Rumours by Fleetwood Mac is known for being one of the greatest albums of all time. Its timelessness has led to popularity amongst multiple generations of fans, evidenced by it being the #1 vinyl ever produced. The heart and soul of the record and the drama behind it all has fans held in a chokehold so many years later. Today, this iconic album turns 48, so here are some more facts about each song on the album.
The opening track, “Second Hand News,” was written by lead guitarist and vocalist Lindsey Buckingham about his breakup with bandmate Stevie Nicks. It was inspired by the redemption he found in other women after the failed relationship. The song has heavy Scottish and Irish folk influences which can be heard throughout the melody. It does a great job of setting the mood of the entire album.
Next on the album is “Dreams,” which is by far the most popular song on the album, and the band’s most known song, reaching the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was written by Stevie Nicks, who was inspired by her breakup with Buckingham, the divorce of Mick Fleetwood, and the separation of Christine and John McVie. The song is about keeping your head up in times of trial and remembering that there are good things to come out of bad experiences. The hypnotic effect throughout the drum loop of this song quickly became signature for the band and leaves a lasting legacy throughout their discography today.
“Never Going Back Again” is a simpler song, described by its writer, Buckingham, as “a sweet and naive song without deep lyrics.” This song was, again, written about his relationship with Nicks.
“Don’t Stop” is another song the band is most renowned for. Written by Christine McVie, this song reflects her feelings after her separation from John McVie, who was unaware of this until the song was released. The song was sung as a duet between McVie and Buckingham and has that same hypnotic pop-rock feel that the band is known for.
“Go Your Own Way” is another song by Buckingham about Nicks (who would have thought!). While revered as one of their best songs, Stevie Nicks openly talked about how offensive this song was to her. This song is another one from the band that charted and is one of their most renowned songs to date.
The next song on the album, “Songbird,” reminds me a lot of “Never Going Back Again” due to its simple feel. However, the lyrical connotations behind this one are a lot more meaningful. McVie wrote this one, and it is notoriously sad and beautiful.
“The Chain” is another cult-classic for Fleetwood Mac fans. Written through the compilation of rejected material from all members of the band, it is the only song on the album to have writing credits from all five of them. It is an absolute staple of the band and was typically used as an opening song during their shows.
“You Make Loving Fun” is my favorite song on the original album. The upbeat tempo makes it one of my favorite songs when I just need to listen to something that makes me feel good. This song was written by Christine McVie, inspired by her affair with the band’s lighting director, Curry Grant. To avoid arguments, she told John McVie that the song was about her dog.
“I Don’t Want to Know” is another one of those feel-good songs for me. This song was written by Stevie Nicks and was actually used to replace “Silver Springs” on the album, as the other four band members felt it didn’t fit on the album and initially recorded it without her there.
“Oh Daddy” is another written by McVie, but it is unclear whether she wrote it about Mick Fleetwood’s divorce like she said, as he was the only father in the band at the time of the album’s release, or if she wrote it about Curry Grant, which is what other band members claim.
The final song on the original album and one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs is “Gold Dust Woman.” Written by Nicks, it originally started as a folk song, but soon grows an almost creepy ambiance to it. The original demo of this song was nearly eight minutes long and consisted of a few alternating piano chords and vocals.
Although not included in the original release of Rumours, “Silver Springs” is a song I always include when talking about this album. This song is what got me into Fleetwood Mac. I still remember the first time I ever heard it in my friend’s car during my junior year of high school, and it still hasn’t gotten old. Inspired by an exit sign she saw for Silver Spring, MD, Nicks wrote this song about her breakup with Buckingham. The 1997 live performance of this song featured on “The Dance” would end up nominated for a Grammy, and it is still iconic for the tension between Nicks and Buckingham on stage.