Fleetwood Mac evolved into one of the greatest and influential rock bands in the ‘70s and continues to carry on their legacy today. Beginning in 1967, the band attained its reputation for 36 years. Within those years came multiple scandals and rumors that amplified the band’s quality of music and grew its fanbase.

The band formed in 1967 when lead singer Peter Green left his old band “John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers” to find better music producers. He luckily found guitarist Jeremy Spencer, bass player John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. These three represent the original composition of the band and released their first album the next year titled “Fleetwood Mac”. 

Throughout the 20 years after its debut, the band grew in members and styles of music. The well-known and last variation of the band includes Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood, McVie, and the late Christine McVie. With these members, the band quickly rose to greater fame than the original formation in 1975 with the release of their hit self-titled album.

“Fleetwood Mac is one of the most influential bands of the ‘70s with their unique and diverse sound. The band inspired countless musicians as well as writers. The lead singer Stevie Nicks was one of the most talented female singers in the time of Fleetwood Mac and was a trailblazer for more female singers in rock,” junior Evan Fernandez said.

One of the notorious albums the band recorded, “Rumours” released in 1977 amidst band drama, enchanted the media and earned the band additional fans. While recording this album, Nicks and Buckingham split after their long-term relationship and the McVies—who both participated in the band during this time—divorced. While Mick Fleetwood finalized his divorce, he and Nicks engaged in an affair that soon became public. 

Described as an unhappy love story with a happy ending, the record showed off Nick’s raspy lower notes, McVie’s constant alto and Buckingham’s striking high notes. These vocals mixed with soft piano, strong drums and the background electric guitar tie the whole album together and earn it the reviews it deserves. The album starts off with mellow songs such as “Second Hand News”, “Dreams” and “Songbird”, which consist of catchy melodies and lyrics that portray the story of someone in a relationship recognizing his or her role within it, then feeling hopeful for the future after recognizing the relationship will soon come to an end.

The main reason for the album’s popularity falls back to what occurred between the band members during its production. Even though the original album included strong and powerful emotional ballads such as “The Chain” and “Go Your Own Way”, when the band reunited in 1997 to perform live at the Warner Brothers lot, they performed “Silver Springs”, a song that Nicks wrote 20 years before about her and Buckingham’s breakup while producing “Rumours”. 

The idea of performing at the Warner Brothers lot served as a way for the band to release their first concert movie and live album, “The Dance”. As their 15th song of the night, the band played “Silver Springs” for the first time, not knowing the song’s impact on the rock and roll world. During this performance, Nicks steals glances from Buckingham every once in a while. Toward the end a moment occurs that fans still talk about today: the two fully faced each other and sang and belted out the song’s heartbreaking lyrics, originally written about the demise of their relationship.

“Fleetwood Mac was the foundation of rock in the ‘70s. They shifted the expectations of artists with their powerful instruments, capturing lyrics and vocal distribution within their songs. It’s safe to say that they were unlike anyone else in their era,” junior Tessa Saunders said. 

Several years after the breakup, members continue to reveal on social media or in interviews the key moments that led to their greatest hits and then later to their demise. A physical altercation between Nicks and Buckingham and overall tensions in the band finally broke the band up in 2003 with the release of their final album, “Say You Will.”

Fleetwood Mac remains one of the greatest influential bands in history as it led to numerous inspired tracks from several producers, writers and musicians. The band’s legacy will continue and its alluring music and captivating backstory will forever remain in style.