 1974, the band released a string of fivemulti-platinum albumsthroughout the ’70s and ’80s, played any number of sold-out shows, and enduredquite a bit of turmoiland in-fighting.
The band’s second album with Buckingham and Nicks in their lineup,Rumours, is widely considered their greatest album, having gone 17 times platinum in the UK, and 21 times in the US.Their first album with Buckingham and Nicks, however, marked a massive shift for the band,bringing them to a whole new level of worldwide fame.
Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled album was released five decades ago, and turned a somewhat well-known band, in certain circles, into a global sensation. The band’s first of two epic, genre-defining no-skip albums whose legacy has inspired countless other rock bands,Fleetwood Macis nothing short of a masterpiece, and remains so 50 years later.
11Crystal
Track 6
The last song on side one of the album,“Crystal” was originally released onBuckingham Nicks, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s only album as a songwriting duobefore they joined Fleetwood Mac. Once they did join the band, the duo re-recorded the song as their contribution to their first album with the band.
Though Nicks and Buckingham have proven themselves to be two of the greatest musical minds of their time,there’s a reasonBuckingham Nicksdid not perform very well upon its release.It’s still a fantastic and beautiful song, but “Crystal” unfortunately doesn’t feel as polished, or flow as well in the grand scheme of the album.
That said,Fleetwood Macwould not be the same incredible record without this song.With Buckingham singing lead, his voice takes on a more soothing quality than many of his other lead vocal credits, and paired with the rather emotional lyrics, this song is a phenomenal addition to Fleetwood Mac’s body of work.
10I’m so Afraid
Track 11
The album’s closer,“I’m so Afraid” was written by Lindsey Buckingham and intended for a second Buckingham Nicks album,which never came to fruition as he and Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac not long after their first album was released. The song was also released as the b-side to the album’s lead single, “Over My Head.”
Often, when an album closes with a slower, ballad-like song, it’s among the most beautiful songs on the album. Unfortunately, while it still has its merits,“I’m so Afraid” is not quite of the caliber of beauty as some other songs on this album.It’s almost monotonous at times, particularly with regard to Buckingham’s vocals.
All in all, Buckingham most definitely takes the lead on most fronts in this song, and the redemption from his subpar vocal performance (at least relative to many of his other vocal performances) is in the electric guitar solos.Between verses, his mastery of the instrument is clear as day, playing the album out on a true classic rock high.
9Sugar Daddy
Track 10
The second to last song on the album, “Sugar Daddy” is definitely among Christine McVie’s stronger lead vocal credits. It doesn’t exactly stand out, coming after an uptempo anthem like “World Turning,” butit is still a great song, with a relatively traditional sound, and some ’60s swing influence around the edges.
Where Lindsey Buckingham was in the driver’s seat for “I’m so Afraid,” McVie definitely takes over on “Sugar Daddy.“Her electric keys, the synthesizer, and her deep, melodic vocals make this song distinctly her own.Her vocals remain pretty steady, and she doesn’t stray too far outside her comfortable range, but that comfort is what really drives this song forward.
The tambourine provides the rhythmic backbone of the song, which is definitely not something you hear every day. For a song about a “Sugar Daddy,” a companion who McVie wishes to take care of her financially, but with lyrics explicitly prohibiting love and sex,it’s the feel-good nature of the musical backing that makes this such a fun track.
8Warm Ways
Track 2
“Warm Ways” was the first single fromFleetwood Macto be released in the UK, though surprisingly, it failed to make the UK singles chart. The second song on the album,it provides a stark but clearly meaningful contrast to the upbeat album opener, “Monday Morning;“the two songs couldn’t be more different if they tried.
With very few lyrics, this song is a sweet, wistful ballad in which Christine McVie just lets her emotions loose.
While there isn’t a dud on this album, this is where things start to get tricky, because"Warm Ways” is one of the more beautiful songs, not only onFleetwood Mac, but throughout their entire body of work.With very few lyrics, this song is a sweet, wistful ballad in which Christine McVie just lets her emotions loose.
McVie’s smooth vocals are extremely conducive to her words, particularly in the chorus,“Forever / Forever love / Together / Together love.“Soft and sweet, before the fighting between the band members took over and their lyrics became reflective of that anger,“Warm Ways” is one of Fleetwood Mac’s purest forms of love in a song.
7Blue Letter
Track 3
“Blue Letter” is the only song onFleetwood Macthat wasn’t written by a member of the band.In fact, it wasn’t even written originallyforthe band either; brothers Richard and Michael Curtis actually wrote the song for Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks before they joined the band, but the pair brought the song along with them (Rolling Stone).
The song was a last-minute addition to the album, and played a vital role in this album’s legendary status.
The song was a last-minute addition to the album, and played a vital role in this album’s legendary status.The chorus is extremely catchy,and the vocal harmonies between Buckingham and Nicks as they sing,“Do I read a message in your eyes / You want a love to stay another night,“are viscerally pleasing to the ear.
