Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is 40 – here are 10 reasons why it’s their best album.
It’s safe to say everyone has heard of Fleetwood Mac.
Whether you’re 50 or 15, chances are there’s at least one track you know and love – and it’s pretty likely it comes from their most successful album, Rumours.
The record turns 40 this month, so what better way to mark the occasion than to provide 10 reasons why it’s their best album ever?
Dig out the tunes, get listening and read on.
- Mick Fleetwood called Rumours ‘the most important album we ever made’, because it was this record’s success that allowed Fleetwood Mac to continue making music for years afterwards.
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VH1 placed the album at number 16 during its 100 Greatest Albums countdown in 2003, and Rolling Stone ranked it at number 25 in its ‘The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time’ issue.
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Rumours was Fleetwood Mac’s 11th studio album, and was released almost a decade after their first record – to achieve multi-platinum, record-breaking success so long after starting out is incredibly rare.
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The album has received diamond certification in several countries, such as the U.S., Canada and Australia. What is diamond certification? In 1999, the diamond certification was introduced to signify that a recording had sold 10 million copies.
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All five band mates worked through painful breakups while they created the record – The McVies were going through a divorce, Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were reaching a bitter end to their long term relationship, and Fleetwood’s wife was about to leave him for his best friend.
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Each track on the album provides a tale of love and loss that everyone can identify with.
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“Second Hand News” is a classic ode to rebound relationships, inspired by Buckingham’s experiences in finding new women after Stevie.
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“Go Your Own Way” managed to be upbeat with a ‘f*** you’ vibe – quite the achievement.
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What’s more, the line “Shackin’ up is all you wanna do” accuses an ex-lover of being a slut – then has Buckingham’s ex-lover harmonise on the hook.
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Nicks wrote “Dreams” in a few minutes, recorded it onto a cassette, then went back to the studio and demanded the band listen to it. This simple ballad soon became part of the masterpiece – and was a number one hit.
Imogen Groome / Metro / Tuesday, February 7, 2017
