Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours': Spun 70s Rock Music into Gold.

By Daisy Whalley

1976, Recording Session for ‘Rumours’ The year 1977 was without a doubt, a good one. The first Apple computer was launched for sale, Elvis performed his last show in Indiana and the first Star Wars film made its debut. Oh, and, of course, a little band called Fleetwood Mac released ‘Rumours’, the album that would act as a stepping stone for their ascent to fame. Today, it is hard for Fleetwood Mac fans to imagine the world without the album. Then again, my opinion is definitely tainted due to my burning love for Stevie Nicks. I didn’t properly discover the group till I was about 15, but when I did, I quickly became infatuated! The melody of ‘The Chain’ and catchy chorus of ‘Go Your Own Way’ are songs that everyone recognises, and I don’t doubt that these songs are indeed genius, but what really intrigued me, were the funkier riffs in songs like ‘You Make Loving Fun’ and the lulling soft lyrics in ‘Dreams and Songbird’.

Each and every one of their songs is timeless. They discuss everything from divorce to dysfunction and debauchery. Unapologetically up close and personal with each member of the group, the ongoing tension between them implodes into raw lyrics, moaning guitars and intertwining harmonies. We can only imagine the tension between John McVie playing bass and his wife, Christine, singing ‘You Make Loving Fun’ , written about the affair she was having with their lighting director. We can hardly even guess how Stevie Nicks feels as she harmonises in ‘Go Your Own Way’ knowing her partner Lyndsey Buckingham had partially written the song as a dig at her and their relationship. The level of impartiality in their lyrics, on top of their mystical and hypnotic sound, goes on to inspire many in the music industry, even more 30 years later. Florence Welch told ‘Rolling Stone’ in 2011 “There's something about Stevie that's really pure. When she sings, she sounds angelic but also wild and free, like she's getting completely lost in the song”. This approach to performing is undeniably shown in Welch’s own music, and she is not alone in this. Artists from Courtney Love to Tame Impala and Mumford and Son’s declare their inspiration from the album, highlighting the influence that Fleetwood Mac has had across various genres.

But even taking away the music, the basic dynamics of the group were just as revolutionary. Both Nicks and McVie stood as pioneers for women in rock. By the 70s, women were of course in the popular music charts, but rock and roll was still a male-centred genre. Here was Fleetwood Mac, equal in gendered power, expressing their frustrations with each other and nonetheless harmonising in union. This was something new and exciting. In 2015, Nicks told Mojo “I think every band should have a girl in it, because it’s always going to make for cooler stuff going on than if it’s just a bunch of guys”. Accepting her place as an icon of feminism could be easy for Nicks, but she refuses place herself on a pedestal of idealism. Instead, she continues to work with artists, most recently, working with Haim, Harry Styles and Lana Del Rey. Stevie Nicks has proved to the world that even at the age of 71 you can still be an iconic rock goddess. ‘Rumour’s’ stands as both a product of its time and a revolutionary piece in the music scene that’s incredibly powerful waves still ripple through music today. The album was made for everyone, to be accessible to more or less any listener. Fleetwood Mac tell us that, like everyone, they have dreams and despair, moments of clarity and inexplainable frustration. They fall in love and they fall out of love. This powerful emotional contrast can be seen clearly in their music. Overall, Fleetwood Mac reflect on themselves, their visions, their lives and learn to accept the entirety of it all, as it is. And if listening to this album does to same to us, even for just the length of 11 songs, that is enough for me.