“Blue Letter” is classic ’60s rock music, with a sound similar to artists like Crosby, Stills, and Nash, or Creedence Clearwater Revival. It’s completely fleshed out,with each band member contributing equally to the song’s greatness.While much of this album may have a slight edge over this song, it’s definitely among the most representative of the band’s identity.
6Over My Head
Track 5
Instead of “Warm Ways,” the band released “Over My Head” as the lead single fromFleetwood Macin the US. It was the band’s first single to reach the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 20,making it their most successful single yet, and setting the precedent for their first multi-platinum album.
“Over My Head” has a sort of comforting quality to it,accented heavily by Christine McVie’s ever-soothing vocals.The lyrics,“I’m over my head / Oh, but it sure feels nice,“sound as though McVie is commiserating with the listener, and that we’re all over our heads—but that it actually feels pretty nice.
The way McVie’s organ, Lindsey Buckingham’s guitar, and Mick Fleetwood’s drums slowly fade in, already in full swing by the time they can actually be heard, feels almost like riding to the top of a roller coaster.Once McVie’s voice chimes in, however, it’s all smooth sailing, an easily enjoyable ride from start to finish.
5World Turning
Track 9
The bulk of this album was written by Christine McVie or Lindsey Buckingham, but"World Turning” was a collaborative effort, written by both of them.McVie and Buckingham split the lead vocal credit as well, and their vocal contrasts, combined with Stevie Nicks' backing vocals, make this one of the more dynamic songs on the album.
The musical tension throughout “World Turning” is exactly what makes it so great.
The song maintains a certain tension from the first note,almost as if it’s building towards a climax that never really comes.One would think that would be rather disappointing, like an itch that remains unscratched, but it’s quite the opposite; the musical tension throughout “World Turning” is exactly what makes it so great.
Between Mick Fleetwood’s drums, and Buckingham’s bluesy guitar riff,it isn’t only the vocals that drive this song.Every aspect of this song keeps the ears and the mind fully engaged, foot subconsciously tapping, and given the catchiness and simplicity of the chorus, can have anyone at least humming along, even on their first listen.
4Monday Morning
Track 1
Personally, I think “Monday Morning” is one of the greatest openers to any album throughout music history. This song, and therefore the whole album, comes in hot, with Lindsey Buckingham singing the first line before the music even begins:“Monday morning you sure look fine.“Then,once he strums his guitar, it’s impossible not to be fully locked in.
When Buckingham wrote “Monday Morning,” it was with the second Buckingham Nicks album in mind. With its inescapably catchy lyrics and as the first song onFleetwood Mac, however,it is a shining example of why the band’s acquisition of Buckingham and Stevie Nicks was arguably the greatest merger in rock music history.
After a steady-building verse that culminates in the gorgeously harmonized line,“I don’t mind,“the song explodes into an energetic chorus complete with Nicks' backing vocals.Though it was never released as a single, in a lot of ways, this song was the introduction to the new and improved Fleetwood Mac.
3Say You Love Me
Track 7
“Say You Love Me” was the final single released fromFleetwood Mac, and their second to reach the top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 11. This was another song written by Christine McVie, butthat beautifully showcases the way she, Stevie Nicks, and Lindsey Buckingham all complemented each other vocally.
In an interview withMojo Magazine, McVie explained:
I started playing them Say You Love Me on the piano, and we got to the chorus and the two of them just chirped into the perfect three-part harmony.
If McVie was wowed by Nicks and Buckingham’s vocal harmonies, their fans were absolutely flabbergasted.The resulting track became one of the band’s most iconic songs,truly integral to the success of this album and the rest of their career as a whole.
Though it was McVie who actually wrote the song,all five members of the band really put their all into making this one a hit,and one can certainly tell as much by listening to it. A feel-good love song at its core, it has left a lasting legacy, integral to many of the band’s live performances over the years.
2Rhiannon
Track 4
Stevie Nicks was only responsible for writing two songs forFleetwood Mac, andthey are two of the greatest Fleetwood Mac songs ever written.“Rhiannon” was their highest-charting single in the US at the time of its release, peaking at number 11, immediately taking the world by storm, and proving her limitless potential as a songwriter.
Nicks is certainly a poetic songwriter, to say the least, and the lyrics of “Rhiannon” are proof:“All your life you’ve never seen / Woman taken by the wind.“This song solidified her status as an incredibly powerful woman in music,and a role model to countless musicians, writers, and vocalists, regardless of gender.
“Rhiannon” isn’t the catchiest, per se, but it is a lyrical and musical masterpiece, and in many ways, is Nicks' swan song.
Heightened by the musical backing of the rest of the band, the open-ended questions that dominate the lyrics are pointed and poignant,leaving this song stuck in millions of heads, but for different reasons than the typical earworm.“Rhiannon” isn’t the catchiest, per se, but it is a lyrical and musical masterpiece, and in many ways, is Nicks' swan song.
