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Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

Album artwork for Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
Pop // Reviewed by Jay George
5 out of 5 stars

“Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow”, wrote Christine McVie, on Fleetwood Mac’s most famous song.

But I’m writing this just a few days after Christine passed away, and it‘s been impossible for me not to think about the release of their seminal Rumours album 45 years ago.

It remains Fleetwood Mac’s most celebrated album and one of the best albums of all time.

If it’s true that artists peak under relationship tension, then behind Fleetwood Mac’s radio-friendly hits were inter-group affairs and “cocaine on the walls”. Band members recorded separately and would personally attack each other in their lyrics.

Women—they will come and they will go—when the rain washes clean, you’ll know
“Instead of going to friends to talk it out, their feelings were vented through their music,” producer Richard Dashut told Modern Recording in 1979.

The Facts

  1. Christine (keyboard) and John McVie (bass) were going through a divorce.

  2. Stevie Nicks (vocals) and Lindsey Buckingham (guitar) broke up.

  3. Prior to Stevie and Lindsey joining, Mick Fleetwood’s wife, Jenny Boyd, had an affair with lead guitarist Bob Weston.

  4. After breaking up with Lindsey, Stevie Nicks had an affair with Mick Fleetwood (the drummer). She was also in a relationship with Don Henley from The Eagles.

  5. Christine had an affair with Curry Grant, the band’s lighting director—for which she wrote “You Make Loving Fun.”

While listening to Rumours on its own merits is mind-blowing enough, knowing the background of the album along with who wrote which song takes it to the next level…

The Rumours

  1. Second Hand News – Lindsey wrote this about Stevie.

  2. Dreams – Stevie wrote this about Lindsey.

  3. Never Going Back Again – Lindsey wrote this about Stevie.

  4. Don’t Stop – Christine wrote this about John.

  5. Go Your Own Way – Lindsey wrote this about Stevie.

  6. Songbird – Christine wrote this about John.

  7. The Chain – the whole group wrote this.

  8. You Make Loving Fun – Christine wrote this about Curry Grant.

  9. I Don't Want to Know – Stevie wrote this about Lindsey.

  10. Oh Daddy – Christine wrote this about Mick Fleetwood; the father figure of the band.

  11. Gold Dust Woman – Stevie wrote this as a metaphor about the all cocaine they were consuming.

Rumours is perhaps the ultimate relationship album, hiding all its ugliness behind unmatched pop perfection.