By Molly Whitehorn, Staff Writer

Here’s a riddle for you. What was born a bluesy British band in 1967 and became a pop, mainstream American band by the mid-70s? Stumped? It’s Fleetwood Mac, one of those decade-defining bands that every music fan should be aware of.

Despite being commonly associated with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, the band had a career long before the two brought in their flair for the pop charts. Actually, the only constant in the band from the beginning was the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, one of the two namesake members. The band was founded in Liverpool with Fleetwood, guitarist Peter Green, slide player Jeremy Spencer and bassist Bob Brunning.

Fleetwood and Green wanted John McVie in the lineup and even tacked on “Mac” to the end of their band name to entice him, but McVie wasn’t having it. A different bassist had to make do. However, in 1967, McVie had a sudden change of heart and decided to join the band just before the release of their debut album.

The band was originally a fluff-free, raw blues band until they emerged with a more poppy sound when McVie’s wife, Christine, joined the lineup in 1970. The band never found true commercial success until Fleetwood heard a guitarist named Lindsey Buckingham in 1973 and asked him to join the band. Buckingham agreed, but only if his girlfriend, Stevie Nicks, could join as well.

Then the lineup everyone now knows and loves came to be—drummer Fleetwood, guitarist Buckingham, bassist John McVie, and vocalists Nicks and Christine McVie. The first album that this line-up released was Fleetwood Mac, which contained well-known tracks like Nicks’ “Landslide” and Christine McVie’s “Over My Head.”

Then, in 1977, people everywhere first heard the Rumours that everyone would buy into.

Rumours

The album was wildly successful, and from the beginning, both fans and critics alike nearly fell over themselves patting the members of Fleetwood Mac on the back for their efforts. Buckingham, Nicks, and Christine McVie took turns writing songs on the album, with just one song, “The Chain,” being a collective effort from all five members of the band.

The album opens with Buckingham’s “Second Hand News,” an uncharacteristically upbeat ode to an ex-girlfriend who has mistreated Buckingham and made him feel as though he were second best. On the track, Buckingham expresses his hurt by singing, “One thing I think you should know/ I ain’t gonna miss you when you go/ Been down so long/ I’ve been tossed around enough.” Aw, poor guy, but somehow I know he will make it through this one.

Perhaps the most well-known song on the album (and the best) is Nicks’ “Dreams.” The song has been an anthem for broken-hearted girls across the world for years, and Nicks’ signature raspy vocals embody the emotions of every girl who has ever been hurt.

The album also contains Christine McVie’s motivational anthem “Don’t Stop,” a song that reminds us that tomorrow is another day (I know, I know, you’re thinking that this is a cliche message, but this song is one that stands out amongst the thousands of others with similar points). The song was also used in former President Bill Clinton’s campaign, and hey, looks like it didn’t hurt him.

“Go Your Own Way” by Buckingham is another song on the album that most are familiar with. The song was written to Nicks shortly after the two broke up, which may have provided for some awkward rehearsals. The album also contains other signature songs from the band, such as Nicks’ “Gold Dust Woman,” and Christine McVie’s “You Make Loving Fun.”

Rumours sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and was by far the group’s biggest success. Anyone who didn’t live under a rock in the late ’70s owned this album and listened to it religiously. It was one of those rare albums that defined a culture and a generation of Top 40 listeners. It may not have had Bob Dylan’s lyrics or Chuck Berry’s influence, but the popularity of the album was and is undeniable.

Today

The Rumours line-up of Fleetwood Mac released their last album together in 1987, Tango in the Night. Since then, many more members have come and gone from the band, but none have been as successful nor as memorable as the Fab Five. Buckingham and Christine McVie each had successful solo albums, but neither of them matched the solo success of Nicks, who has become an icon in the music world with her solo efforts.

The band has reunited several times since the release of their last album and all of the members are still making music today. In 1998, they were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the official recognition they deserve for their achievements.

Fleetwood Mac may not be a favorite of mine, but there is no getting around how perfectly they represented the music of the late ’70s and ’80s. I’m sure many of you are fans, and if not, I’m sure your parents are. I hope that our generation can give Fleetwood Mac a level playing field and not dismiss them as “your parents’ music.” They are the ultimate pop group and they deserve to go down in history as more than “that band with Stevie Nicks.”

Since the lineup came together in 1975, many changes have taken place among the members. John and Christine McVie have gotten divorced, Fleetwood and Buckingham have gotten grayer, and Nicks has become one of the most prominent female figures in the industry. However, they still have one thing in common—they all were once members of the band that defined an era.